California Nursing License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees
California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so its licenses are single-state. RNs renew every 2 years, complete 30 hours of continuing education per cycle, and pass the NCLEX-RN.
Look up a California nursing license
The lookup runs on California's state licensing portal, which covers RNs alongside other licensed professions. Nursys Quick Confirm is a free national check you can use as a second source.
California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), Department of Consumer Affairs · read 2026-09-02 · a dash means the board publishes no figure
Renewal and continuing education in California
California RN licenses renew every two years. The very first license runs for two birthdays rather than two full years, expiring on the last day of the month after the license holder's birth month; every renewal after that falls on the same date every two years. Renewal requires 30 hours of continuing education, and nurses within their first two years of initial licensure must include one hour on implicit bias, effective January 1, 2023. The board does not state what happens if a license lapses.
Renewal costs $190, compared with $300 for the initial license. Both figures cover only the license fee itself. The NCLEX-RN exam is registered and paid separately through Pearson VUE for $200, and fingerprint-based background checks, whether done through a California Live Scan vendor or a $49 FD-258 hard card, are also billed apart from the license fee.
Required CE topics
- 1implicit bias 1 hr (only licensees still within the first 2 years after initial licensure, effective 2023-01-01)
California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), Department of Consumer Affairs continuing education rules · read 2026-09-02
How much does a California RN license cost?
Board fees exclude exam registration and fingerprinting · California board fee schedule ↗ · read 2026-09-02
Moving to California: endorsement and temporary permits
California is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from another compact state does not let a nurse practice in California on that license alone. Any registered nurse moving to California, including one who holds a compact multistate license elsewhere, must apply for a separate California RN license through endorsement rather than relying on compact privileges.
A nurse licensed elsewhere applies for endorsement through BreEZe, paying the $300 initial license fee and submitting transcripts and fingerprints for a background check, along with proof of a current, active license and a passing score on the NCLEX-RN or SBTPE. California names no separate jurisprudence exam, though the board may require a TOEFL score: minimums of 22 reading, 22 listening, 26 speaking, and 22 writing, when the program was not taught in English. A temporary permit is available while the application is processed.
Education and exam for an RN license in California
California requires every applicant to complete a nursing education program that meets the board's standards. Programs approved by the board submit transcripts electronically, while graduates of international programs mail official transcripts with certified English translations and a Breakdown of International Nursing Educational Program form. After the education requirement is met, applicants must pass the NCLEX-RN, administered by Pearson VUE for a $200 registration fee, unless they already passed it or hold an RN license elsewhere. The board names no separate California jurisprudence exam.
What do RNs earn in California?
BLS OES May 2025 · 338,940 RNs employed in California · RN salary in California by city →
Nearby states
Sources
- California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), Department of Consumer Affairs ↗licensure, renewal, CE, and fee ruleshigh confidence
- rn.ca.gov/consumers/fees.shtml
- rn.ca.gov/licensees/ce-renewal.shtml
- rn.ca.gov/licensees/lic-renewal.shtml
- rn.ca.gov/licensees/ren-faqs.shtml
- rn.ca.gov/applicants/lic-exam.shtml
- rn.ca.gov/applicants/lic-end.shtml
- Nursys ↗ national license verification
- BLS OES May 2025 California RN wages and employment
Read 2026-09-02. Rules and fees change; confirm with the board before acting.