Delaware Nursing License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees
Delaware is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. RNs renew every 2 years, complete 30 hours of continuing education per cycle, and pass the NCLEX-RN.
Look up a Delaware nursing license
The lookup runs on Delaware'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.
Delaware Board of Nursing, Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) · read 2026-09-02 · a dash means the board publishes no figure
Renewal and continuing education in Delaware
Delaware renews the RN license every 2 years. The exact expiration date depends on when the license was first issued: licenses fall due February 28, May 31, or September 30 of odd years, with all new licenses expiring September 30 of odd years. Renewal requires 30 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours on substance abuse and 1 hour on recognizing and responding to sexual abuse, physical abuse, exploitation, trafficking, or domestic violence. The board does not state what happens if a license lapses.
The profile does not state a separate renewal fee. The initial RN license costs $181, offered here only as a point of comparison, since the board does not list what renewal itself costs. Renewal does not include the NCLEX-RN exam or the state and FBI fingerprint background check; those steps apply only to first-time licensure, including endorsement and multistate applications, not to routine renewal of an already active license.
Required CE topics
- 1substance abuse 3 hrs
- 2recognition of and response to suspected or known sexual abuse, physical abuse, exploitation, trafficking, or domestic violence 1 hr
Delaware Board of Nursing, Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) continuing education rules · read 2026-09-02
How much does a Delaware RN license cost?
Board fees exclude exam registration and fingerprinting · Delaware board fee schedule ↗ · read 2026-09-02
Moving to Delaware: endorsement and temporary permits
Delaware belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, effective January 19, 2018, which lets a nurse who lives in Delaware and holds a multistate license from another compact state practice in Delaware without applying for a separate license. A nurse moving to Delaware and making it their primary state of residence can apply for a Delaware multistate license; a nurse keeping residence elsewhere, or coming from a non-compact state, instead applies through endorsement for a single-state Delaware license.
A registered nurse licensed elsewhere who has never held a Delaware license applies through DELPROS, with Nursys verification and a State of Delaware and FBI background check. Applicants show either graduation within 24 months, 400 practice hours in 2 years, 1,000 hours in 5 years, or a Board-approved refresher course, plus 30 CE hours in the past 2 years if qualifying on practice hours. Delaware offers a temporary permit; the board's exam page names no separate jurisprudence exam.
Education and exam for an RN license in Delaware
Delaware requires candidates to pass the NCLEX-RN exam. Applicants for licensure by examination must have graduated within the past 5 years, or 60 months, from a nursing program that included at least 400 clinical hours, with an official transcript sent directly by the school. Nurses educated outside the United States must also submit a CGFNS or TruMerit CES report evaluating their education and English competency. The board's exam page does not name a separate Delaware jurisprudence exam.
What do RNs earn in Delaware?
BLS OES May 2025 · 14,290 RNs employed in Delaware · RN salary in Delaware by city →
Nearby states
| State | Compact | Renewal | CE per cycle | Initial fee | Lookup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Yes | Every 2 years | 30 hours | $181 | Verify |
| Maryland | Yes | Every 2 years | — | $187 | Verify |
| New Jersey | Yes | Every 2 years | 30 hours | $200 | Verify |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Every 2 years | 30 hours | $95 | Verify |
Official boards of nursing · read 2026-09-02
Sources
- Delaware Board of Nursing, Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) ↗licensure, renewal, CE, and fee ruleshigh confidence
- dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/fees
- dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/exam
- dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/reciprocity
- dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/renewal
- dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/continuing-education-and-audit-informa…
- dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/rnlpntemppermit
- Nursys ↗ national license verification
- BLS OES May 2025 Delaware RN wages and employment
Read 2026-09-02. Rules and fees change; confirm with the board before acting.