New Jersey Nursing License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees
New Jersey 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 New Jersey nursing license
The lookup runs on New Jersey'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.
New Jersey Board of Nursing (New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs) · read 2026-09-02 · a dash means the board publishes no figure
Renewal and continuing education in New Jersey
New Jersey requires RN license renewal every 2 years. The board's available records do not specify which month renewals are due. Renewal requires completing 30 hours of continuing education; the profile does not name any specific mandatory topics. The board's materials do not state what happens to a license that lapses.
The board's research does not list a separate renewal fee for New Jersey RNs. For comparison, the fee for an initial RN license is $200. NCLEX examination costs and the fingerprint-based criminal background check are billed on their own and are not part of the renewal process.
How much does a New Jersey RN license cost?
Board fees exclude exam registration and fingerprinting · New Jersey board fee schedule ↗ · read 2026-09-02
Moving to New Jersey: endorsement and temporary permits
New Jersey belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered nurse who holds a multistate license from another compact state can practice in New Jersey under that license without applying for a separate New Jersey license. A nurse whose home-state license is not multistate, or who is moving permanently, must apply through endorsement instead.
Endorsement applicants submit a notarized application with a passport photo and proof of citizenship or immigration status. New Jersey requires a criminal background check with fingerprints, plus license verification from every state the nurse has ever held a license in, sent through Nursys or directly from the issuing board. The application fee is $200. New Jersey does not offer a temporary permit for endorsement applicants, and the profile does not mention a separate state law exam or English test for this pathway.
Education and exam for an RN license in New Jersey
New Jersey requires RN candidates to pass the NCLEX-RN exam; the board's materials do not mention a separate state jurisprudence exam. Exam applicants submit a birth certificate or U.S. passport and a letter of program completion from their nursing program. A license number may issue within 24 to 48 hours of passing NCLEX. Nurses educated outside the United States must also submit a CGFNS evaluation and a passing TOEFL score to CGFNS; the board's research does not specify which nursing program types it accepts.
What do RNs earn in New Jersey?
BLS OES May 2025 · 92,680 RNs employed in New Jersey · RN salary in New Jersey by city →
Nearby states
Sources
- New Jersey Board of Nursing (New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Consumer Affairs) ↗licensure, renewal, CE, and fee rulesmedium confidence
- njconsumeraffairs.gov/nur/Documents/BON-Exam-Application-Process-Overv…
- njconsumeraffairs.gov/nur/Applications/Instructions-For-Licensure-By-E…
- njconsumeraffairs.gov/nur/applications/rn-and-lpn-application-packet-g…
- njconsumeraffairs.gov/nur/Applications/Official-Application-for-a-Temp…
- ncsbn.org/news/new-jersey-implements-nurse-license-compact
- ncsbn.org/public-files/NLC_Map.pdf
- Nursys ↗ national license verification
- BLS OES May 2025 New Jersey RN wages and employment
Read 2026-09-02. Rules and fees change; confirm with the board before acting.