Tennessee Nursing License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees
Tennessee is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. RNs renew every 2 years, and pass the NCLEX-RN.
Look up a Tennessee nursing license
The board's search shows license status, expiry date, and any public discipline. Nursys Quick Confirm is a free national check you can use as a second source.
Tennessee Board of Nursing (Tennessee Department of Health, Division of Health Related Boards) · read 2026-09-02 · a dash means the board publishes no figure
Renewal and continuing education in Tennessee
Tennessee RN licenses renew every two years, with renewal due on the last day of the month containing the license holder's birth date. Online renewal opens 60 days before the license expires. The board does not state continuing education hours or other renewal requirements in the materials reviewed, and it does not say what happens to a license that lapses.
Renewing a Tennessee RN license costs $140, compared with $150 for an initial license by exam or endorsement. Those renewal and licensing fees are separate from the cost of taking the NCLEX-RN exam and from the biometric criminal background check that the board requires from its designated vendor for applicants seeking initial licensure.
How much does a Tennessee RN license cost?
Board fees exclude exam registration and fingerprinting · Tennessee board fee schedule ↗ · read 2026-09-02
Moving to Tennessee: endorsement and temporary permits
Tennessee participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a registered nurse who holds a multistate license from another compact state can practice in Tennessee under that license without applying for a new one. A nurse whose home-state license is not a multistate compact license, or who is moving from a non-compact state, must apply for licensure by endorsement instead.
Endorsement applicants must submit official verification of their original license, evidence that they passed the NCLEX-RN exam if they graduated after January 1, 1957, and a biometric criminal background check sent directly to the board from its designated vendor. The total fee for licensure by endorsement is $150. Tennessee does not offer a temporary permit while an endorsement application is pending, and the board's published rules do not describe a separate state jurisprudence or law exam.
Education and exam for an RN license in Tennessee
To become licensed as a registered nurse in Tennessee, an applicant must complete a nursing program at a board-approved school of nursing, whether a diploma, an associate degree, or a bachelor's degree program, and submit an official transcript showing that completion. The applicant must also pass the NCLEX-RN exam. The board's published rules do not describe a separate state jurisprudence or law exam.
What do RNs earn in Tennessee?
BLS OES May 2025 · 72,200 RNs employed in Tennessee · RN salary in Tennessee by city →
Nearby states
| State | Compact | Renewal | CE per cycle | Initial fee | Lookup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Yes | Every 2 years | — | $150 | Verify |
| Alabama | Yes | Every 2 years | 24 hours | $125 | Verify |
| Arkansas | Yes | Every 2 years | 15 hours | $100 | Verify |
| Georgia | Yes | Every 2 years | 30 hours | $40 | Verify |
| Kentucky | Yes | Every year | 14 hours | $125 | Verify |
| Mississippi | Yes | Every 2 years | — | $100 | Verify |
| Missouri | Yes | Every 2 years | None | $0 | Verify |
| North Carolina | Yes | Every 2 years | — | $75 | Verify |
| Virginia | Yes | Every 2 years | 30 hours | $190 | Verify |
Official boards of nursing · read 2026-09-02
Sources
- Tennessee Board of Nursing (Tennessee Department of Health, Division of Health Related Boards) ↗licensure, renewal, CE, and fee ruleshigh confidence
- internet.health.tn.gov/Licensure
- publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1000/1000-01.20260408.pdf
- tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/healthprofboards/nursing/continuing-educa…
- nursecompact.com/files/NLC_Map.pdf
- Nursys ↗ national license verification
- BLS OES May 2025 Tennessee RN wages and employment
Read 2026-09-02. Rules and fees change; confirm with the board before acting.