How to get your RN license in Arkansas

Arkansas licenses registered nurses through the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN), part of the Arkansas Department of Health. Everything below comes from ASBN's RN initial-by-exam page, its fee table and its renewal pages, checked October 18, 2026. Fees change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.

Study aid, not legal advice. Your state board of nursing has the final word on your license, and its rules and fees change. Built by an RN. Headed In LLC is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), Pearson VUE or any board of nursing; their names appear here only to point you to the real thing. NCLEX and NCLEX-RN are registered trademarks of NCSBN.

Arkansas at a glance

BoardArkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN)
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board fee$100 for licensure by examination ($200 for internationally educated nurses); non-refundable; the first license itself is free
Background checkState and federal criminal background checks, requested through ASBN's separate background check system
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalEvery two years on a staggered birth-date system (first license 3 to 27 months); $100
Continuing educationOne option per two-year cycle: 15 practice-focused contact hours, a national certification, or an academic nursing course
Authorization to TestNot stated; the application is valid one year and can be submitted about 60 days before graduation
Practice for the NCLEX freeThe NCLEX shut-off simulator: real practice questions under the exam's published stopping rules, 85 to 150 questions. No sign-up.

Arkansas, step by step

Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN)

  1. Application: online, about 60 days before graduation; a complete application is valid one year. You need a U.S. Social Security number and you declare your primary state of residence: if it is another compact state, you apply there instead. The fee is $100 by credit card, non-refundable.
  2. Affidavit of Graduation: your program director confirms you finished. Arkansas programs do it electronically; out-of-state programs mail a paper form to the board. An official transcript is also required.
  3. Pearson VUE: register before or with your state application, and give Pearson your Social Security number to speed processing.
  4. Background check: state and federal checks, requested through ASBN's separate criminal background check system (print and follow its instructions). Results must reach the board before a license issues. Certain offenses under Arkansas Code 17-3-102 make you ineligible, though a waiver can be requested in some cases.
  5. Temporary permit: for an extra fee, a permit to practice while you wait to test, issued only within 90 days of finishing your program, once you are registered with Pearson and your background checks are clear. It lasts 90 days or until your first exam result.
  6. NCLEX-RN: ASBN does not give a separate time to the Authorization to Test; check with the board.
  7. Renewal: every two years on a staggered birth-date system; your first license may run 3 to 27 months. The RN renewal fee is $100, plus $100 if late. Within the 24 months before renewal, meet one CE option: 15 practice-focused contact hours, a national certification or recertification, or an academic course in nursing or a related field.

Sources: ASBN RN initial by exam, fees, renewal of an Arkansas license and RN renewal application information. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Arkansas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and you meet the compact's uniform licensure requirements (they include a fingerprint-based state and federal background check), the board issues a multistate license that also lets you practice in every other compact state. If you live in another state, or do not meet those requirements, you get a single-state license good in Arkansas only. Move your primary residence to another compact state and you must apply there for a new multistate license within 60 days.

Compact status from NCSBN, nursecompact.com, checked October 18, 2026.

The national steps, briefly

  1. An approved RN program

    An associate degree, bachelor's degree, diploma or entry-level master's program approved by a board of nursing, with an NCLEX program code. Your school confirms you graduated.

  2. Apply to the board

    The license comes from the state board, not the exam. Apply, pay the board fee and do the background check the board asks for.

  3. Register with Pearson VUE

    The NCLEX-RN registration fee is $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027), non-refundable. Your registration stays open 365 days while the board decides your eligibility.

  4. Get your Authorization to Test and sit the exam

    When the board makes you eligible, Pearson emails your Authorization to Test (ATT). Test within its dates: they cannot be extended. The NCLEX-RN runs 85 to 150 questions in up to five hours, and it stops when the computer is 95% sure you are above or below the passing standard.

The full national walk-through and every state: How to get your RN license. NCLEX facts from NCSBN, NCLEX fees and registration.

Practice for the NCLEX freeThe NCLEX shut-off simulator: real practice questions under the exam's published stopping rules, 85 to 150 questions. No sign-up.

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