How to get your RN license in Idaho

Idaho licenses registered nurses through the Idaho Board of Nursing, part of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Idaho is moving nurses to two-year licenses that renew on their birthday. Everything below comes from the board's home and fee pages, its fingerprint process sheet (April 2026) and DOPL's March 2026 renewal notice, checked October 18, 2026.

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.

Idaho at a glance

BoardIdaho Board of Nursing (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board fee$102 for an RN license-by-exam application (DOPL's fee table marks it with an asterisk; confirm in the application)
Background checkFingerprints on an FD-258 card or by Livescan, ORI ID920220Z, reason "IDC-54-1401 Nursing License"; prints cannot be reused
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalNew licenses run at least two years and expire on your birthday (transition began April 1, 2026)
Continuing educationNot stated on the board's pages we checked; see the board's rules or check with the board
Authorization to TestNot stated; check with the board
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.

Idaho, step by step

Idaho Board of Nursing (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)

  1. Application: apply in DOPL's online licensing system. The board's fee table lists the RN license-by-exam application at $102.
  2. Fingerprints: have prints taken on an FD-258 card by local law enforcement or at a Livescan location. Enter ORI ID920220Z and reason fingerprinted IDC-54-1401 Nursing License exactly, or the prints are rejected and you pay again. Mail cards to DOPL, Attn: Idaho Board of Nursing, 11341 W. Chinden Blvd., Building 4, Boise, ID 83714. Prints cannot be transferred or reused.
  3. NCLEX-RN: register with Pearson VUE. The board does not give a time to the Authorization to Test; check with the board.
  4. Renewal: starting April 1, 2026, DOPL is moving to two-year licenses that expire on your birthday; new applicants get at least a two-year license ending on their birthdate. The fee table still lists the older RN expiration of August 31 in odd years for existing licenses in transition. DOPL's pages we checked did not state CE hours; see the board's rules or ask the board.
  5. Nurse Intern Pilot: Idaho is running a nurse intern pilot program for students; see the board's page for the facility agreement and student application.

Sources: Idaho Board of Nursing (DOPL), including the fee table, fingerprint process (PDF, April 2026), DOPL renewal transition notice (March 2026) and statutes, rules and guidance. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Idaho is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Idaho 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 Idaho 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.

Official pages