How to get your RN license in Indiana

Indiana licenses registered nurses through the Indiana State Board of Nursing, administered by the Professional Licensing Agency (PLA). Everything below comes from PLA's nursing licensing information page and its criminal background check page, 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.

Indiana at a glance

BoardIndiana State Board of Nursing (Professional Licensing Agency)
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board fee$50, non-refundable; $25 more to request a multistate compact license with it
Background checkNational (FBI) fingerprint background check through IdentoGO, RN service code 24YF1V, done after you apply
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalEvery two years: RN licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years; $50
Continuing educationNone: Indiana has no CE requirement for RN renewal
Authorization to TestNot stated; the board grants eligibility once both the state application and the NCLEX registration are complete
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.

Indiana, step by step

Indiana State Board of Nursing (Professional Licensing Agency)

  1. Two applications: the Indiana licensure application in MyLicense One and the NCLEX registration with Pearson VUE. The board grants eligibility only when both are done. An application missing requirements for a year is abandoned.
  2. Fee: $50 by credit or debit card, non-refundable. You can request a multistate compact license with it for $25 more.
  3. Background check: a national criminal history check at your cost (IC 25-1-1.1-4). Wait for PLA's "Application Received" email with your service code, then schedule digital fingerprinting with IdentoGO (the RN code is 24YF1V). Prints taken before your application's received date do not count.
  4. Education: after graduation your program's dean or director sends a Certificate of Completion straight to the board (applicant copies are not accepted since August 1, 2021). You also enter your high school information, or upload GED scores.
  5. Other documents: a full written explanation and court documents for any "yes" answer, name-change documents, verification of any health license you have ever held (including CNA or EMT), and, if you are not a U.S. citizen, proof of qualified alien status or work authorization.
  6. NCLEX-RN: register with Pearson VUE. PLA does not give a time to the Authorization to Test; check with the board.
  7. Renewal: RN licenses expire October 31 of every odd-numbered year, whenever they were issued; renewal opens at least 90 days before and costs $50. Indiana has no CE requirement for RN renewal.

Sources: Indiana PLA, nursing licensing information and criminal background checks. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Indiana is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Indiana 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 Indiana 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