How to get your RN license in Kansas

Kansas licenses registered nurses through the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN). Everything below comes from KSBN's initial application checklist, its agency fee page and its renewal application checklist, 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.

Kansas at a glance

BoardKansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN)
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board feeSingle-state $100; multistate $125 (K.A.R. 60-4-101); no refunds
Background checkFingerprints plus the background check fee sent to KSBN; new prints for every multistate application, single-state prints good for 6 months
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalEvery two years; $85; renewal opens 90 days before expiration
Continuing education30 hours of continuing nursing education each renewal (KSBN can audit)
Authorization to TestNot stated; applications stay active 6 months while you finish the requirements
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.

Kansas, step by step

Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN)

  1. Application: register in the KSBN portal and file the initial application for a first U.S. nursing license. Fees are $100 for a single-state RN license or $125 for a multistate license, and KSBN cannot issue refunds, so check your cart before paying. An application stays active 6 months while you complete the requirements; after that you reapply with a new fee.
  2. Multistate: you must meet the compact's 11 uniform licensure requirements and show a Kansas driver's license.
  3. Checklist: official transcripts on the way to KSBN; fingerprints and the background check fee submitted; Pearson VUE registration; and, for graduates abroad, a credentials evaluation and English proficiency results.
  4. Fingerprints: a new set is required for every multistate application; for single-state licensure, prints are good for 6 months.
  5. NCLEX-RN: if more than 2 years have passed since you graduated, submit a petition to test. If you are retaking the NCLEX, file another application with KSBN. Allow 7 to 10 business days after applying before checking status in the portal.
  6. Renewal: every two years; the RN fee is $85, and the window opens 90 days before expiration. Have 30 hours of continuing nursing education ready to submit if audited.

Sources: KSBN initial application, agency fees and renewal application. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Kansas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Kansas 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 Kansas 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