How to get your RN license in Maine

Maine licenses registered nurses through the Maine State Board of Nursing, in the Office of Professional and Financial Regulation. Everything below comes from the board's licensing by examination, fees, criminal background check, renewal and license FAQ 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.

Maine at a glance

BoardMaine State Board of Nursing
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board fee$75 for an RN exam application
Background checkState and FBI fingerprint check through IdentoGO (Livescan in Maine, a card by mail elsewhere); $52; repeat it if the result is over 90 days old
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalEvery two years on or before your birthday (first license 1 to 2 years); $75; no grace period
Continuing educationNo CE hours are listed on the board's RN pages we checked; 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.

Maine, step by step

Maine State Board of Nursing

  1. Application: online only (paper applications ended January 1, 2020). The board posts a License by Examination Bulletin, RN exam licensure requirements, a School Certification Form and a Course Completion Form. The RN exam fee is $75.
  2. Background check: every applicant for initial licensure, including multistate, needs a fingerprint-based state and FBI check (32 M.R.S. 2111 and 2173). After you apply, register with IdentoGO; in Maine you are printed by Livescan for $52. Outside Maine, register as a mail-in, have a card inked by local police and mail it with your IdentoGO receipt. If the result is more than 90 days old, you repeat it.
  3. NCLEX-RN: register with Pearson VUE. The board has a separate NCLEX retake process. It does not give a time to the Authorization to Test; check with the board.
  4. Renewal: your first license lasts one to two years depending on your birthdate; after that you renew every two years on or before your birthday, online only. The RN renewal fee is $75. There is no grace period: a late renewal means a lapsed license, and practicing on it can bring a $500 fine.

Sources: Maine State Board of Nursing licensing by examination, fees and fines, criminal background checks, license renewal and license FAQs. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Maine is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Maine 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 Maine 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