How to get your RN license in Mississippi

Mississippi licenses registered nurses through the Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN). Everything below comes from the board's Licensure by Examination and NCLEX testing pages and its rules in 30 Miss. Code R. Part 2810 (renewal and continuing competencies), 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.

Mississippi at a glance

BoardMississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN)
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board fee$100 for the RN application plus $75 for the criminal background check, by card
Background checkCriminal background check with fingerprints done by the Mississippi Board of Nursing (at its office or on a mailed card); no other prints accepted
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalEvery two years: RN licenses run January 1 of odd years to December 31 of even years; renew online by December 31
Continuing educationContinuing competency evidence (such as 20 contact hours in two years) is required if you have not practiced in five years (Rule 2810-4.7); check with the board for other CE
Authorization to TestFor repeat applicants, a new ATT by email within 7 business days
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.

Mississippi, step by step

Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN)

  1. Application: the online Licensure by Examination application for people who have never held a nursing license. Fees are $100 for the RN application and $75 for the criminal background check, paid by credit or debit card. You need a valid Social Security number.
  2. Compact: if Mississippi is your primary state of residence and you meet the uniform licensure requirements, you get a multistate license; otherwise a single-state license good in Mississippi only.
  3. Transcript: your program sends an official transcript by one method only: Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, or mail from the registrar. Apply first, so the transcript has an application to attach to.
  4. Background check: complete the exam application, then register for the CBC using the exact same name. You can book fingerprinting at the board's office or have a card mailed to you; only fingerprints and checks done through the Mississippi Board of Nursing are accepted.
  5. NCLEX-RN: register with Pearson VUE. If you fail, wait for your official results, then reapply and register again; you can retest after 45 days, the new ATT comes by email within 7 business days, and you may test up to six times within two years of graduation.
  6. Renewal: RN licenses are valid two calendar years, from January 1 of each odd-numbered year to December 31 of each even-numbered year; renew and pay online by December 31. The board publishes the renewal notice by November 1.
  7. Continuing competency: under Rule 2810-4.7, a nurse who has not practiced in the past five years must show continuing competency: a board-approved reorientation program, 20 contact hours of nursing CE in the past two years, or 3 semester hours of nursing credit. Check with the board for any other CE requirement.

Sources: Mississippi Board of Nursing licensure by examination and NCLEX testing, and 30 Miss. Code R. 2810-4.1 (renewal period), 2810-4.3 (online renewal) and 2810-4.7 (continuing competencies) on Cornell LII. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Mississippi is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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