How to get your RN license in Missouri

Missouri licenses registered nurses through the Missouri State Board of Nursing, in the Division of Professional Registration. Everything below comes from the board's RN licensure page, its online application checklist and fingerprint page, and its rules in 20 CSR 2200-4 (fees, renewal and examination), 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.

Missouri at a glance

BoardMissouri State Board of Nursing (Division of Professional Registration)
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board feeShown in the MOPRO application (paid by card or eCheck, non-refundable); the board's fee rule lists $40 for a re-exam
Background checkFingerprint background check through MACHS, registration number 0001, after you apply
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalEvery two years: RN licenses expire April 30 of odd-numbered years; $85
Continuing educationNo CE hours are listed in the board's RN pages or fee rule; 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.

Missouri, step by step

Missouri State Board of Nursing (Division of Professional Registration)

  1. Education: the basic prescribed curriculum and a degree or diploma from an approved professional nursing program (20 CSR 2200-4.020).
  2. Application: register and apply in the MOPRO portal. Have proof of lawful presence ready (a U.S. passport, birth certificate or REAL ID), your program and graduation date, any other nursing licenses, and your primary state of residence. Pay by credit card or eCheck; fees are non-refundable.
  3. Compact: you do not request a multistate license; Missouri residents who meet the uniform licensure requirements are issued one automatically.
  4. Fingerprints: apply first, then register at MACHS (machs.mo.gov) with registration number 0001, using exactly the name, birth date and Social Security number on your application. The board cannot use fingerprint results done for a job or another license. Out-of-state applicants have separate instructions.
  5. Transcript: after you graduate, have your school send an official final transcript showing your degree and graduation date (electronic copies come from Parchment, Credentials Solutions, eSCRIP-SAFE or National Student Clearinghouse). Transcripts from you are not accepted.
  6. NCLEX-RN: register with Pearson VUE. The board does not give a time to the Authorization to Test; check with the board. A re-exam is $40.
  7. Renewal: every two years; RN licenses expire April 30 of each odd-numbered year. The fee is $85 (since July 1, 2021). No CE hour requirement appears on the board's RN pages or in its fee and renewal rule; check with the board.

Sources: Missouri State Board of Nursing, RN licensure, online application checklist (PDF), fingerprint background checks, and 20 CSR 2200-4.010 (fees and renewal) and 2200-4.020 (examination) on Cornell LII. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Missouri is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Missouri 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 Missouri 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