How to get your RN license in Nebraska

Nebraska licenses registered nurses through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Licensure Unit, with the Nebraska Board of Nursing. Nebraska waives its application fee for young workers, low-income applicants and military families. Everything below comes from DHHS's exam application information (revised August 2026), its background check instructions and its nurse licensing FAQ, 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.

Nebraska at a glance

BoardNebraska DHHS Licensure Unit (Nebraska 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$123, waived for applicants 18 to 25, low-income applicants and military families (the background check is still paid)
Background checkFingerprints and a $75 fee to the Nebraska State Patrol, after your application is sent; a new check for every application
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalRN licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years
Continuing educationAfter 2 years licensed: 20 CE hours in the last 2 years; after 5 years: also 500 practice hours in the last 5 years
Authorization to TestNot before the Licensure Unit has every required document; then Pearson VUE emails the ATT
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.

Nebraska, step by step

Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit (Nebraska Board of Nursing)

  1. When to apply: students can submit the exam application up to 90 days before their expected graduation. Register for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE as well.
  2. Fee and waivers: the application fee is $123. It is waived if you are a young worker (18 to 25), a low-income applicant (in SNAP, TANF, Medicaid or another public assistance program, or under 130% of the federal poverty guideline), or from a military family. You still pay for the background check.
  3. With the application: evidence of citizenship or lawful presence, a photograph of yourself, and any conviction, discipline or name-change documents. Your school sends final transcripts to the Licensure Unit.
  4. Background check: fingerprints are required. Do not submit prints or payment until your application has been sent to DHHS; the Nebraska State Patrol will not process the check before then. The fee is $75 (effective September 1, 2026), paid to the State Patrol. You need a new check for this application even if you had one recently for another state or license, and checks are not expedited.
  5. NCLEX-RN: you cannot test until the Licensure Unit has every required document and Pearson VUE emails your Authorization to Test.
  6. Renewal: RN licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years. Licensed more than 2 years but less than 5: 20 hours of CE in the last 2 years. Licensed more than 5 years: 500 practice hours in the last 5 years plus 20 CE hours in the last 2. No more than 4 hours can come from CPR and BLS, and DHHS audits a random sample.

Sources: Nebraska DHHS nursing license by examination application information (PDF), criminal background check instructions (PDF) and nurse licensing FAQs. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Nebraska is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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.

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