How to get your RN license in New Mexico

New Mexico licenses registered nurses through the New Mexico Board of Nursing (NMBON). Everything below comes from the board's RN and LPN page, its fees, fingerprinting and continuing education 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.

New Mexico at a glance

BoardNew Mexico Board of Nursing (NMBON)
ExamNCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027)
Board fee$150 for initial licensure by examination; non-refundable; $60 to retest
Background checkState and national check through IdentoGO after you apply; $59; RN service code 2BH2FB, ORI NM920190Z
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalFirst license runs one year plus the months to your birth month, then every two years; $110
Continuing education30 contact hours each two-year period (or a current national certification), uploaded to CE Broker before you renew
Authorization to TestNot stated; the exam application is valid for one year
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.

New Mexico, step by step

New Mexico Board of Nursing (NMBON)

  1. Application: the online Initial Exam Application in the Nurse Portal (no paper applications), with a $150 fee. Applications filed in error or not approved are not refunded. An exam application is valid one year.
  2. Transcript: have your school send official transcripts (electronic ones to [email protected]); New Mexico graduates can be verified through the Affidavit of Graduation portal.
  3. Background check: a state and national check through IdentoGO. Register at the New Mexico IdentoGO site with RN service code 2BH2FB and pay $59; out-of-state applicants can use the card processing service. Get printed after you submit the application, because initial prints are only retrievable for 30 days; accepted prints stay good for the life of the application.
  4. Graduate permit: your employer can request a Graduate Nurse Permit through the board's website within 12 weeks of graduation.
  5. NCLEX-RN: register with Pearson VUE. U.S.-educated applicants may test up to five times within three years of graduation. A re-exam is $60.
  6. Renewal: your first license runs one year plus the months to your birth month; after that, every two years. The RN fee is $110, and the renewal link opens 60 days before expiration.
  7. Continuing education: 30 contact hours per two-year period, prorated for a shorter period, or a current national certification in your specialty. Upload it to CE Broker before you submit the renewal.

Sources: New Mexico Board of Nursing RN and LPN licensure, fees, fingerprinting and continuing education. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

New Mexico is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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