How to get your RN license in Utah

Utah licenses registered nurses through the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), part of the Department of Commerce, with the Board of Nursing. Everything below comes from DOPL's RN application, exam information, renewal, fingerprinting and fee schedule 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.

Utah at a glance

BoardUtah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), 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$60 application fee, plus the fingerprint and BCI fees on DOPL's fee schedule; non-refundable
Background checkUtah Bureau of Criminal Identification and FBI check; electronic prints through an authorized vendor after you apply
Nurse Licensure CompactCompact state: multistate license if you live here
RenewalEvery two years: RN licenses expire January 31 of odd-numbered years; $68
Continuing educationIn two years: 400 practice hours, or 200 hours plus 15 CE hours, or 30 CE hours; plus one suicide prevention training
Authorization to TestApply for Authorization to Test once your transcript is released and you have registered and paid with Pearson VUE
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.

Utah, step by step

Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Board of Nursing

  1. Before the ATT application: graduate from an ACEN-, CCNE- or COA-accredited program and have the school send an official transcript (mailed, sealed or by secure email from the registrar); register and pay for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE; and do not live in another compact state. DOPL has a Nurse Licensure Guide and video on applying for the ATT and the license.
  2. License application: the RN application fee is $60, with additional fingerprint and BCI fees listed on DOPL's fee schedule. Fees are non-refundable.
  3. Fingerprints: required, and DOPL says missing fingerprints are the number one reason for delays or denials. Apply first; about 2 to 3 business days later DOPL emails an authorization form and vendor list, and you pay the vendor. If you live more than 50 miles from a vendor, mail two FD-258 cards, which can add up to three months. Prints go to the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification and the FBI.
  4. Compact: RNs who live in Utah and meet the uniform licensure requirements may be eligible for a multistate license.
  5. NCLEX-RN: take and pass it after DOPL authorizes you to test. DOPL does not give a time to the ATT; check with DOPL.
  6. Renewal: RN licenses expire January 31 of odd-numbered years; DOPL mails a notice at least 60 days before. The fee is $68. In the past two years you need 400 practice hours, 200 hours plus 15 CE hours, or 30 CE hours, plus one of DOPL's short online suicide prevention trainings. Licenses expired more than two years need a new application.

Sources: Utah DOPL apply for an RN or LPN license, exam information, renew an RN or LPN license, fingerprinting and fee schedule. Checked October 18, 2026.

The compact: multistate or single-state?

Utah is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Utah 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 Utah 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