How to get a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license in Mississippi
Mississippi licenses nursing assistants statewide through the Mississippi Nurse Aide Registry (MSDH).1 For the Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license you need at least 75 clock hours2 of education, a passing score on the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) exam - knowledge test and skills exam1 and a criminal background check3.
Who issues it
Mississippi Nurse Aide Registry (MSDH)
Training and experience
Training: at least 75 clock hours2
Exam
National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) exam - knowledge test and skills exam1
Fees the board lists
Fingerprint and state background check: $503
On this page
- Requirements for a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license
- How much a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license costs
- How to apply
- Renewal and continuing education
- Moving to Mississippi with a license from another state
- City and county rules
- Check a license or report a problem
- Laws and rules
- Common questions
- Certified nursing assistant (CNA) licenses in other states
Requirements for a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license
- Education or training
- At least 75 clock hours2
Complete a Mississippi state-approved nurse aide training program (NATP); MSDH publishes a list of approved facility and non-facility programs.1
Who may teach it: Programs must be MSDH-approved; ask the MSDH Nurse Aide Office for the current list.1
Alternative: Nursing students who passed the basic nursing course (grade C or better) in the past 24 months may test without NATP training (Nursing Student Waiver).5
Alternative: Graduates of a Mississippi-approved LPN or RN program within the past 24 months may test without NATP training (Graduate Nurse Waiver).6
Alternative: Out-of-state or foreign LPN/RN graduates may test after getting an MSDH Approval to Test letter (call 601-364-1100).7 - Exam
- National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) exam - knowledge test and skills exam1
Given by: D&SDT-Headmaster (HDMaster)1
When you can take it: After completing an approved NATP, or after MSDH approves a training waiver.1
Knowledge test8
Skills exam scored by RN evaluators1
Exam waived: No test for reciprocity applicants who are active and in good standing on another state's registry.1 - Background check
- Background check required3
Fingerprints required3
Felony convictions or pleas for listed crimes (e.g. drug sale/possession, murder, sex offenses, abuse of a vulnerable adult) disqualify unless a waiver is granted; a CNA with a substantiated finding of neglect may petition for removal after 1 year.1 - Social Security number
- SSN required: reciprocity applicants upload an image of their Social Security card.4
How much a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license costs
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint and state background check | $503 | MSDH | Charged to the employer (covered entity) that submits fingerprints; a maximum, not a fixed fee |
| TEST REVIEW REQUEST AND PAYMENT FORM | $259 | MSDH | Request to review test results. Not refundable |
Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.
The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.
How to apply
- Choose a Mississippi state-approved nurse aide training program (MSDH list, or email the MSDH Nurse Aide Office).1
- Complete the program (nursing students, LPN/RN graduates and out-of-state/foreign nurses can instead apply for a training waiver on MS TMU).9
- Create a TMU account (call 800-393-8664) and schedule the NNAAP knowledge and skills tests from the testing calendar; the Headmaster Mississippi Candidate Handbook explains the tests.1
- Pass both parts; you are then listed on the Mississippi CNA Registry (search by name or registration number).1
- Apply online
- ms.tmutest.com1
Renewal and continuing education
- When it expires
- Renew through MS TMU with proof of at least 8 paid hours as a nurse aide in a nursing home, hospital or hospice in the previous 24 months; if your employer is out of state or closed, use the Non-Employer Renewal ($25).1
- Required topics
- Work requirement: at least 8 paid hours as a nurse aide in a nursing home, hospital or hospice within the previous 24 months.10
- Late renewal
- Renewal fee: $2510 (renewal for out-of-state work or when the employer no longer exists)
- If it expires
- Lapsed (or expiring within 60 days without work history): Reactivation by Examination - one attempt to pass; if either part is failed you must complete an MSDH-approved training program and test as a new aide.8
- Renew online
- ms.tmutest.com1
Moving to Mississippi with a license from another state
These are the routes MSDH publishes for the Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license.
- Route
- License by endorsement
- What the board says
- Reciprocity (interstate transfer) without testing: active certification in good standing in another state, plus proof of 8 hours worked in a nursing home, hospital or hospice in the past 24 months (or, if certified 6 months or less, the training certificate).4
- Conditions
- Your other-state registry entry must reflect OBRA '87 training and competency evaluation.1
Upload proof of work or training, your Social Security card and a government photo ID.4
Lapsed out-of-state certificate: Out-of-State Reactivation by Examination ($25), one test attempt.11 - Fee
- $254
- Form
- ms.tmutest.com1
City and county rules
No local license: CNA certification is a statewide MSDH registry listing.1
Check a license or report a problem
Before you hire a nursing assistant in Mississippi, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Mississippi is on the Mississippi license lookup page.
- Look up a license
- ms.tmutest.com1
Laws and rules
The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.
Common questions
How long does it take to get a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license in Mississippi?
The rules set at least 75 clock hours2 before you can be licensed. The board does not publish how long it takes to process an application.
Can I transfer my nursing assistant license to Mississippi?
MSDH publishes this route for the Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) license: license by endorsement4. Conditions and forms.
Certified nursing assistant (CNA) licenses in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Sources
Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.
- CNA (Nurse Aide) Certification and Training - MSDHMississippi State Department of HealthChecked November 7, 2026
- 42 CFR 483.35 and 483.151-483.158 (nurse aide training, competency evaluation and registry)Office of the Federal Register (eCFR)Checked November 7, 2026
- Title 15 Part 16 Subpart 1 Chapter 45 Minimum Standards for Institutions for the Aged or Infirm (MSDH PDF)Mississippi State Department of HealthChecked November 7, 2026
- CNA Reciprocity Form - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026
- Nursing Student Waiver - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026
- Graduate Nurse Waiver - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026
- Out-of-State or Foreign LPN or RN Waiver - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026
- Reactivation by Examination - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026
- Account Applications Apply - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026
- Non-Employer Renewal - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026
- Out of State Certification - Reactivation by Examination - MS TMUMississippi State Department of Health (registry operated by D&SDT-Headmaster)Checked November 7, 2026