How to get a single-state Registered Nurse (RN) license in Florida

Florida registered nurse licenses

Florida issues 2 registered nurse credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for every Florida registered nurse license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

What it covers

Practice of professional nursing: observation, assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation of care; health teaching and counseling; administering medications and treatments prescribed by a licensed practitioner; supervising and teaching other personnel.⁸

Requirements

High school diploma or GED

Required⁹

Education or training

Graduation from (or completion of graduation requirements of) an approved Florida program, an equivalent prelicensure program, or an accredited program (on/after July 1, 2009); the Board page lists Florida-approved, ACEN/CCNE-accredited with an NCLEX code, NCSBN-coded programs in other jurisdictions, pre-licensure MSN, military programs, and Board-determined equivalent non-NCSBN/international programs.³
Who may teach it: Florida Board-approved program or an accredited program (ACEN/CCNE) issued an NCLEX code by NCSBN; out-of-state programs approved by their jurisdiction with an NCLEX code.³
Alternative: Graduates of programs outside the U.S.: credentialing-agency report meeting Rule 64B9-3.014; if the program was not taught in English or English is not the native language, TOEFL (540 paper/207 computer/76 iBT), MET (55 overall, 55 speaking), IELTS academic (6.5 overall, 7.0 spoken) or OET (300).⁹

Exam

NCLEX-RN²
Given by: Pearson VUE³
When you can take it: After completing graduation requirements: notice of graduation or completion of graduation requirements is submitted; the Board reviews and then transmits authorization to Pearson VUE.⁹
Retakes: After three consecutive failures (any jurisdiction), a board-approved remedial course is required before re-examination; then up to three more attempts before remediation again. The Board page describes the RN refresher/remedial course as 80 classroom hours plus 96 clinical hours.¹
Time limit: After remediation, re-examination must be applied for within 6 months of completing the remedial course; no overall deadline to pass is stated.¹
Exam waived: Exam not re-taken for MOBILE endorsement (passing national exam already required) and nurses holding an active multistate license from another NLC state are exempt from Florida licensure.¹

Background check

Background check required³
Fingerprints required³
All offenses other than minor traffic must be disclosed with explanation, court dispositions and 3-5 recommendation letters; violent crimes and repeat offenders go to the Board. Section 456.0635, F.S. bars licensure for certain health-care-fraud and drug felonies (with time limits) and for Medicaid terminations or OIG exclusion.³
No pre-application review of a criminal record is offered³

Also required

Ability to communicate in English (may be determined by department examination).¹

Also required

Beginning July 1, 2027, exam applicants must have completed a 2-hour human trafficking course.¹

Fees

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

1. Complete the education requirement and have proof of education sent (Florida, out-of-state, international or PNEQ documentation as applicable).³
2. Get Level 2 electronic fingerprints at an FDLE-approved Livescan provider using the Board of Nursing ORI number; keep the Transaction Control Number (TCN).³
3. Submit the licensure-by-examination application and the $110.00 fee through the MQA Online Services Portal.³ mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us³
4. Send supporting documents for any "Yes" screening answers.³
5. Register and pay $200 with Pearson VUE; after the Board approves eligibility it sends authorization to Pearson VUE.³
6. Schedule and take the NCLEX-RN following Pearson VUE instructions.³
7. License issued after passing the NCLEX and meeting all requirements.³

Apply online

mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us³

Temporary or provisional license

Graduate nurse: an exam applicant who has filed the application and fee, is authorized by the Board as a graduate nurse and authorized to test may practice only under direct RN supervision; practice must stop after a failed exam.¹¹

Processing time

Initial applications must be reviewed within 30 days; documents submitted after initial review are updated within 14 business days; MOBILE endorsement licenses issue within 7 days once complete.³

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years⁵

When it expires

Renewed biennially in three groups; current licenses expire at midnight EST on April 30, 2027 (Group 3), April 30, 2028 (Group 1) or July 31, 2028 (Group 2).¹⁰

Renewal fee

$75⁴

Continuing education

24 hours each renewal period⁶

Required topics

2 hours Prevention of Medical Errors (board approved), each biennium¹⁰
2 hours Florida Laws & Rules (board approved), each biennium⁶
2 hours Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace, every other renewal¹⁰
2 hours Human Trafficking every renewal (need not be Board-approved; content per s. 464.013(3)(c))¹⁰
2 hours Domestic Violence every third biennium, in addition to the 24 hours¹⁰
1 hour HIV/AIDS, one time before the first renewal¹⁰

Approved courses

Mandatory courses must come from a Florida Board of Nursing approved provider (except Human Trafficking); general hours must be approved by a state or national nursing-CE accrediting organization; live or home study; completion is reported to CE Broker.¹⁰

Exemptions

Nurses certified by an NCCA- or ABSNC-accredited specialty program are exempt from CE (not from the 2-hour human trafficking course).⁵
First renewal after licensure by examination: general hours exempt, but the mandatory topic hours (medical errors, laws & rules, impairment, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS) are still required.¹⁰
Endorsed, reactivated or reinstated mid-biennium: 1 contact hour per remaining month (none if 6 months or less remain).⁶
Spouse of an Armed Forces member absent from Florida due to the spouse's duties is exempt from CE.⁶

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $130⁴ (renewing after expiry (total amount, includes renewal fee))
Late renewal fee: $205¹⁰ (120-day notified delinquent (total amount))

If it expires

An unrenewed license becomes delinquent after expiry and null and void 2 years after expiry.¹⁰
Delinquent renewals must report CE for both the current and previous cycle.¹⁰
Inactive more than two consecutive biennial cycles: may need a special purpose examination or other reactivation requirements.¹⁰

Renew online

flhealthsource.gov¹⁰

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Military spouses absent from Florida due to the spouse's Armed Forces duties are exempt from CE; the Board links the DOH Office of Veteran Licensure Services for armed-forces licensing.⁶

Who needs a single-state Registered Nurse (RN) license

Work that does not need this license:

• Holders of an active multistate license from another NLC state are exempt from Florida licensure.¹

Renewal and continuing education

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Moving to Florida with a license from another state

These are the routes the Board of Nursing publishes for the single-state Registered Nurse (RN) license. The other registered nurse licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Registered Nurse (RN) license with multistate qualification

Requirements

Residency or citizenship

Must declare Florida as primary state of residence (proof: driver's license, voter registration card, federal tax return or W-2).³

Social Security number

Valid U.S. Social Security number required for a multistate license.³

Also required

Multistate eligibility (Florida Board): clear, active Florida license; unencumbered; no felony conviction; no nursing-related misdemeanor; not enrolled in IPN or another impaired-practitioner program; passed NCLEX or SBTPE; foreign education evaluated and English competency exam where not taught in English; Livescan results within the required window.³

Also required

Upgrade applications are valid for 1 year, then expire if not approved.³

Fees

How to apply

1. To get the multistate (compact) license: new applicants who live in Florida may request it (s. 464.008(2)(b)); current Florida single-state licensees file the Multi-State License Upgrade application with proof of Florida residency and the $100.00 fee, plus Livescan; the upgrade is added to the existing license.¹

From another state

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a registered nurse in Florida, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Florida is on the Florida license lookup page.

Look up a license

mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us³

File a complaint

floridahealth.gov³

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Fla. Stat. § 464.008 (licensure by examination)
• Fla. Stat. § 464.009 (licensure by endorsement)
• Fla. Stat. § 464.0095 (Nurse Licensure Compact)
• Fla. Stat. § 464.013 (renewal; CE)
• Fla. Stat. § 464.003 (definitions)
• Fla. Stat. § 456.0145 (MOBILE endorsement)
• Fla. Stat. § 456.0135 (background screening)
• Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B9-3.002 (qualifications for examination)
• Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B9-3.008 (licensure by endorsement)
• Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B9-3.016 (multi-state license upgrade)
• Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B9-5.002 (continuing education)
• Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B9-7.001

Rule changes since January 2024

• July 1, 2027: Upcoming: exam applicants must have completed a 2-hour human trafficking course beginning July 1, 2027.¹
• April 13, 2026: Rule 64B9-3.008 (licensure by endorsement) last amended 4-13-26; endorsement uses the MOBILE application DH-MQA-5102 (Revised 8/2025).²

Common questions

Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

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