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How to get a Registered Nurse (RN) license in Minnesota

Minnesota licenses registered nurses statewide through the Minnesota Board of Nursing.1 For the Registered Nurse (RN) license you need a passing score on the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination, National Council of State Boards of Nursing)2 and a criminal background check3. The board lists $105 for the application4 and $50 for the registration4, each a separate charge. You renew every 24 months5 and complete at least 24 hours of continuing education6.

Last checked · 20 official sources

Who issues it

Minnesota Board of Nursing

Training and experience

Completion of a professional (RN) nursing education program approved by the Minnesota Board, another US nursing board or a Canadian province.7

Exam

NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination, National Council of State Boards of Nursing)2

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $1054
Fingerprint and state background check: $323
Registration fee: $504

Renewal

Every 24 months5, at least 24 hours of continuing education6

From another state

License by endorsement, Temporary license or permit, Reciprocity agreements and Military service members and spouses89710 Details

On this page
  1. Who needs a Registered Nurse (RN) license
  2. Requirements for a Registered Nurse (RN) license
  3. How much a Registered Nurse (RN) license costs
  4. How to apply
  5. Renewal and continuing education
  6. Moving to Minnesota with a license from another state
  7. Check a license or report a problem
  8. Laws and rules
  9. Common questions
  10. Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

Who needs a Registered Nurse (RN) license

Professional nursing: services caring for patients in all settings under board-recognized nursing standards, including comprehensive health-status assessment, care planning and coordination with the health care team.11

Work that does not need this license:

  • Exempt: emergency nursing assistance; nurses of other states employed by the US government on official duty; supervised students in approved programs; out-of-state nurses enrolled in a course of study; out-of-state RNs temporarily in Minnesota to teach CE, lecture or present at a conference.12

Other rules on who may do this work:

  • A license alone is not enough: the nurse must also hold a current registration (renewed every 24 months) to practice.13

Requirements for a Registered Nurse (RN) license

Education or training
Completion of a professional (RN) nursing education program approved by the Minnesota Board, another US nursing board or a Canadian province.7
Who may teach it: The school sends a Confirmation of Program Completion (or official transcript) directly to the Board; Minnesota programs can confirm online.3
Alternative: Foreign-educated (non-US/Canada) applicants: equivalency evaluation by a credentials evaluation service acceptable to the Board, sent directly to the Board, plus deficiency coursework and English tests.7
Exam
NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination, National Council of State Boards of Nursing)2
Given by: Pearson VUE3
Passing score: Pass/fail: a designation of "pass" on the NCLEX.2
When you can take it: Eligible to test once the Board has the application, the $105 fee, confirmation of program completion (graduates or those eligible to graduate), and where applicable the comparable-education verification and English-proficiency results; then register with Pearson VUE and schedule after the Authorization to Test (ATT, valid 90 days).2
Retakes: Failed candidates file an Examination Retake Request ($60) within eight months of the last failed exam and must retake within one year of it, or the application is nullified.4
Time limit: No absolute limit, but a review course is required before testing if five or more years have passed since completing the program or the NCLEX was not passed within five years of completion. The application is nullified if the exam is not taken within one year of the Board receiving it.3
Exam waived: Graduates of programs outside the US and Canada need a credentials evaluation showing equivalent education, completion of coursework for any deficiencies, and English written/spoken tests unless the program was taught in English in an English-speaking country.7
Background check
Background check required3
Fingerprints required14
Applicants answer the Grounds for Denial questions and the Board investigates any "yes" before licensure; conviction of a felony or gross misdemeanour reasonably related to nursing is a ground for denial. Results are valid one year.15
Also required
Refusing to consent to the background check or to submit fingerprints bars licensure and forfeits fees paid.14

How much a Registered Nurse (RN) license costs

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Application fee$1054Minnesota Board of NursingLicensure by examination (also pays for the initial registration period, Minn. R. 6305.0400 subp. 13). Not refundable
Exam retake fee$604Minnesota Board of NursingNot refundable
Fingerprint and state background check$323Minnesota Board of NursingBCA state + FBI national fingerprint check (fees set by BCA and FBI, Minn. Stat. 214.075 subd. 3(b)). Not refundable
License by endorsement or reciprocity$1054Minnesota Board of NursingNot refundable
Duplicate or replacement license$204Minnesota Board of NursingNot refundable
License verification to another state$204Minnesota Board of NursingAPRN, RN and LPN license verification other than through Nursys. Not refundable
Verification of examination scores$204Minnesota Board of NursingNot refundable
Public Health Nurse registration$304Minnesota Board of NursingOptional public health nurse registration for RNs. Not refundable
Registration fee$504Minnesota Board of NursingNurses licensed in IA, ND, SD or WI practicing in Minnesota under the border-state licensure privilege. 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; check it with the exam provider, Pearson VUE3, when you schedule.

How to apply

  1. Apply for licensure by examination online through the Board's online services (or by paper packet) and pay $105 plus the $32 criminal background check fee (cashier's check or money order for paper).3 mbn.hlb.state.mn.us3
  2. Answer the Grounds for Denial questions; complete fingerprinting from the packet the Criminal Background Check office emails the next business day.3
  3. Have your nursing program submit the Confirmation of Program Completion to the Board.3
  4. Register with Pearson VUE for the NCLEX-RN and pay its fee; schedule once you receive the Authorization to Test (valid 90 days).3
  5. Five or more years since completing your program? Complete a review course after applying and before testing.3
  6. Pass the NCLEX-RN; the Board mails the license about 10 business days after the exam.3
  7. Licensed in another state? Apply by endorsement instead, with license verifications (Nursys) and the employment confirmation form.8
Temporary or provisional license
Endorsement applicants currently licensed in another state, territory or Canadian province can request a non-renewable temporary permit on the application; it is valid until the Board acts on the application or 60 days, whichever comes first. Separate 90-day permits cover the clinical part of a refresher course.9
Processing time
The Board mails the license about 10 business days after the NCLEX for exam applicants.3

Renewal and continuing education

How often
Every 24 months5
When it expires
Registration ends on the last day of the birth month in even years (even birth year) or odd years (odd birth year). The first period after licensure runs 6 to 29 full months. The Board sends a renewal notice at least three months before expiry; the application, fee and CE report must be received by the expiration date.5
Renewal fee
$854
Continuing education
At least 24 hours each renewal period6
Required topics
No mandatory subject; content must enhance the ability to practice nursing (e.g. patient-centred care, technical skills, evidence-based practice, teamwork, quality improvement, informatics), with written objectives, a qualified instructor other than the licensee, and a certificate of participation.6
Approved courses
No Board pre-approval of providers: the licensee verifies each activity meets the criteria. Activities approved by another health licensing board or professional association, or a current national certification, are accepted without written objectives. Keep records for two years after reporting.6
Exemptions
Short of hours? Missing hours may be deferred to the next period (if no hours are already deferred), or the registration may be allowed to expire and the nurse reregister.6
Armed forces members (and those in essential national-defense work abroad) whose registration was current at entry need not renew; the exemption ends six months after discharge.6
Variances for mail delay, financial hardship, lost records or unexpected illness/personal tragedy.6
If it expires
There is no grace period: an application received after the expiration date is returned and the nurse must reregister ($105) before practicing; practicing without registration adds the penalty fee.6
Reregistration: CE hours owed at expiry (including deferred hours), proof of acceptable nursing practice in the past two years, or else 1 contact hour per month out of practice (maximum 60 for RNs); more than five years out of practice requires a refresher course completed within 24 months (90-day clinical temporary permits available). A new fingerprint check is needed if more than one year has passed since expiry.16

Renewal planner

Enter the expiration date printed on your Minnesota Registered Nurse (RN) license. The count is worked out on your device from today's date; nothing is sent anywhere.

Moving to Minnesota with a license from another state

These are the routes the Minnesota Board of Nursing publishes for the Registered Nurse (RN) license.

Route
License by endorsement
What the board says
RNs licensed by examination in another US state may be licensed by endorsement ($105 plus $32 background check): verification of licensure from the state of first licensure and from the state of current practice (usually via Nursys), a Confirmation of Nursing Employment form, and fingerprints. Applicants not in acceptable practice in the past two years report CE (1 hour per month, up to 60); more than five years out of practice requires a refresher course.8
Conditions
Accepted RN exams: NCLEX-RN with a pass (after January 1989), earlier NCLEX/SBTPE with the scores set in rule; otherwise the current NCLEX must be passed.17
Fee
$10518
Route
Temporary license or permit
What the board says
Endorsement applicants currently licensed in another state, territory or Canadian province can request a non-renewable temporary permit on the application; it is valid until the Board acts on the application or 60 days, whichever comes first. Separate 90-day permits cover the clinical part of a refresher course.9
Route
Reciprocity agreements
What the board says
One-way recognition: a nurse licensed by Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin who lives in that state may practice in Minnesota under a licensure privilege (no Minnesota license) if standards are substantially the same and there is no adverse action or diversion; the nurse must report Minnesota employment to the Board within ten days ($50 Border State Registry).7
States on Minnesota's list
Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin7
This is the list of states whose licenses Minnesota accepts for this route. It does not say those states accept a Minnesota license.
Conditions
The privilege holder is subject to Minnesota law and Board discipline as if licensed in Minnesota.7
Fee
$504
Route
Military service members and spouses
What the board says
Minnesota boards must expedite licenses and offer temporary licenses to active-duty members, their spouses and veterans discharged in the past two years who hold a current, discipline-free license in another state and a clean background study; the full application is completed during the temporary license.10
Route
No reciprocity
What the board says
Minnesota is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state: multistate licenses from compact states do not authorize practice in Minnesota (except the border-state privilege for IA, ND, SD and WI residents).19

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license
mbn.hlb.state.mn.us20

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Common questions

Can I transfer my registered nurse license to Minnesota?

The Minnesota Board of Nursing publishes these routes for the Registered Nurse (RN) license: license by endorsement8, temporary license or permit9 and reciprocity agreements7. Conditions and forms.

How often do you renew a Registered Nurse (RN) license in Minnesota?

Every 24 months5. Continuing education: at least 24 hours6. The renewal fee is $854.

Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

Sources

Every number and rule above links to one of these official pages. Select a footnote number to read the board's own words.

  1. Minn. Stat. § 148.281Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  2. Minn. R. 6305.0400Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  3. RN Licensure by Exam US ProgramMinnesota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
  4. Minn. Stat. § 148.243Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  5. Minn. R. 6310.2600Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  6. Minn. R. 6310.2800Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  7. Minn. Stat. § 148.211Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  8. Licensure by EndorsementMinnesota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
  9. Minn. Stat. § 148.212Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  10. Minn. Stat. § 197.4552Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  11. Minn. Stat. § 148.171Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  12. Minn. Stat. § 148.271Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  13. Minn. Stat. § 148.231Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  14. Minn. Stat. § 214.075Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  15. Minn. Stat. § 148.261Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  16. Minn. R. 6310.3100Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  17. Minn. R. 6305.0500Minnesota Office of the Revisor of StatutesChecked November 7, 2026
  18. Apply By EndorsementMinnesota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
  19. Nurse Licensure CompactMinnesota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
  20. Licensure VerificationMinnesota Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026