How to get a single-state Registered Nurse (R.N.) license in Oklahoma

Oklahoma registered nurse licenses

Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma registered nurse license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

Requirements

Minimum age

18 years old²

Education or training

Graduate of a state board-approved RN program (associate, baccalaureate or higher in Oklahoma) whose curriculum included theory and clinical experience in adult, children, maternal-newborn and psychiatric-mental health nursing; official transcript showing the degree and conferral date, sent from a Department of Education-recognized primary source.¹
Who may teach it: Program approved by a state board of nursing in an NCSBN member board jurisdiction; out-of-state graduates also submit course descriptions for curriculum review.⁶

Exam

NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination)²
Given by: Pearson VUE (register and pay the testing service separately from the Board application)⁶⁷
When you can take it: Apply about two months (no more than four months) before graduation; once all other requirements are met the Board makes you eligible and Pearson VUE issues an Authorization to Test, after which you have 90 days to test.⁶⁷
Time limit: Two years from completing the nursing program to write or rewrite the NCLEX (then extra education, then another two years).²

Also required

No felony conviction that substantially relates to nursing and poses a reasonable threat to public safety (certified written evidence required).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.

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.

How to apply

1. Create a Nurse Portal account and submit the correct online application (single-state or multistate; exam or endorsement) with your full legal name, SSN and the notarized Evidence of Status form; pay by card or EFT.⁶⁷
2. Have your nursing program send an official transcript showing the degree and conferral date (out-of-state graduates also send course descriptions).⁶
3. After submitting, follow the Nurse Portal message to book fingerprints with the Board vendor (IDEMIA); results go to the Board from OSBI, usually within one to two weeks.⁶⁷
4. Register with Pearson VUE for the NCLEX-RN; after Board approval you receive an ATT and have 90 days to test.⁶⁷
5. Once you pass and all requirements are met the license is issued; do not work (including orientation) in a licensed position until you hold a temporary or permanent license.¹⁰

Apply online

okbn.boardsofnursing.org¹¹

Temporary or provisional license

Endorsement applicants may request a 90-day temporary license ($10), extendable up to one year in total.²

Processing time

Applications are reviewed in the order received; the Board publishes average processing times in its quarterly statistics. Digital fingerprint results reach the Board in about 3-5 business days (paper cards about 4 weeks).¹⁰

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years¹

When it expires

RN licenses expire on the last day of your birth month in even-numbered years; the first license fee covers the period through the current renewal period (not pro-rated). The renewal link opens in the 90 days before expiry.¹⁰

Approved courses

Contact hours must come from an accredited CE approver or an Oklahoma approved nursing education program; 1 contact hour = 50 minutes; 1 semester credit = 16 contact hours.¹²

Renew online

okbn.boardsofnursing.org¹¹

From another state

Who needs a single-state Registered Nurse (R.N.) license

Work that does not need this license:

• The Act does not apply to, among others: family/friend gratuitous care; nurses licensed elsewhere present on a nonroutine basis up to 7 consecutive days a year; students in Board-approved programs; federal-employee nurses on duty; military spouses for 120 days after applying.¹

Requirements for a single-state Registered Nurse (R.N.) license

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

Background check

Background check required²
Fingerprints required⁶
Fingerprint check (OSBI + FBI) no more than 90 days old, taken through the Board vendor IDEMIA after you apply; written self-report with certified court records for any charges or discipline; offenses reviewed under OAC 485:10-11-4.⁶
You can ask the board to review your record before you apply⁶

Residency or citizenship

U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident, or qualified alien (license then limited to the authorized stay, or one year).⁶

Social Security number

Social Security number required on the application (56 O.S. 240.21A).⁶

How much a single-state Registered Nurse (R.N.) license costs

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

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal fee

$75¹

If it expires

A license not renewed by its expiry date lapses; reinstatement needs a new application, fingerprints, and proof of continuing qualifications within the last five years (if out of active status five years or more: refresher course, NCLEX, 6 semester credits, or 520 hours worked in another state).²

Moving to Oklahoma with a license from another state

These are the routes OBN publishes for the single-state Registered Nurse (R.N.) license. The other registered nurse licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Multistate Registered Nurse (R.N.) license

Requirements

Background check

Background check required²
Fingerprints required⁷
Fingerprint check (OSBI + FBI) no more than 90 days old, taken through the Board vendor IDEMIA after you apply; written self-report with certified court records for any charges or discipline; offenses reviewed under OAC 485:10-11-4. Any felony conviction makes you ineligible for a multistate license.⁷
You can ask the board to review your record before you apply⁷

Residency or citizenship

U.S. citizen, national or permanent resident, or qualified alien (license then limited to the authorized stay, or one year). Multistate: you must declare Oklahoma as your primary state of residence.⁷

Social Security number

Social Security number required on the application (56 O.S. 240.21A). Multistate also requires a valid U.S. SSN under the NLC.⁷

Also required

NLC uniform licensure requirements also apply: English proficiency exam for some foreign graduates, no felony and no nursing-related misdemeanour, not currently in an alternative program.⁷

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. Already hold an active Oklahoma single-state license? Use the separate "Multistate Licensure for Existing Active OK Licensees" application ($150; valid six months).¹⁰

Renewal

Renewal fee

$125¹

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 Oklahoma, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Oklahoma is on the Oklahoma license lookup page.

Look up a license

okbn.boardsofnursing.org¹⁰

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• 59 O.S. 567.1 et seq. (Oklahoma Nursing Practice Act), incl. 567.5, 567.7, 567.11, 567.18
• 59 O.S. 567.21 (Nurse Licensure Compact)
• OAC 485:10-7-1 to 485:10-7-10 (licensure by examination, endorsement, renewal, reinstatement, multistate)
• OAC 485:10-1-3
• OAC 485:10-8-1 (criminal background checks)
• OBN Form RS-47, Instructions for Initial RN or LPN Multistate Licensure for Individuals with an OK License Not in Active Status (2/9/23; 8/6/24)

Rule changes since January 2024

• July 11, 2026: Board rules (OAC Title 485) compilation effective July 11, 2026, incl. amendments to 485:10-7-2 and 485:10-8-1 (43 Ok Reg, Number 20).²

Common questions

Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

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