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

Oregon licenses registered nurses statewide through the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN).1 For the Registered Nurse (RN) license you need a passing score on the NCLEX-RN1 and a criminal background check1. The board lists $260 for the application2. You renew every 2 years1 and complete at least 20 hours of continuing education1.

Last checked · 8 official sources

Who issues it

Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN)

Training and experience

An approved education program; see the requirements

Exam

NCLEX-RN1

Fees the board lists

Application fee: $2602
Exam fee: $2003

Renewal

Every 2 years1, at least 20 hours of continuing education1

From another state

License by endorsement, Military service members and spouses and Temporary license or permit41 Details

On this page
  1. Requirements for a Registered Nurse (RN) license
  2. How much a Registered Nurse (RN) license costs
  3. How to apply
  4. Renewal and continuing education
  5. Moving to Oregon with a license from another state
  6. Check a license or report a problem
  7. Laws and rules
  8. Rule changes since January 2024
  9. Common questions
  10. Registered nurse (RN) licenses in other states

Requirements for a Registered Nurse (RN) license

Education or training
Graduate of a nursing education program approved by the appropriate regulatory body, shown by an Oregon program administrator's affidavit of graduation or an official transcript with degree, graduation date and a clinical component; internationally educated graduates without an NCLEX code need a credential evaluation.1
Who may teach it: Program must be approved by the appropriate regulatory body.1
Alternative: Internationally educated: credential evaluation confirming an approved program, theory and clinical hours, and comparability to an Oregon program.1
Exam
NCLEX-RN1
Given by: Pearson VUE (register and pay $200 directly)3
When you can take it: After the Board verifies your education you receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) and have 90 days to schedule and sit the exam; if it expires you pay Pearson VUE again.3
Retakes: Up to four NCLEX attempts on the original application; each attempt after the fourth needs a retake application, the $25 reexamination fee, and either an NCLEX review course or an individualised study plan.1
Background check
Background check required1
Fingerprints required5
Fingerprints are processed by the Oregon State Police and FBI via Fieldprint; disclosure questions on the application are reviewed by Board staff.5
Social Security number
Enter your Social Security number in the OSBN system; wrong identity data can stop you scheduling the exam.3
Also required
1 hour of pain-management education at initial licensure.1

How much a Registered Nurse (RN) license costs

You pay OSBN (6 fees) and Pearson VUE (exam fee).

FeeAmountPaid toNotes
Application fee$2602OSBNLicense by examination. Effective August 22, 2026
Surcharge to Support the Oregon Nursing Advancement Fund$92OSBNAdded to license by examination, endorsement and renewal applications. Effective August 22, 2026
Exam fee$2003Pearson VUE–
Exam retake fee$252OSBNRetake application (after four attempts). Effective August 22, 2026
License by endorsement or reciprocity$2952OSBNLicensed in another state, U.S. territory or comparable country. Effective August 22, 2026
Temporary license or permit$502OSBNEffective August 22, 2026
License verification to another state$122OSBNEffective August 22, 2026

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. Create an account in the OSBN online licensing system (use a computer, not a phone), using your full legal name, correct SSN and date of birth, and validate your e-mail.3
  2. Submit the LPN/RN by exam application, choosing the correct school and program, and answer the disclosure questions truthfully (upload explanations and documents for any "yes").3
  3. Proof of graduation: Oregon schools upload it; out-of-state schools send transcripts to [email protected]; internationally educated applicants follow Form LIC-616 (credential evaluation).3
  4. After applying (not before), book digital fingerprints with Fieldprint using code FPORBoardNursingDAS.3
  5. Register and pay Pearson VUE for the NCLEX-RN ($200). Request any testing accommodations in the application and wait for approval before scheduling.3
  6. Sit the exam within 90 days of your ATT; after you pass and the background check clears, the license is issued and can be verified online.3
Temporary or provisional license
No general temporary license for exam graduates; temporary licenses exist only for military spouses/domestic partners ($50) and limited licenses in Governor-declared emergencies.1

Renewal and continuing education

How often
Every 2 years1
When it expires
Valid two years from the date issued; renew online by 11:59 p.m. on the expiry date. Before renewing, complete the Oregon Health Authority workforce survey (allow up to 90 minutes to sync). Renewal is processed as soon as payment is made.1
Renewal fee
$2452
Continuing education
At least 20 hours each renewal period1
Required topics
1 hour pain management (Oregon Pain Management Commission module or Board-approved program) at initial/endorsement licensure and every 36 months after.1
2 hours cultural competency CE every other renewal cycle (the renewal guide says every 48 months).1
The pain-management and cultural-competency hours count toward the 20-hour total; all CE must be in nursing topics relevant to your practice.1
Approved courses
No approved-provider list; CE must be nursing topics relevant to your practice and license type. Activities without a certificate are documented on the OSBN CE Attestation Form.1
Exemptions
Fees are not charged while a licensee is on active duty with the U.S. Uniformed Services (if DoD policy allows); notify the Board within 60 days of honourable discharge.2
Late renewal
Late renewal fee: $1001
Reinstatement fee: $2602 (license expired more than 90 days)
Surcharge to Support the Workforce Data Analysis Fund at Renewal: $82 (every renewal)
Surcharge to Support the Oregon Nursing Advancement Fund: $92 (every renewal)
If it expires
Expired more than 90 days: apply for reinstatement ($260, fingerprints, and CE: 20 hours if expired up to 2 years, 30 up to 3, 40 up to 4, 50 up to 5, 60 if longer; nurses active in another state are exempt from the extra CE).1

Renewal planner

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

Moving to Oregon with a license from another state

These are the routes OSBN publishes for the Registered Nurse (RN) license.

Route
License by endorsement
What the board says
License by endorsement for nurses who hold or have held an LPN/RN license in another state, U.S. territory or a country with comparable education: transcript, proof of passing the NCLEX, 1 hour pain-management CE, fingerprints, and (if the other license is not active) CE based on time expired.4
Conditions
If your other-state license is not active, complete the CE set by OAR 851-031-0008 for how long it has been expired.1
Fee
$2952
Route
Military service members and spouses
What the board says
Spouses/domestic partners of active-duty armed forces members stationed in Oregon who hold a current, unencumbered license elsewhere get a non-renewable temporary license ($50) that lasts until the earliest of: the posting ends, the other license expires, two years, or the marriage/partnership ends.1
Fee
$502
Route
Temporary license or permit
What the board says
During a Governor-declared emergency the Board may issue a non-renewable limited license to nurses with an active unencumbered license at the same level in another state; it expires at the earliest of the end of the emergency declaration, the expiry of the other-state license, or two years after issue.1
Route
No reciprocity
What the board says
Oregon is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state: it is absent from the NLC jurisdiction list, so a multistate license from another state does not authorize practice in Oregon.7

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license
osbn.boardsofnursing.org8

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

Rule changes since January 2024

  • September 1, 2026: Division 31 licensing rules amended (BN 4-2026), incl. the CE rule: 20 CE hours per two-year renewal start January 1, 2028.1
  • August 22, 2026: RN/LPN fee schedule amended (BN 3-2026): RN exam $260, endorsement $295, renewal $245, plus $9 Oregon Nursing Advancement Fund surcharge.2

Common questions

Can I transfer my registered nurse license to Oregon?

OSBN publishes these routes for the Registered Nurse (RN) license: license by endorsement4 and temporary license or permit1. Conditions and forms.

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

Every 2 years1. Continuing education: at least 20 hours1. The renewal fee is $2452.

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. OAR 851 Division 31 License Requirements for NursesOregon Secretary of State, Archives Division (Oregon Administrative Rules)Dated September 1, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  2. OAR 851 Division 2 Agency FeesOregon Secretary of State, Archives Division (Oregon Administrative Rules)Dated August 22, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  3. LPN/RN exam application directionsOregon State Board of NursingDated December 31, 2025Checked November 7, 2026
  4. LPN/RN endorsement application directionsOregon State Board of NursingDated June 30, 2026Checked November 7, 2026
  5. Fingerprint RequirementsOregon State Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
  6. Licensing How-tosOregon State Board of NursingChecked November 7, 2026
  7. NLC Map PDFNurse Licensure Compact (NCSBN-administered)Dated September 6, 2023Checked November 7, 2026
  8. Renewal application directionsOregon State Board of NursingDated December 31, 2025Checked November 7, 2026