Registered Nurse Certification in How to Become an RN in New York: Nursing License Application and Renewal Guide


With the increasing demand for healthcare services, nursing is emerging as one of the most popular professions across the country. Registered nurse certification in New York helps improve the abilities and skills of the students, thus, makes them an experts in carrying out clinical practice. The licensure is issued by the New York State Education Department. RN certification measures entry-level competence by validating your clinical judgment, experience and knowledge.

Requirements for Getting RN Licensure in New York

All candidates ought to fulfill the following eligibility criteria, in order to obtain RN certification in the state:

  • Must be a minimum of 18 years of age.
  • Education requirements:
    • Submit proof of having received a minimum of 2-year diploma or degree course from an education program in professional nursing that must be acceptable to the Department. Thus, the nursing program must be either:
      • Registered by the New York State Education Department as licensure qualifying;
        OR
      • Approved by the appropriate governmental agency or licensing authority in the jurisdiction, where the nursing school is situated for practice as an RN.
    • Complete program or coursework in the reporting and recognition of child abuse offered by any provider approved by the state.
    • Complete Board approved program or coursework in barrier precautions and infection control, including work practice controls and engineering, to prevent the transmission of the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and HBV (hepatitis b virus), in the course of professional nursing practice.
  • All candidates who have completed their RN education outside the United States must have their education credentials verified by the CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools).Applicants may contact CGFNS at:The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
    PO Box 8628
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania- 19101-8628
    Phone: 215-349-8767
    Fax: 215-349-0026
    Web: www.cgfns.org
  • Examination requirements:
    • Applicants are required to successfully pass the licensure exam, i.e. NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses), developed by the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) and administered by the Pearson VUE.
    • For those applicants who already hold licensure in another jurisdiction and are applying for licensure in the state, scores from the SBTP (State Board Test Pool) exam and NCLEX may be acknowledged for licensure by the Board. These scores must be verified by the licensing Board or organization in the state where you took the examination(s) and sent directly to the Office of the Professions. You may verify your RN license issued in another state using:

Procedure to Obtain RN License

To acquire a New York licensure, applicants are required to follow the procedure mentioned below:

Step1- Complete the licensure application by downloading the form using the following link:
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurse1.pdf

Step 2- Mail your licensure application and fee to the below address:

NYS Education Department
Office of the Professions
PO Box 22063
Albany, New York- 12201

Step 3- Request your nursing education school to verify your education program and send it directly to the New York State Education Department. You may download the form using the following link and send it to your nursing school:
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurse2.pdf

If you have completed your education from non-U.S. programs, you may have your credentials verified by the CGFNS.

Step 4- Register with Pearson VUE to apply for the NCLEX exam. You may use any of the following methods to register:

  • Online at: www.pearsonvue.com/nclexAfter opening the link, select “Register” option. You can pay the registration fee using MasterCard, Visa, or American Express.
  • By mailYou may request registration form at the following address:NCLEX Operations
    Post Office Box 64950,
    St. Paul, Minnesota- 55164-0950

Step 5- Upon approval of all the required documents and clearance of the exam, the licensure will be issued.

Verification of RN Licensure in NY

In order to verify your RN license in the state, you may use any of the following methods:

  • Online
    http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm#permitsYou may search for license using:

    • Name within a profession
    • License number within a profession
    • Permits, by Name
    • Pharmacy Establishments, by Name or Registration number
    • Professional Business Entity, by Name

Renewal of RN License

All New York licenses need to renew their certificate in every two years. To renew RN licensure, applicants must meet the following continuing competency requirements:

  • 3 contact hours of continuing education (CE) in infection control which must be completed in every 4 years.
  • 1 time requirement of two contact hours of CE in child abuse valid only for initial licensure.

Both these requirements mentioned above have to be completed from any state approved provider.

Requirements to use the online service for renewal:

  • You are presently registered or your last valid registration time period has ended less than 4 months before.
  • You have received all the registration documents for renewal (these documents are mailed to the address on record 5 months before the end of the present registration period).
  • Pay renewal fee using a credit card (Visa,  American Express or MasterCard only).
  • Have PIN code of 7 characters.

Method to Renew/Inactive RN License Online

You may use the following link to renew your licensure:
https://eservices.nysed.gov/profs/loginDialog.do?method=showLogin

The renewal process includes:

  • Select your profession and enter your license number and PIN given in the renewal document.
  • Decide whether you want to inactivate or renew your registration and you can change your main registration address (if needed).
  • Respond to queries related to professional behavior and continuing education (where applicable).
  • Complete an affirmation.
  • Choose the option to request for a professional photo id card and make sure you pay the additional fee.
  • Submit your renewal payment.

Limited Permit

If you have ever taken the licensure exam, then you are not qualified for the limited permit in New York State.

In order to be eligible to obtain a limited permit, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Submit the licensure application.
  • Pay the application registration fee.
  • Provide verification from your nursing school.
  • Submit evidence of completion of coursework or program in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a provider approved by the New York State; and
  • Attain at least 18 years of age.
  • All non-U.S. educated applicants must submit the following:
    • Credentials verified by any professional credential verification association.
    • Documents proving successful completion of the CGFNS Certification program which includes the CGFNS and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examinations or a minimum score of 400 on the CNATS (Canadian Nurses Association Test) given in English language.

These documents must be sent directly to the New York Board office.

You must submit an application for the limited permit at the same time or after submitting the licensure application along with a fee of $35. A limited permit remains valid for 1 year from the issued date or 10 days after the candidate is informed of failure on the licensing exam.

Download the application for the limited permit using the following link:
http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurse5.pdf

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