Overview
The State Board of Nursing is responsible for enforcing statutes, rules and policies as promulgated by the Nurse Practice Act, Nurse Aide Practice Act and the Licensed Psychiatric Technician Practice Act. The Board has staff overseeing education, licensing and enforcement of nurses, nurse aides and licensed psychiatric technicians. The State Board of Nursing oversees over 110,000 licensees. Colorado is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact which allows nurses to practice in the state of Colorado on their home state privilege. Offering the perfect working conditions, the state of Colorado ensures their nurses are rewarded with job security, competitive pay, and sense of satisfaction within their working environment.
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Examination
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
- Provide evidence of having completed an approved nursing education program
- Graduates of traditional nursing programs: You or your school must mail an official transcript to the Division of Professions and Occupations Office of Licensing (1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202). The transcript must have the conferral date and be in its official sealed envelope from the school. Your application can not be approved until this transcript is received.
- Graduates of non-traditional education programs who have completed the Student Permit application process: You must mail to the Division of Professions and Occupations, in its original sealed envelope, the completed Skills Checklist that was provided to you after completion of this course.
- Foreign trained applicants: Applicants who are educated outside the United States and its territories must submit the CES credentials review “Professional Report” from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). For more information about ordering this report, contact CGFNS at 3600 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104; by phone at (215) 349-8767, or online at cgfns.org . Foreign trained applicants must also submit proof of demonstrating English proficiency. Passing standards are outlined in Nursing Board Policy 10-05. To schedule the Test of English as a Foreign Language and order the English Language Proficiency Exam Report, go to www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/vs . Select the “About the English Language Proficiency Exam” link. Scores should be forwarded to CGFNS for evaluation.
- Register for the NCLEX examination with Pearson Vue and pay the exam fee online at pearsonvue.com/nclex.
- Verify other licenses.
- You will be required to provide information about any other healthcare license you have held in any other state or country.
- Once your application is submitted, you must complete an online Healthcare Professions Profile.
Note: Your application is not considered complete, and a license will not be issued until you have submitted the online profile.
- Pay a fee of $88.00 for the Examination method.
- Prove United States Citizenship or Lawful Presence in the United States.
- Provide Social Security Number.
- Exceptions are made for foreign nationals not physically present in the United States and for non-immigrants in the United States on student visas who do not have a Social Security Number.
For more information about the NCLEX examination process, click here.
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Endorsement
You may apply for RN or LPN licensure by endorsement if you are or have been licensed as a registered nurse or practical nurse in another state or U.S. territory.
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
- Provide verification of original license. Contact the state in which you received your original license by examination. Determine which type of verification is required and any required fees.
- For NURSYS participating states, you must apply for NURSYS verification at nursys.com . Visit the NURSYS website for a current list of participating states or
- For NURSYS non-participating states, you must complete and submit a Request for Verification of Original Nursing License form available here.
- Submit evidence of an active registered nurse license in another state. Submit a copy of your current license or a printout from the states webpage verifying your license.
- If you do not have an active nurse license in another state, your licenses have been expired two years or less, and you have practiced as a registered nurse within the two (2) year period preceding this application: submit verification from one state in which your license expiration date was less than two years ago.
- If you do not have an active nurse license in another state, your licenses have been expired two years more, and/or you have not practiced as a registered nurse within the two (2) year period preceding this application, you must demonstrate competency to practice and may be required to complete an approved refresher course: Complete the Competency to Practice form.
- Verify other licenses.
- You will be required to provide information about any other healthcare license you have held in any other state or country.
- Once your application is submitted, you must complete an online Healthcare Professions Profile.
Note: Your application is not considered complete, and a license will not be issued until you have submitted the online profile.
- Pay a fee of $43.00 for the Endorsement method.
- Prove United States Citizenship or Lawful Presence in the United States.
- Provide Social Security Number.
- Exceptions are made for foreign nationals not physically present in the United States and for non-immigrants in the United States on student visas who do not have a Social Security Number.
For more information on the application process visit the official Colorado State Board of Nursing website.