Overview
The Kentucky Board of Nursing is an agency of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, governed by the Nurse Practice Act. The Board is a separate and distinct entity from any professional association. The Kentucky Board of Nursing protects the well-being of the public by development and enforcement of state laws governing the safe practice of nursing, nursing education, and credentialing.
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Examination
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
- Submit application and $110.00 fee. Applications are valid for one year, or if an applicant is unsuccessful on NCLEX, the application will expire at that time.
Note: Fees are nonrefundable.
- Request a state background check (courtnet) from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) one of the following methods:
- Online Carefully read and follow the instructions.
- Paper Enclose a fee of $20 in the form of check or money order made payable to the “Kentucky State Treasurer.” Send completed form to:
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURT
Pretrial Services Records Division
100 Millcreek Park
Frankfort, Kentucky- 40601
- Provide fingerprint card with a fee of $75 in the form of check or money order made payable to the Kentucky State Police. Mail the card and fee to:
Kentucky State Police
Records Branch
1266 Louisville RD
Frankfort, KY 40601
- Complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam
- Click on Application Status to access the link to the exam.
- Go to Jurisprudence Examination for more information on the exam.
- Complete graduation from a state-approved nursing program.
- Register with the testing agency before or just after submitting the licensure application to take the licensure test, NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination). You may use any of the following ways to complete the registration:
- Register online. The registration fee of $200 can be paid via American Express, Visa, or MasterCard. OR
- By mail: You may request the Board of Nursing office to send an NCLEX registration form. Provide essential details in the form and include an appropriate fee of $200.00 in the form of a money order or cashier’s check made payable to the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing). Mail it to the following address:
NCLEX Operations
Post Office Box 64950
St. Paul, Minnesota- 55164-0950
- When all your essential documents are approved, the Board will inform the testing agency, Pearson VUE, making you eligible to take the licensure exam.
- Pearson VUE will send you an ATT (Authorization to Test) via email or on the address provided by you during the registration process.
- Upon receiving the ATT, schedule the licensure exam.
- All graduates must meet the following continuing competency requirements:
- Complete 2 contact hours of HIV/AIDS continuing education within six months of Kentucky licensure.
- Complete 3 contact hours of Domestic violence continuing education within three years of Kentucky licensure.
- All applicants must earn one and a half hours of Pediatric Head Abuse Trauma within three years of Kentucky licensure.
- Foreign Educated Applicants Must:
- Complete the VisaScreen® for Kentucky Licensure.
- If you have a Social Security Number (SSN), use the online application.
- If you do not have a SSN, print the paper application request form.
- If you have a SSN and use the paper application it will be returned to you for the $40 paper application fee.
- Provide a State background check.
- Provide a Federal background check.
- Complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam.
- Prove legal residency in the U.S.A.
- Provide a copy of a valid U.S. SSN (before a license will be issued)
For more information about examination requirements, click here.
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Endorsement
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
- Submit Endorsement Application and $150.00 fee (fees are non-refundable).
Note: The endorsement application is valid for six months. You have six (6) months to complete the endorsement process before the application expires.
- Request a state background check (courtnet) from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) one of the following methods:
- Online Carefully read and follow the instructions.
- Paper Enclose a fee of $20 in the form of check or money order made payable to the “Kentucky State Treasurer.” Send completed form to:
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURT
Pretrial Services Records Division
100 Millcreek Park
Frankfort, Kentucky- 40601
- Provide fingerprint card with a fee of $75 in the form of check or money order made payable to the Kentucky State Police. Mail the card and fee to:
Kentucky State Police
Records Branch
1266 Louisville RD
Frankfort, KY 40601
- Complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam
- Click on Application Statusto access the link to the exam.
- Go to Jurisprudence Examination for more information on the exam.
- Submit evidence of earning two (2) hours of KBN-approved continuing education in HIV/AIDS earned within the past twenty four (24) months.
- Click on the following for a list of approved online providers HIV/AIDS
The HIV/AIDS certificate may be faxed to (502) 782-2754 attn: Endorsement.Note: Click here for information on the Domestic Violence and Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma continuing education that is required within three (3) years of obtaining your KY nursing license. - Submit Verification of Original Licensure (Verification of licensure is required from the state in which you took and passed NCLEX).
- Submit transcripts. If you graduated from a program of nursing in one of the following states, you must request your nursing program to send KBN an official transcript, with degree and graduation date posted.
California*
Connecticut
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Kansas
Pennsylvania
Washington
Note: A temporary permit will not be issued to nurses who completed a program of nursing in and were originally licensed in CA until the transcript is received.
- Foreign Educated Applicants Must:
- Complete the VisaScreen® for Kentucky Licensure.
- If you have a Social Security Number (SSN), use the online application.
- If you do not have a SSN, print the paper application request form.
- If you have a SSN and use the paper application it will be returned to you for the $40 paper application fee.
- Provide a State background check.
- Provide a Federal background check.
- Provide proof of meeting the continuing competency requirements
- Complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam.
- Provide Verification of original U.S. licensure.
- Prove Legal residency in the U.S.A.
- Provide a copy of a valid U.S. SSN (before a license will be issued)
For more information on endorsement, click here.
For more information visit the official Kentucky Board of Nursing website.