Overview
The Oregon State Board of Nursing safeguards the public’s health and well-being by providing guidance for, and regulation of, entry into the profession, nursing education and continuing safe practice.
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Examination
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
Nurses Educated in the United States:
- Submit completed application.
Note: Sign and date the application. An incomplete application will be returned.
- Applicants must have graduated within the last three years from an approved nursing program in the United States as documented in an official transcript.
- Applicants for the Practical Nurse (PN) examination shall show evidence of having completed a Board approved Practical Nursing certificate, Diploma, Associate Degree, Baccalaureate Degree or Master’s Degree Program in Nursing.
- Applicants for the Registered Nurse (RN) examination shall show evidence having completed a Board approved Diploma, Associate Degree, Baccalaureate Degree or Master’s Degree Program in Nursing.
- Attach a passport photograph of you taken within the last six months to the Examination Picture Identification form included in the application packet.
- Request official transcripts to be sent from your school of Nursing in the United States or U.S. jurisdiction. The transcript must be imprinted with an official seal, bear the appropriate registrar’s signature, show the degree awarded and degree awarded date. A Licensure Transcript Request form is included in the application packet.
- Submit completed Fingerprinting documents in a separate envelope, sealed by the fingerprinting facility. To receive a fingerprint packet contact the board.
- Submit the non-refundable licensure application fee and fingerprint based criminal background check processing fee made payable to the Oregon Board of Nursing.
- Mail the completed application to the following Board office address:
Oregon State Board of Nursing
17938 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
Portland, Oregon- 97224- 7012
- Register with the testing agency before or just after submitting the licensure application to take the licensure test, NCLEX (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.
For more information about the examination process for U.S graduates, click here.
Nurses Educated Outside of the United States:
- Submit completed application.
Note: Sign and date the application. An incomplete application will be returned.
- If you have not practiced as a Nurse, you must have graduated at the level for which you are seeking license or above, within the last three years from an approved nursing program as documented in an OSBN-approved credentials evaluation report. Your credentials evaluation report must show evidence of having completed a Nursing certificate, Diploma, Associate Degree, Baccalaureate Degree or Master’s Degree Program in Nursing. Contact information for OSBN-approved credentials evaluation services is included with the application.
- If you have practiced as a Nurse, at the level for which you are seeking license or above, for at least 960 hours within the last five years, you must have graduated from an approved Nursing program as documented in an OSBN-approved credentials evaluation report and complete a Nursing Practice History form with your Licensure by Examination application. Contact information for OSBN-approved credentials evaluation services is included with the application.
Note: If you have less than 960 practice hours within the last five years, contact the OSBN for information about Re-Entry.
- Attach a passport photograph of you taken within the last six months to the Examination Picture Identification form included in the application packet.
- Submit an official academic credentials evaluation from an OSBN-approved service.
- Submit completed Fingerprinting documents in a separate envelope, sealed by the fingerprinting facility. To receive a fingerprint packet contact the board.
- Submit proof of English language proficiency by submitting one of the following:
- Provide evidence that your nursing education, text books, and the majority of clinical experience were in English (A Language of Instruction form is included for your convenience. Ask your school to return it directly to the OSBN after the school completes Section 2.); or
- Documentation of nursing practice in English at the level of license sought, in the United States, for at least 960 hours within the past two years (use the Nursing Practice History form); or
- Demonstration of English proficiency by submitting an original report showing achievement of one of the following within the past two years:
- A score of at least 560 for the written paper exam or 220 for the computer (CBT) exam or 83 for the internet (iBT) exam on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); or
- A score of at least 780 on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC); or
- An overall score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 on all modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic Module); or
- Passing the NCLEX examination in another state.
- Submit the non-refundable licensure application fee and fingerprint based criminal background check processing fee made payable to the Oregon Board of Nursing.
- Mail the completed application to the following Board office address:
Oregon State Board of Nursing
17938 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
Portland, Oregon- 97224- 7012
- Register with the testing agency before or just after submitting the licensure application to take the licensure test, NCLEX (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.
For more information about the examination process for foreign graduates, click here.
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Endorsement
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
- Submit completed online application or paper application.
- Submit appropriate fees and criminal background check.
- Applicants must show proof of graduation from an OSBN-approved nursing program documented by an official sealed transcript or credential equivalency evaluation.
- Foreign nursing graduates must show evidence of completion of a qualifying nursing program through a credentials equivalency evaluation. This is in order to determine that the nursing program they completed is equivalent to a US nursing program for the level of licensure sought.
Note: Transcripts received directly from a foreign nursing program or licensing board are NOT acceptable in place of completion of a credential evaluation to meet application requirements.
- Applicants must meet the nursing practice requirement in one of the three following ways:
- Completion of the qualifying LPN/RN nurse program within five years from date of application; OR
- Completion of at least 960 practice hours in the last five years from the date of application within the scope of practice for the level of licensure sought; OR
- Graduation from an OSBN-approved nurse re-entry program within the last two years from date of application. NOTE: Review and approval of completed re-entry program by the Board LPN/RN Nursing Education Policy Analyst is required prior to receipt of Oregon licensure. Additional program documentation and proof of completion maybe requested from the applicant during the review period by the Board.
- Applicants must provide proof of valid state or US jurisdictional licensure to practice nursing by requesting verification from their original state of licensure where they passed the LPN/RN SBTPE or NCLEX examination, and the most current or recent state of licensure.
- If the state(s) in which you are licensed participate in the NURSYS database, complete the NURSYS verification application (via the NURSYS websitenursys.com and pay the required fees).
- For states that do not participate with the NURSYS database or for verifications of non- nursing licensure, you will need to request verification directly from the board that issued your license.
- Mail the completed application to the following Board office address:
Oregon State Board of Nursing
17938 SW Upper Boones Ferry Road
Portland, Oregon- 97224- 7012
For more information about the endorsement process, click here.
For more information visit the official Oregon Board of Nursing website.