Overview
The Department of Health works with others to protect and improve the health of all people in Washington State. They lead changes in policies, systems and environments to prevent illness and injury, promote healthy families and communities, and encourage healthy lifestyles.
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Examination
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
U.S Trained Nurses:
- Submit completed RN application or LPN application.
- If you have an out of state address (not out of country), you are required to submit fingerprints for the criminal history background check. You may procure your fingerprints on the Department of Health fingerprint card. After the Board receives your application, it will send a fingerprint packet with instructions to complete the fingerprint process.
- Submit appropriate fees.
- You must list your social security number on your application. If you do not have a social security number read, complete, and return this form with your application.
- Answer the personal data information questions included in the application.
- List your current or completed nurse program. Indicate degree/certificate/diploma earned. List graduation or anticipated graduation date. Attach additional completed pages if you need more space.
- List all states/countries where you have held an RN or an LPN license. Indicate method of licensure by examination or endorsement.
- AIDS affidavit must be initialed and dated. AIDS training may include self study, courses, or formal training. If you feel that you have met the requirements list on the application, or if your education was after 1991, you can initial and date this section without any further training. This is required by WAC 246-12-260 course content can be found in WAC 246-12-270.
- You must sign and date your application for it to be valid. Your signature indicates that you have read and understood this section.
Note: The application is incomplete if requested information is left blank. Fill in N/A or place a line through section instead of leaving blank.
- Under a new state law, a spouse or registered domestic partner of military personnel transferring to Washington may receive his or her health professional license more quickly. In order for us to do this, please complete the additional form found at the military resources page and include supporting documentation with your application.
- Submit Certificate of Completion:
- If you are a graduate of a Washington State nursing program, the director of the program will send an electronic certificate of completion to our office after you complete the program. We can make you eligible to take the NCLEX once we receive it.
- If you are a graduate from a nursing program in another U.S. State or jurisdiction, the paper certification of completion that is included in the application packet to your program director. Have them fill it out and submit to the Nursing Commission.
- Submit official transcripts by having your school of nursing mail your transcripts with the degree listed on them to the Nursing Commission.
- Once you graduate and send your application to the Nursing Commission, register online with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX exam.
- 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.
Nurses Trained Outside of the U.S:
- Submit completed RN application or LPN application.
- If you have an out of state address (not out of country), you are required to submit fingerprints for the criminal history background check. You may procure your fingerprints on the Department of Health fingerprint card. After the Board receives your application, it will send a fingerprint packet with instructions to complete the fingerprint process.
- Submit appropriate fees.
- You must list your social security number on your application. If you do not have a social security number read, complete, and return this form with your application.
- Answer the personal data information questions included in the application.
- List your current or completed nurse program. Indicate degree/certificate/diploma earned. List graduation or anticipated graduation date. Attach additional completed pages if you need more space.
- List all states/countries where you have held an RN or an LPN license. Indicate method of licensure by examination or endorsement.
- AIDS affidavit must be initialed and dated. AIDS training may include self study, courses, or formal training. If you feel that you have met the requirements list on the application, or if your education was after 1991, you can initial and date this section without any further training. This is required by WAC 246-12-260 course content can be found in WAC 246-12-270.
- You must sign and date your application for it to be valid. Your signature indicates that you have read and understood this section.
Note: The application is incomplete if requested information is left blank. Fill in N/A or place a line through section instead of leaving blank.
- Under a new state law, a spouse or registered domestic partner of military personnel transferring to Washington may receive his or her health professional license more quickly. In order for us to do this, please complete the additional form found at the military resources page and include supporting documentation with your application.
- All applicants who graduated from nursing schools outside the United States who have not been licensed in another state or jurisdiction must have their transcripts evaluated in a course by course evaluation by one of the following Nursing Commission approved service providers:
- Graduates of Foreign Trained Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
- Education Records Evaluation Service (ERES)
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
- If the evaluation service that you chose does not provide us with a copy of your transcripts with the evaluation, you will need to request your official transcripts with the degree listed on them be sent directly from your school of nursing to the Nursing Commission.
- All applicants who graduated from nursing schools outside the United States which English is not the primary language, must take and pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL exam). Passing scores for RN applicants are a total score of 83 with a speaking score of 26.
- RN applicants who have completed the nursing program must have their school complete, sign, date, and return the Education Verification form included in the application packet to the Nursing Commission office.
- LPN applicants must complete the Personal Vocational Relationship Course (PVR) which is an online course and a license requirement for Washington State. Click here for course information.
- Once you graduate and send your application to the Nursing Commission, register online with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX exam.
- 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.
- Mail your application with initial documentation and your check or money order payable to:
Department of Health
PO Box 1099
Olympia, WA 98507-1099
- Send other documents not sent with initial application to:
Nursing Commission
PO Box 47864
Olympia, WA 98504-7864
Registered Nursing (RN) & Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure by Endorsement
Applicants Must Meet the Following Requirements:
- Submit completed RN application or LPN application.
- If you have an out of state address (not out of country), you are required to submit fingerprints for the criminal history background check. You may procure your fingerprints on the Department of Health fingerprint card. After the Board receives your application, it will send a fingerprint packet with instructions to complete the fingerprint process.
- Submit appropriate fees.
- You must list your social security number on your application. If you do not have a social security number read, complete, and return this form with your application.
- Answer the personal data information questions included in the application.
- List your current or completed nurse program. Indicate degree/certificate/diploma earned. List graduation or anticipated graduation date. Attach additional completed pages if you need more space.
- List all states/countries where you have held an RN or an LPN license. Indicate method of licensure by examination or endorsement.
- Attest affidavit of AIDS Education and Training. The training may include formal training, courses, or self-study. If you have completed your education after 1991, or if you meet all the requirements listed on the application, you may date and initialize this section and do not opt for any further training.
- You must sign and date your application for it to be valid. Your signature indicates that you have read and understood this section.
Note: The application is incomplete if requested information is left blank. Fill in N/A or place a line through section instead of leaving blank.
- Under a new state law, a spouse or registered domestic partner of military personnel transferring to Washington may receive his or her health professional license more quickly. In order for us to do this, please complete the additional form found at the military resources page and include supporting documentation with your application.
- Provide verification of your licensure gained by examination. You may use the Nursys website: to verify your license. An additional fee will be charged if you use this service. If your state of licensure is not mentioned on this website, you may send the verification form attached in the endorsement application. Send this form to your Board of Nursing and request them to complete and send the form back to the Washington Board office. If you are not able to verify your license in any of these ways, you need to send transcripts from your nursing school or from another state board of nursing to the Board office.
- All applicants who graduated from nursing school outside the United States, other than Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and common wealth Caribbean, must take and pass either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) toefl.com or International English Language Testing System (IELTS, academic version) www.ielts.org . Exam is required regardless of whether the program was taught in English.
- Passing TOEFL scores for RN applicants are a total score of 83 with a speaking score of 26.
- Passing IELTS scores for RN applicants are a total score of 6.5 with a score of 6.0 in the following areas; listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
- For applicants educated in countries not listed above and who can provide proof of working as a Registered Nurse in another U.S. State for 1,000 hours or more may have the English proficiency exam waived. Should you want this requirement waived based on employment, please have the current or past US employer submit a letter on letterhead paper confirming your employment of 1,000 hours worked sent directly to our office.
- If your license from your original state is not current or active, we will need proof of a current or active license. If you have an active license from a state that participates with NURSYS®, we can obtain license information. If you do not have a current or active license with a NURSYS® participating state, visit the state website where your license is active, print the page showing a current or active license, and send with your application.
- Mail your application with initial documentation and your check or money order payable to:
Department of Health
PO Box 1099
Olympia, WA 98507-1099
- Send other documents not sent with initial application to:
Nursing Commission
PO Box 47864
Olympia, WA 98504-7864
For more information visit the official Washington State Department of Health website.
References:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/NursingCommission/NurseLicensing