• Boards of nursing in the U.S. are state government agencies that were established by law to protect the public health, safety, and welfare through the safe and competent practice of nurses. The boards of nursing assure that standards of practice are met and that persons engaged in the practice of nursing are competent. The boards of nursing approve educational programs, investigate complaints, approve individuals for licensure, registration and certification, and administer disciplinary actions.

    Board members are usually made up of members of the public, licensed nurses and in some states by certified nursing assistants, appointed by the governor or the state legislature. Three states have two boards of nursing, one for registered nurses and one for licensed practical or vocational nurses: West Virginia, Louisiana, and California. You can learn more about nursing license requirements for LPN, LVN, RN, and related careers by visiting the official web site of the board of nursing for your state. You can find contact information for any state board of nursing by selecting a state or territory from the map or table below.

    Boards of Nursing - Choose a State or Territory

    State Boards of Nursing
    AK CT IA MA MS NM PR VA
    AL DC ID MD MT NV RI VI
    AR DE IL ME NC NY SC VT
    AS FL IN MI ND OH SD WA
    AZ GA KS MN NE OK TN WI
    CA GU KY MO NH OR TX WV
    CO HI LA MP NJ PA UT WY
    Nurse Notes
    To ensure public protection, the United States and its territories require entry into the practice of nursing to be regulated by licensing authorities within each jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction requires all candidates for licensure as entry-level nurses to pass an examination which assesses the knowledge required to perform safely and effectively. NCLEX stands for The National Council Licensure Examination which is a standardized exam used by each state board of nursing to determine if RN, LPN or LVN candidates are competent for entry-level nursing practice. Alabama Board of Nursing Alaska Board of Nursing American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board Arizona State Board of Nursing Arkansas State Board of Nursing California Boards of Registered and Vocational Nursing Colorado Board of Nursing Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing Delaware Board of Nursing District of Columbia Board of Nursing Florida Board of Nursing Georgia State Boards of Nursing Hawaii Board of Nursing Idaho Board of Nursing Illinois Department of Professional Regulation Indiana State Board of Nursing Iowa Board of Nursing Kansas State Board of Nursing Kentucky Board of Nursing Louisiana State Boards of Nursing Maine State Board of Nursing Maryland Board of Nursing Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing Michigan Bureau of Health Professions Minnesota Board of Nursing Mississippi Board of Nursing Missouri State Board of Nursing Montana State Board of Nursing Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure Nevada State Board of Nursing New Hampshire Board of Nursing New Jersey Board of Nursing New Mexico Board of Nursing New York State Board of Nursing North Carolina Board of Nursing North Dakota Board of Nursing Northern Mariana Islands - Commonwealth Board of Nurse Examiners Ohio Board of Nursing Oklahoma Board of Nursing Oregon State Board of Nursing Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing Puerto Rico Board of Nurse Examiners Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education South Carolina State Board of Nursing South Dakota Board of Nursing Tennessee State Board of Nursing Texas Board of Nurse Examiners Guam Board of Nurse Examiners Utah State Board of Nursing Vermont State Board of Nursing Virgin Islands Board of Nurse Licensure Virginia Board of Nursing Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission West Virginia State Boards of Nurse Examiners Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing Wyoming State Board of Nursing