Hiring Licensed Nurses: What to Verify (RN, LPN, CNA)

Hiring nurses is one of the most credential-intensive hiring processes in any industry. Whether you are staffing a hospital, clinic, nursing home, home health agency, or school, verifying nursing licenses is both a legal requirement and a patient safety imperative. The consequences of employing a nurse without a valid license — or with a license bearing unresolved disciplinary actions — can include regulatory penalties, loss of accreditation, malpractice liability, and harm to patients.

This guide covers what healthcare employers need to know about verifying RN, LPN, and CNA licenses, including how the Nurse Licensure Compact affects multi-state hiring.

What Licenses to Verify

Nursing has multiple credential levels, and the specific requirements depend on the role:

• Registered Nurse (RN). Verify an active RN license in the state where the nurse will practice. Confirm whether it is a single-state or multistate (compact) license.
• Licensed Practical Nurse / Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN). LPNs (called LVNs in California and Texas) are licensed separately from RNs. Verify the LPN/LVN license independently.
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). CNAs are certified (not licensed in most states) through the state nurse aide registry. Verify the certification is active and check the abuse registry.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). Nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists hold APRN credentials in addition to their RN license. Both the RN license and the APRN certification or license must be verified.
• Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) status. If the nurse holds a multistate license from a compact state, they may be authorized to practice in other compact states without an additional license. Verify compact eligibility and that both the home state and practice state are NLC members.
• Specialty certifications. Depending on the role, you may also need to verify specialty certifications (critical care, oncology, pediatrics, etc.) issued by national credentialing bodies.

How to Verify Nursing Licenses

Follow these steps to verify a nurse's credentials:

1. Obtain license information from the candidate. Request the nurse's license number, license type (RN, LPN, APRN), issuing state, and whether they hold a multistate compact license.
2. Look up the state board of nursing. Each state has a board of nursing that maintains license records. Use our verification directory to find the correct board.
3. Search the board's online database. Most boards of nursing provide free online license verification. Search by license number or name. Confirm the license type, status (active), expiration date, and any disciplinary actions.
4. Check Nursys (if available). Nursys is a national nurse license verification database maintained by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Many state boards participate, allowing you to verify licenses across multiple states in one search.
5. Verify CNA certification through the nurse aide registry. For CNAs, check the state's nurse aide registry to confirm active certification and verify that the individual does not appear on the abuse registry.
6. Check the OIG exclusion list. For any healthcare hire, check the Office of Inspector General's List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) to ensure the candidate is not excluded from participating in federal healthcare programs.

Red Flags to Watch For

Pay close attention to these warning signs during the nursing credential verification process:

• License on probation or with restrictions. A nurse whose license is on probation may still be authorized to practice but with conditions — limited settings, required supervision, or prohibited tasks. Review the restrictions carefully.
• Disciplinary actions for patient safety concerns. Actions related to substance abuse, patient abuse or neglect, medication diversion, or practicing beyond scope are serious and require thorough investigation.
• License surrendered voluntarily. A voluntary license surrender often occurs in lieu of formal disciplinary proceedings. This is functionally similar to a revocation and should be treated seriously.
• Gaps in employment history combined with license changes. If a nurse's license was inactive or expired during a period when they claim to have been working, investigate further.
• Appearing on the OIG exclusion list. Hiring an excluded individual for any role in a Medicare- or Medicaid-participating facility can result in significant civil monetary penalties for the employer.
• CNA on the abuse registry. If a CNA appears on a state's nurse aide abuse registry, they should not be hired for any patient care role.

Ongoing Compliance

Healthcare employers must maintain continuous credentialing and compliance monitoring for all nursing staff:

• Track all license expiration dates. RN, LPN, and CNA credentials have different renewal cycles that vary by state. Track each independently.
• Re-verify licenses at each renewal. Do not rely solely on employees reporting their renewal. Verify through the state board after each renewal cycle.
• Monitor the OIG exclusion list monthly. Federal guidelines recommend monthly checks of the OIG exclusion list for all employees involved in federal healthcare programs.
• Track continuing education requirements. Nursing license renewal typically requires completion of continuing education hours. While the nurse is responsible for completion, employers should be aware of requirements in case renewals are delayed.
• Maintain credentialing files. Keep organized records of all license verifications, background checks, certifications, and compliance documentation for each nurse. Accreditation bodies and regulators may audit these files.

State-Specific Considerations

Key state-level variations that affect nurse hiring:

• The Nurse Licensure Compact includes more than 40 states, but some large states (California, New York, Massachusetts, and others) are not members. Nurses from non-compact states need a separate license for each state where they practice.
• APRN practice authority varies significantly — some states allow full practice authority for nurse practitioners, while others require physician supervision or collaborative agreements.
• CNA training hour requirements, examination processes, and registry systems vary by state. Some states use Pearson VUE for CNA testing; others use state-specific testing programs.
• Renewal cycles range from one to three years depending on the state and license type. Continuing education requirements also vary widely.

For detailed state-by-state nursing requirements, visit our RN licensing guide and CNA certification guide.

Frequently Asked Questions