Career Resources / Nursing Licensure / New Jersey
New Jersey has it all: top quality schools, great health care, family friendly towns, delicious dining, and great shopping. It’s also close to the shore, New York City, and Philadelphia! It’s a great place to work and live.
In this article, we will cover:
- How to get your New Jersey nursing license by exam
- How to get your license by endorsement
- How to renew your New Jersey nursing license
- Licensing fees
- Continuing education requirements
- How to contact the New Jersey Board of Nursing
How to get your New Jersey nursing license by examination
Step 1: Education
Becoming a registered nurse is the result of hard work. Whether you chose an Associate degree program, attended four years of a baccalaureate program, or turned to nursing after completing your bachelor’s studies in another field, your nursing degree is your career’s launchpad.
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing for those who have achieved a bachelor’s degree and who take the additional classes necessary to become a registered nurse.
Step 2: Apply
The application process for a registered nursing license in New Jersey begins by creating an account on the state’s online portal. After registering for an account, select the Initial Candidate option and indicate that you are seeking a nursing license by application. New Jersey only accepts applications that are submitted online.
After completing the application, you will be asked to pay the $120 licensing fee and to upload all supporting documentation.
You also must register to take the NCLEX exam and pay the registration fee of $200. You can do this online at Pearson VUE or by phone at 1-866-496-2539.
Step 3: Submit Transcripts
Request an official copy of your transcript with degree and date conferred from your nursing school. This can be mailed directly to the New Jersey Board of Nursing at the following address:
New Jersey Board of Nursing
124 Halsey Street, 6th Floor
P.O. Box 45010
Newark, New Jersey 07101
If you attended nursing school within the state of New Jersey, you may have your nursing school submit an Official Letter of Completion and affix the school seal.
Step 4: Criminal Background Check (CBC)
New Jersey requires all nursing applicants to submit to a criminal history background check as a condition for licensure. This process starts by completing the Certification and Authorization form for a criminal history background check.
If you live, work or attend school in the state of New Jersey, you will be required to schedule a fingerprinting appointment directly with MorphoTrust, a private company under contract with the State. If your residence, work, or school appears on the zip code list for nearby communities, you must schedule a fingerprinting appointment directly with MorphoTrust in New Jersey. The MorphoTrust fingerprinting sites are branded as “IdentoGo.” However, you cannot schedule an appointment with MorphoTrust until you receive the IdentoGo New Jersey Universal Fingerprint Form from the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
If you do not live in New Jersey and your zip code does not appear on the nearby community zip code list, you will be sent fingerprint cards which can be used by your local police department, another local law enforcement agency, a state police department or by your own state’s electronic fingerprinting company to record your fingerprints. Fingerprint cards and instructions will arrive with your IdentoGo Universal Fingerprint Form.
Step 5: Take the NCLEX
After you have submitted your application, paid your fees, and all required materials have been submitted by your nursing program, the New Jersey Board of Nursing will contact Pearson VUE and notify them that you are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam. Pearson VUE will send you an Authorization to Test and you should schedule your examination as soon as possible.
The NCLEX-RN is a standardized test that confirms you have the knowledge required to be a registered nurse. Topics covered include:
- Safe and Effective Care Environment
- Management of Care
- Safety and Infection Control
- Health Promotion and Maintenance
- Psychosocial Integrity
- Physiological Integrity
- Basic Care and Comfort
- Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
- Physiological Adaptation
If you pass the examination and have submitted all required information and fees, your licensure will be issued shortly.
If you did not pass the NCLEX-RN, you will need to re-register and submit an additional $200 fee to Pearson VUE, as well as to submit an application to retake the test. Failure to pass in three consecutive attempts requires submitting proof of successful completion of a remediation course prior to taking the test a fourth time.
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Licensing by endorsement (already have RN licensure)
Applicants for a New Jersey registered nurse license by endorsement begin by creating an account on the state’s online portal. After registering for an account, select the Initial Candidate option and indicate that you are seeking a nursing license by application. You will be asked to submit a $120 license fee, a $75 application fee, and a $5 Alternative to Discipline fee.
Your application must include:
- A clear, full-face original passport photograph (2” x 2”) of your head and shoulders taken within the past six months. Sign your name on the back of the picture.
- A copy of your birth certificate or U.S. passport if you are a U.S. citizen.
- If you are a naturalized U.S. citizen, submit a copy of your U.S. passport or certificate of naturalization.
- If you are a legal alien or another immigration status, submit a copy of the front and back of your USCIS immigration documents.
- Submit proof of a legal name change (i.e., marriage license, divorce decree, court order, if applicable) if your name differs from that on your birth certificate.
- Indicate your agreement to granting the Board authorization to conduct a criminal history background check.
- If you live, work or attend school in the state of New Jersey, you will be required to schedule a fingerprinting appointment directly with MorphoTrust, a private company under contract with the State. If your residence, work, or school appears on the zip code list for nearby communities, you must schedule a fingerprinting appointment directly with MorphoTrust in New Jersey. The MorphoTrust fingerprinting sites are branded as “IdentoGo.” However, you cannot schedule an appointment with MorphoTrust until you receive the IdentoGo New Jersey Universal Fingerprint Form from the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
- If you do not live in New Jersey and your zip code does not appear on the nearby community zip code list, you will be sent fingerprint cards which can be used by your local police department, another local law enforcement agency, a state police department or by your own state’s electronic fingerprinting company to record your fingerprints. Fingerprint cards and instructions will arrive with your IdentoGo Universal Fingerprint Form.
- If you live in the metropolitan New Jersey area, you will receive digital fingerprint information via regular mail. Please schedule your appointment as soon as possible.
- Provide verification of licensure in good standing from the state in which you were originally licensed or are currently licensed, and from every state in which you have ever been licensed through the NURSYS system. If those state(s) do not participate with the NURSYS system, verification must be forwarded directly to the New Jersey Board of Nursing at
New Jersey Board of Nursing
124 Halsey Street, 6th Floor
P.O. Box 45010
Newark, New Jersey 07101
How to renew your New Jersey nursing license
Step 1: When to submit your renewal application
New Jersey registered nursing licenses are good for two years and expire on May 31st. The process takes approximately 10-15 days to complete, and the fee is $120.
Step 2: Fulfill continuing competency requirements
New Jersey registered nurses must complete a minimum of 30 contact hours of continuing education contact hours during the two-year period preceding renewal. At least one contact hour of continuing education must concern prescription opioid drugs, including alternatives to opioids for managing and treating pain, and the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion.
You are able to carry over up to 15 additional continuing education contact hours into the next renewal period. Though you are not required to submit proof of completion, the New Jersey Board of Nursing recommends that you retain continuing education certificates for at least five years in case you are selected for a random audit.
Incredible Health offers New Jersey nurses free continuing education units. They are easy to access and, once completed, the site provides a certificate of completion for your records.
Step 3: Submit your renewal application
To submit your application for renewal of your New Jersey license, go to the state’s online portal.
New Jersey nursing licensing fees
Below are the fees for becoming a nurse in New Jersey whether you are a first-time nurse or are moving to New Jersey from another state. For more information visit the New Jersey licensing page.
Licensing fees by examination (first-time nurses):
- NCLEX fee: $200
- Application fee: $80
- License fee: $120
- Fingerprint processing fee: $58.69
Licensing fees by endorsement (already have RN licensure):
- Application fee: $200 (RN/LPN); $80/$160 (APRN, based on expiration of RN license)
- Fingerprint processing fee: $58.69
License renewal fee:
- Application fee: $120 (RN); $125 (LPN); $160 (APRN)
*Fees are subject to change.
Additionally, New Jersey has a partial implementation of the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC). This means nurses with active multi-state NLC licenses can practice in New Jersey. However, it also means nurses with New Jersey as their primary state of residency can’t apply for a multi-state license until the NLC is fully implemented. Check the NCSBN website to remain up to date.
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Continuing education requirements
RN: 30 contact hours every 2 years
- At least 1 hour must address instruction in organ and tissue donation and recovery designed to address clinical aspects of the donation and recovery process
- At least 1 hour must address topics concerning prescription opioid drugs, including an alternative to opioids for managing and treating pain and the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion
LPN: 30 contact hours every 2 years
- At least 1 hour must address instruction in organ and tissue donation and recovery designed to address clinical aspects of the donation and recovery process
- At least 1 hour must address topics concerning prescription opioid drugs, including an alternative to opioids for managing and treating pain and the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion
APRN: 30 contact hours every 2 years
- At least 1 hour must address instruction in organ and tissue donation and recovery designed to address clinical aspects of the donation and recovery process
- At least 2 hours must address end-of-life care
- At least 6 hours must pertain to pharmacology
- Maintain national certification
Incredible Health offers ANCC-accredited continuing education courses for nurses in all 50 states, 100% free and online. The New Jersey Board of Nursing accepts courses that are ANCC accredited.
How to contact the New Jersey Board of Nursing
New Jersey Board of Nursing
Phone: (973) 504-6430
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/nur/Pages/default.aspx
124 Halsey Street
Newark, NJ 07102
