The North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) is the state agency that licenses and regulates every RN, LPN, and APRN in North Carolina. It sets exam and endorsement standards, runs the two-year renewal cycle, verifies licenses, and disciplines nurses. It oversees one of the ten largest nursing workforces in the country.
Key Facts for NC Nurses
- 169,321 active RN licenses in North Carolina as of July 2026, about 3.29% of the national total. That makes NC the 9th-largest RN workforce in the country (NCSBN).
- $75 to apply by exam, $150 by endorsement, and $100 to renew. Most new RNs also pay the $200 national NCLEX fee plus a $38 background check.
- NC licenses renew every 2 years, on the last day of your birth month. The renewal application opens 90 days before expiration.
- Continuing competence is met by one of eight options, most commonly 30 contact hours of CE, or 15 contact hours plus 640 practice hours.
- North Carolina is a full Nurse Licensure Compact member, so residents who qualify can hold one multistate license good in 41 states.
- Verify any NC nurse license free through the NCBON lookup or Nursys. Reach the Board at (919) 782-3211.
North Carolina is a straightforward, mid-priced board to work with when your file is clean. A $75 exam application or $150 endorsement, a $100 two-year renewal, and a flexible continuing competence rule keep costs reasonable. The real friction sits in one place: fingerprints. In the endorsement files we handle, mailed hard-copy fingerprint cards are the top reason a start date slips.
| North Carolina Board of Nursing | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Licensing board | North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) |
| License types | RN, LPN, APRN (NP, CNM, CRNA, CNS), Nurse Aide II |
| Exam application fee (RN/LPN) | $75 |
| Endorsement fee (RN/LPN) | $150 |
| Renewal fee | $100 (every 2 years) |
| Renewal cycle | Every 2 years, by birth month |
| Continuing competence | One of eight options (e.g. 30 CE hours) |
| Background check | Fingerprint SBI + FBI ($38) |
| Verification systems | NCBON License Verification and Nursys |
| Nurse Licensure Compact member | Yes (since Jan 19, 2018) |
North Carolina Board of Nursing Contact Information
The North Carolina Board of Nursing is based in Raleigh. You can reach it by phone at (919) 782-3211, by mail at its P.O. Box, or online through ncbon.com and the Nurse Portal for applications, renewals, and status checks. Most transactions are handled entirely online.
- Office: 4516 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh, NC 27607
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 2129, Raleigh, NC 27602
- Phone: (919) 782-3211
- Fax: (919) 781-9461
- Website: ncbon.com
- Nurse Portal: applications, renewals, license PDF download, and status checks
Applications and renewals cannot be completed by phone. The Board directs everything through the online Nurse Gateway, so your first step for any license action is to create a portal account. If you would rather hand the paperwork to someone else, our nursing license team manages NCBON files end to end for RNs, LPNs, and APRNs.
What the North Carolina Board of Nursing does
The North Carolina Board of Nursing licenses and disciplines RNs, LPNs, and advanced practice nurses under the state Nursing Practice Act. It approves nursing education programs, runs license verification, and decides who can legally practice nursing in North Carolina. Its stated mission is to protect the public by regulating the practice of nursing.
Everything the Board does traces back to one law: the Nursing Practice Act, North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 90, Article 9A. The legislature put it plainly: “mandatory licensure of all who engage in the practice of nursing is necessary to ensure minimum standards of competency and to provide the public safe nursing care” (G.S. 90-171.19). The Board issues those licenses, sets fees under G.S. 90-171.27, and enforces the rules in Title 21, Chapter 36 of the Administrative Code.
One point trips up people every day: North Carolina has two separate boards. Nurses, including nurse practitioners, go through the North Carolina Board of Nursing. Physicians and physician assistants go through the North Carolina Medical Board, a different agency. If you need the doctor side instead, start with our guide to the North Carolina medical license.
How to verify or look up a North Carolina nursing license
To verify a North Carolina nursing license, use the free NCBON License Verification tool or the national Nursys database. Search by name or license number, and you get the license status, type, expiration date, and any public discipline. NCBON’s own database is the primary source for North Carolina licensees.
You have two official ways to check a nurse:
- NCBON License Verification. Go to the Board’s verification page on ncbon.com, then search by first and last name, city, or license number. It covers RNs, LPNs, Nurse Aide II, and advanced practice nurses, and it shows real-time status straight from the Board’s records.
- Nursys. Use Nursys, the national verification system run by NCSBN. North Carolina participates, so employers can pull QuickConfirm reports or enroll in e-Notify for automatic license and discipline updates. State-to-state license verifications for endorsement run through Nursys only.
A quick note on scope: nurse practitioners are verified through the Board of Nursing, but physicians are not. If you are checking an NP’s prescriptive authority alongside their identifiers, you may also want to run an NPI lookup to confirm the national provider number on file.
Pro tip: Employers should print or save the verification confirmation. NCBON’s terms state that users must print the confirmation as proof of verification, and the Board no longer mails certificates or wallet cards. The license PDF lives in the nurse’s own portal instead.
How to renew a North Carolina nursing license
North Carolina RN and LPN licenses are valid for two years and expire on the last day of your birth month. Renewal costs $100 and is done online through the NCBON Nurse Portal, which opens the renewal application 90 days before expiration. You must meet a continuing competence requirement before the Board will renew.
North Carolina does not make you pile up a fixed number of CE hours the way many states do. Instead, under rule 21 NCAC 36.0232, you satisfy continuing competence by completing any one of eight options during the two-year cycle:
- 30 contact hours of continuing education, or
- 15 contact hours of CE plus 640 hours of active practice within the previous two years, or
- National certification or recertification by a recognized credentialing body, or
- A Board-approved refresher course, or
- At least two semester hours of post-licensure academic education related to nursing, or
- 15 contact hours of CE combined with a nursing project, a published nursing article, or a CE presentation of at least five hours.
You attest to meeting the requirement when you renew. You only send documents if the Board pulls you for a random audit, so keep your certificates for the full cycle. Nurse practitioners have a separate rule: maintain national certification, or earn 50 contact hours every two years, with one hour on controlled substance prescribing if you prescribe them.
Watch out: North Carolina grants no grace period. If you cannot show continuing competence by your renewal date, the license goes to inactive status at 12:01 a.m. the next day, and you cannot practice until you fix it. Let a license lapse and you reapply through reinstatement, which costs $180. A lapse of five years or more forces a Board-approved refresher course.
How to get a North Carolina RN or LPN license
You get a North Carolina nursing license one of two ways: by examination if you are a new graduate, or by endorsement if you already hold a license in another state. Both routes run through the NCBON Nurse Gateway and both require a fingerprint-based criminal background check. Compact residents may qualify for a multistate license instead.
Licensure by examination (new graduates)
New graduates apply through the Nurse Gateway, then sit the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN, the national licensing exam written by NCSBN. You pay the $75 NCBON application fee plus the $200 NCLEX fee to Pearson VUE, and you clear an SBI and FBI fingerprint check. Your Authorization to Test is valid for 180 days, and if you do not pass, you can retest after a 45-day wait. NCBON releases official results about four weeks after the exam.
Licensure by endorsement (out-of-state nurses)
If you already hold an active license elsewhere, you endorse into North Carolina for $150. You need an active license held within the past five years, an unencumbered record in every jurisdiction you have ever been licensed, verification of your original and current licenses through Nursys, and the same fingerprint background check. A lapse of five years or more means a refresher course before endorsement.
Endorsement checklist:
- Submit the endorsement application in the Nurse Portal and pay the $150 fee.
- Request Nursys verification from your original and current states the same day.
- Complete fingerprinting: Live Scan in state, or a mailed hard-copy card from out of state.
- Provide a valid Social Security number and your last two nursing employers.
- Ask for a temporary license if you need to start work before the permanent one issues.
A temporary license can bridge the gap. It is non-renewable, good for up to six months or until your permanent license issues, and available only within the first six months of an endorsement application. It is issued once per lifetime, and only to nurses who hold a single-state or non-compact license. In our experience helping nurses relocate, requesting the Nursys verification on day one is the single change that shortens the wait most.
The Nurse Licensure Compact in North Carolina
North Carolina is a full member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). It enacted the original compact on July 1, 2000, and joined the enhanced compact on January 19, 2018. If North Carolina is your primary state of residence and you meet the 11 Uniform Licensure Requirements, you can hold one multistate license that lets you practice in 41 compact states without a separate application. Declare another compact state as your residence and you must be licensed there instead.
Since January 2, 2024, a compact rule gives you 60 days to apply for a new multistate license after you move your primary residence to another compact state. If you travel for work, our breakdown of travel nurse license requirements explains how compact and non-compact assignments differ.
North Carolina Board of Nursing fees
North Carolina Board of Nursing fees are modest by national standards. An RN or LPN pays $75 to apply by exam, $150 to endorse in, and $100 to renew every two years. The extra costs are the same for most applicants: the national NCLEX fee and fingerprinting, both billed by outside vendors, not the Board.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam application (RN/LPN) | $75 |
| Endorsement (RN/LPN) | $150 |
| Renewal, every 2 years (RN/LPN) | $100 |
| Reinstatement of lapsed license | $180 |
| Criminal background check | $38 |
| NP approval to practice (APRN) | $100 |
| NP renewal (APRN) | $50 |
| Nursys verification (per license, per state) | $30 |
| NCLEX exam (paid to Pearson VUE) | $200 |
North Carolina’s nursing workforce
North Carolina holds 169,321 active RN licenses, roughly 3.29% of the national total, which ranks it 9th among all states. Only California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan license more registered nurses. The Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte metros drive most of that demand.
By the numbers: With 169,321 active RN licenses and a border shared with three other compact states (Virginia, Tennessee, and South Carolina), North Carolina sits in one of the busiest nursing corridors in the Southeast. That is a large part of why the state joined the compact early and never left it.
Our team handles North Carolina RN, LPN, and APRN license applications end-to-end: endorsement paperwork, Nursys verification, and fingerprint coordination before your file reaches the NCBON. We work with nurses across all 50 states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a North Carolina nursing license?
Use the free NCBON License Verification tool on ncbon.com, or the national Nursys database. Search by the nurse’s name or license number to see status, license type, expiration date, and any public discipline. NCBON’s database is the primary source, and you should print the confirmation as proof.
How do I check a North Carolina nurse’s license status by name?
On the NCBON verification page, enter a first name, last name, or city and run the search. The result shows whether the RN, LPN, or advanced practice license is active, expired, or disciplined. For bulk or state-to-state checks, employers use Nursys QuickConfirm and e-Notify instead.
How much does it cost to renew a North Carolina nursing license?
The RN and LPN renewal fee is $100 every two years, paid online through the Nurse Portal. If your license has lapsed, you cannot simply renew; you must apply for reinstatement, which costs $180. Nurse practitioner renewal is $50 on top of the RN renewal.
How many CE hours does North Carolina require for nurses?
There is no single fixed number. North Carolina lets RNs and LPNs satisfy continuing competence with any one of eight options, such as 30 contact hours of CE, or 15 contact hours plus 640 practice hours. Nurse practitioners need 50 contact hours every two years or current national certification.
Is North Carolina a compact nursing state?
Yes. North Carolina is a full Nurse Licensure Compact member and has been since July 1, 2000, joining the enhanced compact on January 19, 2018. If NC is your primary residence and you meet the 11 Uniform Licensure Requirements, one multistate license covers you in 41 states.
How long does a North Carolina nursing license take?
The Board does not publish a guaranteed timeline. In practice, a complete endorsement file commonly clears in about four to six weeks once verification and the background check are in. A temporary license can let you start sooner. Missing fingerprints are the most common delay.
This article provides general guidance only. Nursing licensing requirements change frequently and vary by state. Always verify current requirements with the official North Carolina Board of Nursing at ncbon.com before submitting your application. Last fact-checked: July 7, 2026.
Written by Medicallicensing Team · Reviewed by David Ivaniuk, CEO Medicallicensing · Last updated: July 7, 2026 · Last fact-checked: July 7, 2026
About the reviewer
David Ivaniuk is the CEO of Medicallicensing, a licensing services firm that has helped physicians, PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals navigate state licensing, DEA registration, and payer enrollment across all 50 U.S. states.
References
- North Carolina Board of Nursing. “Fee Schedule.” Retrieved July 7, 2026. ncbon.com/fee-schedule.
- North Carolina Board of Nursing. “RN/LPN by Endorsement.” Retrieved July 7, 2026. ncbon.com/rn-lpn-endorsement.
- North Carolina Board of Nursing. “Continuing Competence, RN/LPN.” Retrieved July 7, 2026. ncbon.com/rn-lpn-continuing-competence.
- North Carolina Board of Nursing. “Nurse Licensure Compact.” Retrieved July 7, 2026. ncbon.com/nurse-licensure-compact.
- North Carolina Board of Nursing. “Verify a NC License.” Retrieved July 7, 2026. ncbon.com/verify-nc-license.
- NCSBN. “Active RN Licenses, National Nursing Database.” Updated July 1, 2026. Retrieved July 7, 2026. ncsbn.org.
- NCSBN. “License Verification, Nursys.” Retrieved July 7, 2026. nursys.com.
- North Carolina General Assembly. “Nursing Practice Act, G.S. Chapter 90, Article 9A.” Retrieved July 7, 2026. ncleg.gov.
