Become a Nurse in Arizona – Licensure & Requirements

The table shows the standard path for new applicants. Advanced practice certification requires a graduate degree: one with a major in nursing for nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives and clinical nurse specialists, and one from a nurse anesthesia program for CRNAs. Arizona's rules allow limited exceptions for some APRNs first credentialed before set cutoff dates. School nurse certification requires an Arizona RN license or multistate privilege rather than a graduate degree (AZBN application requirements; Arizona Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 19).

Arizona Nursing Wages

^{The wages above are annual mean wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates for Arizona, Flagstaff, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler and Tucson. They cover workers at all experience levels, so they are not starting pay. "Not Available" means BLS did not publish an estimate for that occupation and area.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Arizona. The path you take will mostly depend upon the type of nurse you’d like to become and your current or prospective level of education. Each license or certification below has its own education requirement, from a nursing assistant training program to a graduate degree.

In addition to nursing wages in Arizona, you’ll find information below on getting and keeping each type of Arizona nursing license or certification, from nursing assistant to advanced practice registered nurse.

Is Arizona a Nursing Compact State?

Yes. Arizona is a fully implemented Nursing Licensure Compact state, so nurses who declare Arizona as their primary state of residence may hold a multistate RN or LPN license, and multistate licensees from other compact states may practice in Arizona (Nurse Licensure Compact map; AZBN). The compact covers RNs and LPNs only, not advanced practice nurses. A nurse holding a multistate license who changes their primary state of residence to Arizona must apply for an Arizona multistate license within 60 days (Nurse Licensure Compact rules, Rule 402).

Prescriptive Authority in Arizona

In accordance with the Rules of the State Board of Nursing in Arizona (R4-19-511 and R4-19-512), registered nurse practitioners (RNPs) granted prescribing authority by the Board may prescribe Schedule II-V controlled substances once they also hold a DEA registration. RNPs may not prescribe refills for Schedule II drugs, but may prescribe up to five refills in six months for Schedule III-IV drugs, and up to one year of refills for Schedule V drugs (A.R.S. § 36-2525). Certified nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists may also apply for prescribing and dispensing authority.

To apply for prescribing authority, an APRN needs a 3-semester-hour pharmacology course, or 45 contact hours of education in pharmacology or clinical management of drug therapy, completed within the three years immediately before applying. A DEA number can be obtained only after the Board grants prescribing authority; a copy must then be sent to the Board, and the DEA number must be registered with the Arizona Prescription Monitoring Program (AZBN). Prescribers with an active DEA registration must also complete at least three hours of opioid-, substance use disorder- or addiction-related continuing education each renewal cycle (AZBN renewal).

Nurse Practitioners and Other APRNs in Arizona

Recognized APRN roles in Arizona include: registered nurse practitioner (RNP), certified nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). RNPs and CNSs practice within one or more population foci (AZBN; Arizona Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 19).

Under Arizona law, a registered nurse practitioner's scope includes making independent decisions on complex patient care problems, diagnosing, and prescribing, including controlled substances once the Board grants prescribing authority and the nurse practitioner holds a DEA registration; the statute's definition does not require physician supervision or a collaborative agreement (A.R.S. § 32-1601).

Education: A graduate degree with a major in nursing (nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife or clinical nurse specialist) or a graduate degree from a nurse anesthesia program (CRNA), from an accredited or approved advanced practice program. Some APRNs first certified or licensed before cutoff dates in the rules qualify under limited exceptions to the degree requirement (AZBN; Arizona Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 19).

Recent Practice: Applicants must also have completed an advanced practice nursing program within the past five years or practiced at least 960 hours as an APRN within the past five years (AZBN).

Examination: National certification in the APRN role and population focus; the exam varies by certification. A clinical nurse specialist granted a waiver of certification, and some APRNs first credentialed in another state before July 1, 2004, are exceptions (AZBN).

Fees: (AZBN agency fees)

• $150 Application Fee
• $50 Background Check (Fingerprinting) Fee
• $150 Prescribing/Dispensing Authority Application (optional)

Additional Information: An active Arizona RN license, or a multistate RN license from another compact state, is required for application (AZBN).

Renewal: APRN certificates issued after July 1, 2004 expire when the holder’s RN license or national certification expires, whichever comes first, and APRNs renew after renewing the RN license. Renewal requires current national certification (except for a clinical nurse specialist granted a waiver of certification) and either completion of an advanced practice nursing program or at least 960 hours of practice as an APRN within the past five years. An APRN who meets neither must instead complete the advanced pharmacology and role-related coursework and precepted clinical practice set out in the Board's rules (AZBN renewal; Arizona Administrative Code, R4-19-506).

Learn more on how to become an advanced practice registered nurse or how to become a nurse practitioner.

Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Arizona

Education: RN applicants need a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor's degree in nursing from a Board-approved program; LPN applicants need a diploma or certificate from a Board-approved practical nursing program (AZBN)

Examination: NCLEX (AZBN; see our guide to nursing licensure exams)

Fees: (AZBN agency fees)

• $300 Exam and Licensure Application Fee
• $50 Background Check (Fingerprinting) Fee

Fingerprints: Applicants submit a full set of fingerprints unless they submitted a card to the Board within the past two years. A DPS clearance card is not accepted. Electronic fingerprinting is available only to applicants physically in Arizona; results take about 30 days electronically or 8–12 weeks on an FD-258 card (AZBN).

Renewal: Registered nurse (RN) and LPN licenses must be renewed through the Arizona Board of Nursing every four years, and renewal can be submitted up to six months before the due date. The renewal fee is $160. Instead of continuing education hours, renewal requires one of the following within the past five years: 960 hours of nursing practice, a nursing degree, a Board-approved refresher course, or an advanced nursing degree (AZBN renewal).

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as RNs or LPNs in another state may apply for endorsement. A $150 application fee and a background check fee of up to $50 are required. Licensure by endorsement must be confirmed by verification of an original state license, requested through Nursys or, where that isn't possible, through the Board's Verification for Endorsement process, and applicants generally need 960 hours of practice in the past five years or a qualifying alternative such as a recent degree or refresher course. A $50 temporary license, including a 48-hour emergency option, is available to eligible endorsement applicants (AZBN; AZBN agency fees).

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse or how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) in Arizona

Education: The standard Arizona route is a Board-approved nursing assistant training program of at least 120 hours, including at least 40 hours of supervised clinical experience (Arizona Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 19). Endorsement applicants instead show completion of a nursing assistant program approved by another state: at least 120 hours, or at least 75 hours plus at least 45 hours of work as a nursing assistant (AZBN).

Examination: A written exam and a skills evaluation; both parts must be passed (AZBN).

Fees: $0 CNA exam application; $50 LNA exam application plus a $50 background check; $50 CNA/LNA endorsement (AZBN agency fees)

Additional Information: CNAs are placed on the Nurse Aide Registry and do not submit fingerprints; LNAs submit fingerprints and are licensed by the Board (AZBN). Endorsement applicants must also be listed, or within the last two years have been listed, as active on another state's nursing assistant registry with no substantiated complaints or discipline (Arizona Administrative Code, Title 4, Chapter 19).

Renewal: CNA and LNA recognitions are renewed every two years. For CNAs there is no renewal fee. For LNAs there is a $50 fee for every 2-year renewal. CNAs are required to provide evidence of at least 8 hours of paid work in the past two year period while LNAs are required to provide evidence of 160 hours of paid work in the last two years (AZBN renewal).

Learn more on how to become a certified nursing assistant.

Information for the nursing careers above: advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, certified nursing assistant and licensed nursing assistant was retrieved from the Arizona State Board of Nursing and verified current as of October 2026.