Become a Nurse in Connecticut – Licensure & Requirements

Connecticut stopped charging fees to issue new APRN, RN, LPN and nurse-midwife licenses on Oct. 1, 2025, under Public Act 25-168, according to the 2026 supplement to the Connecticut General Statutes and the legislature’s Office of Legislative Research. DPH’s licensing pages still listed the earlier application fees in October 2026, so confirm fees with DPH when you apply. Annual renewal fees still apply; they are listed on DPH’s APRN, RN and LPN licensing pages. Certified nurse aides are placed on Connecticut’s Nurse’s Aide Registry after completing a DPH-approved training program and passing both parts of the state CNA exam, which costs $118.

The certification is renewed every two years at no fee: before it expires, the aide must work at least one paid eight-hour shift as a nurse aide or in direct personal or nursing care, and the employer submits verification of that work, according to DPH. Learn more about becoming a certified nursing assistant.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) License in Connecticut

Who it covers: Connecticut’s APRN license covers nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and nurse anesthetists, according to DPH. Certified nurse-midwives have their own license (see below).

Education: A graduate degree in nursing or in a related field recognized for certification, plus 30 hours of education in pharmacology for advanced nursing practice. Applicants who completed an advanced nurse practitioner program on or before Dec. 31, 2004, and hold a current APRN license in a state that requires a master’s degree have a separate route, according to DPH’s APRN licensure requirements.

Certification Required: Current national certification as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or nurse anesthetist from a certifying body that DPH recognizes, as listed in DPH’s APRN licensure requirements.

Examination: Varies by certification. You take the national certification exam for your role (DPH APRN requirements).

License Required: An active Connecticut registered nurse license (DPH APRN requirements).

Fees:

• No license fee since Oct. 1, 2025, under Section 20-94a
• $130 annual renewal fee (DPH APRN licensure)
• National certification exam fees are set by each certifying body

Renewal: The license is renewed annually. From the second renewal on, APRNs need at least 50 contact hours of continuing education in the 24 months before each renewal, including at least five hours of pharmacotherapeutics and at least one hour on each of several required topics. They also complete at least two contact hours on mental health conditions common to veterans and their families in the first renewal period that requires continuing education and at least once every six years after that. First-time renewals are exempt, and DPH may grant exemptions or waivers in limited cases, such as for APRNs not in active practice or with a medical disability, according to DPH’s APRN continuing education page.

Certified nurse-midwives: Connecticut has a separate nurse-midwife license. Applicants must be eligible for Connecticut RN licensure, hold current certification from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) and complete 30 hours of education in pharmacology for nurse-midwifery. No license fee has been charged since Oct. 1, 2025, under Section 20-86c. Learn more about certified nurse-midwives.

Learn more on how to become an advanced practice nurse.

Prescriptive Authority Under the Connecticut Nurse Practice Act

The Connecticut Nurse Practice Act (Section 20-87a of the Connecticut General Statutes) sets the rules for APRN practice. For the first three years after licensure, an APRN must collaborate with a physician licensed in Connecticut. For prescriptive authority, that collaboration must be in writing and must address the level of Schedule II and III controlled substances the APRN may prescribe. An APRN licensed by endorsement under Section 20-94a(d) may count earlier collaboration with a physician licensed in another state toward the three years, if it met the same requirements. A nurse anesthetist who prescribes or administers medical therapeutics during surgery may do so only when the physician medically directing that care is physically present where the surgery is performed.

After at least three years and 2,000 hours of collaborative practice, an APRN may practice and prescribe alone or in collaboration with a physician. The APRN must send written notice to DPH before practicing without a collaborative agreement, according to DPH’s APRN practice guidance.

To prescribe controlled substances, an APRN also needs a Connecticut controlled substance registration from the Department of Consumer Protection. That state registration is a prerequisite for federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration, according to DPH. A collaborative agreement or a practice notice does not replace either registration.

Registered Nurse (RN) License in Connecticut

Education: Completion of an approved registered nurse program that meets the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (DPH RN licensure by examination).

Examination: NCLEX-RN. Register for the exam with Pearson VUE before you submit your Connecticut application, as DPH’s RN licensure by examination page directs.

Fees:

• No license fee since Oct. 1, 2025, under Section 20-93
• $200 NCLEX registration fee, rising to $350 for registrations on or after Feb. 1, 2027, according to NCSBN
• $110 Renewal Fee (DPH RN licensure)

Renewal: Annual. See renewal requirements below.

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as a registered nurse in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement. See the endorsement section below.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) License in Connecticut

Education: Completion of a practical nursing program that includes at least 1,500 hours of theory over no less than 10 months. Half of the contact hours must be in supervised direct client care experiences and observational experiences, according to DPH.

Examination: NCLEX-PN. As with the RN exam, register with Pearson VUE before you submit your Connecticut application (DPH LPN licensure by examination).

Fees:

• No license fee since Oct. 1, 2025, under Section 20-96
• $200 NCLEX registration fee, rising to $350 for registrations on or after Feb. 1, 2027 (NCSBN)
• $70 Renewal Fee (DPH LPN licensure)

Experience: Graduates of programs with fewer than the required hours may substitute clinical work experience as a graduate or licensed practical nurse for the missing hours, according to DPH.

Renewal: Annual. See renewal requirements below.

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as a licensed practical nurse in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement. See the endorsement section below.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Transferring a Nursing License to Connecticut by Endorsement

Nurses licensed in another state apply for a Connecticut license by endorsement online. DPH verifies every license you have held, current or expired, usually through NCSBN’s Nursys system; states that do not use Nursys send a written verification instead.

• RN: There has been no license or temporary permit fee since Oct. 1, 2025, under Section 20-94. If you hold a current RN license in another U.S. state or territory, you can receive a 120-day, non-renewable temporary permit, issued within 15 business days after your completed application is approved. Applicants licensed in a state that does not require the NCLEX must meet Connecticut’s licensure-by-examination requirements and cannot get the temporary permit, according to DPH’s RN endorsement page.
• LPN: There has been no license or temporary permit fee since Oct. 1, 2025, under Section 20-97. Along with license verification, you need a school transcript, a Verification of Theory and Clinical Instruction form and an employer Work Experience Verification form. A 120-day, non-renewable temporary permit is issued within 15 business days once the school documents arrive, according to DPH’s LPN endorsement page.

If you hold a multistate license from another compact state where you live, see the compact section below.

Is Connecticut a Nurse Licensure Compact State?

Yes. Connecticut fully implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) on Oct. 1, 2025, according to NCSBN and the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Under the NLC, a multistate license lets a nurse practice in their home state and in other NLC states.

RNs and LPNs whose primary state of residence is Connecticut can convert a Connecticut license to a multistate license through eLicense, and DPH charges no fee to convert. Applicants complete a fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check and must meet DPH’s eligibility requirements. These cover the licensing exam (NCLEX-RN, NCLEX-PN or SBTPE), nursing education (including evaluated education completed outside the U.S.), English proficiency where it applies, and license and criminal history. See the full eligibility list in DPH’s Nurse Licensure Compact guidance.

Renewing a Connecticut Nursing License

Connecticut nursing licenses are renewed online through eLicense. Most licenses expire in the first birth month after they are issued and are renewed annually after that, according to DPH. Nurses receive renewal notice by email about 60 days before expiration, according to DPH’s renewal information.

• RN and LPN: The renewal fee is $110 for RNs and $70 for LPNs. Nurses actively practicing in Connecticut must complete two contact hours of training once every six years, covering screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide risk, depression and grief, and suicide prevention. The requirement applies to renewals after Jan. 1, 2022, and nurses must keep completion records for at least three years, according to DPH’s continuing education page.
• APRN: The renewal fee is $130. After the first renewal, APRNs need 50 contact hours of continuing education in the 24 months before each renewal, plus periodic veterans’ mental health training, as described in the APRN section above.

Connecticut Nursing Salaries

^{Median annual wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, for Connecticut, Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, New Haven and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford. Medians cover workers at all experience levels, so they are not starting pay. “Not Available” means BLS did not publish an estimate for that area.}

Licensing requirements and fees on this page were checked against the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section pages, the Connecticut General Statutes and the other sources linked above in October 2026. Questions or corrections? Email us at info@nursinglicensemap.com.