Become a Nurse in Delaware – Licensure & Requirements

Delaware Nursing Salaries

^{Nurse salaries above are May 2025 annual mean wage estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, for the Delaware statewide area and the Dover, DE; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD; and Salisbury, MD metropolitan areas.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Delaware. 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. The higher your level of education, the more opportunities you’ll have to choose where and how you pursue your career in nursing.

In addition to nursing salaries in Delaware, you’ll find information on acquiring and maintaining several types of Delaware nursing licensure. We’re constantly making updates, but with the speed of change in the healthcare sphere it’s difficult to stay current. If you have any comments or suggestions for our information on nursing in Delaware, please email us at info@nursinglicensemap.com!

Compact State Status

Delaware is a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) member state, per the Delaware Board of Nursing and NCSBN. A nurse may practice in Delaware under the NLC only with an active multistate license issued by their primary state of residence — a single-state license from another NLC state is not sufficient on its own.

Prescriptive Authority in Delaware

Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in Delaware have full practice and prescriptive authority upon APRN licensure, with no collaborative agreement required, under Delaware Code, Title 24, Chapter 19 and 24 Del. Admin. Code § 1900. To prescribe, store, or dispense Schedule II-V controlled substances, an APRN must also hold a Delaware Controlled Substance Registration (Board CSR process) and federal DEA registration.

APRN education must include coursework in advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, advanced pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics, and diagnosis and management of diseases across practice settings, per 24 Del. Admin. Code § 1900.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Delaware

Education: Master's degree or post-basic program certificate in a clinical nurse specialty with certification from a national certifying body as recognized by the Board (see Board APRN requirements).

Examination: The national certification examination appropriate to the APRN's role and population focus.

Certification Required: National certification in an advanced practice specialty from a certifying body recognized by the Board.

Fees: (per the Delaware Board of Nursing fee schedule)

• $181 Delaware application fee

Additional Information: An active registered nurse license from a compact state is required for application.

Experience: Clinical experience of 1,500 hours in the past five years or 600 hours of clinical experience in the past two years; required if you have graduated from an APRN program more than two years ago. Additional experience requirements may be needed for some certifications.

Renewal: APRN licenses expire the same date as your Delaware RN license. If you don't have a Delaware RN license, your APRN license expires on September 30 of odd years. You must meet one of the following to renew:

• 1,500 Hours of practice over the last five years in the specialty,
• 600 Hours of practice over the last two years in the specialty, or
• Graduation from the specialty program within the last two years.

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

Registered Nurse (RN) in Delaware

Education: Completion of an approved registered nurse program

Examination: NCLEX-RN (see Board exam requirements)

Fees: (per the Delaware Board of Nursing fee schedule)

• $181 Delaware application fee
• $200 NCLEX registration fee (per NCLEX, current as of September 18, 2026)

Additional Information: A nurse holding an active multistate license from their primary state of residence may practice as an RN in Delaware under the NLC without a separate license, unless establishing permanent residency in Delaware. See the Delaware Board of Nursing and NCSBN.

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as a registered nurse in another state may apply through endorsement, subject to Board approval and the $181 Delaware application fee (see endorsement instructions). A separate $50 fee applies only when upgrading a single-state license to multistate.

Renewal: RN licenses in Delaware expire on February 28, May 31, or September 30 of odd years, per Board renewal information. Expiration month depends on when the RN license was originally issued. However, all newly issued RN licenses expire on September 30 of odd-numbered years.

Renewing RNs must be able to provide proof of required continuing education and have practiced at least 1,000 hours in the past five years or 400 hours in the last two years. RNs must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including 3 hours on substance abuse, addiction, and dependency, and at least 1 hour on recognizing/responding to sexual or physical abuse, exploitation, trafficking, or domestic violence involving vulnerable persons, or on required abuse-reporting duties, including child abuse or neglect, per the Delaware Board of Nursing.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Delaware

Education: Completion of an approved practical nursing program.

Examination: NCLEX-PN (see Board exam requirements)

Fees: (per the Delaware Board of Nursing fee schedule)

• $181 Delaware application fee
• $200 NCLEX registration fee (per NCLEX, current as of September 18, 2026)

Renewal: Delaware LPN licenses expire on February 28 of even years, per Board renewal information. To be able to renew, LPNs must provide proof of completed continuing education and have practiced at least 1,000 hours in the past five years or 400 hours in the last two years. LPNs must complete 24 hours of continuing education every two years, including 3 hours on substance abuse, addiction, and dependency, and at least 1 hour on recognizing/responding to sexual or physical abuse, exploitation, trafficking, or domestic violence involving vulnerable persons, or on required abuse-reporting duties, including child abuse or neglect, per the Delaware Board of Nursing.

Endorsement: Individuals licensed as an LPN in another state may apply through endorsement, subject to Board approval and the $181 Delaware application fee (see endorsement instructions).

A nurse holding an active multistate license from their primary state of residence may practice as an LPN in Delaware under the NLC without a separate license, unless establishing permanent residency in Delaware.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

Information for the nursing careers above: advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, and licensed practical nurse was retrieved from the Delaware Board of Nursing.