Become a Nurse in Michigan – Licensure & Requirements

Nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, and clinical nurse specialist licensure requires a graduate (master's or post-master's) degree under the NCSBN APRN Consensus Model; nurse anesthetist licensure requires a doctoral degree under the Council on Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, shown in the table above.

These are Michigan's current RN specialty-certification categories recognized by the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide, current as of September 2026, each requiring active national certification.

Michigan Nursing Salaries

^{State-wide and metro-area salaries above were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – May 2025 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, covering Michigan statewide and the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, and Ann Arbor metropolitan areas.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Michigan. 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 Michigan, you’ll find information on acquiring and maintaining several types of Michigan 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 Michigan, please email us at info@nursinglicensemap.com!

Compact State Status

Michigan is not yet a Nursing Licensure Compact state, but there is pending legislation.

Per the Michigan Legislature's official bill-tracking page for House Bill 4246, the compact-enabling bill remains in the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee, with no further recorded action since its June 2025 House passage; Michigan has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact membership.

^{Last Retrieved September 2026.}

Prescriptive Authority in Michigan

According to the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide, current as of January 2026, advanced practice registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and clinical nurse specialists, may prescribe Schedule II-V controlled substances under the delegation of a physician, through a written delegation agreement. This delegated prescriptive authority does not extend to nurse anesthetists.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Michigan

Education: Successful Completion of an Approved Advanced Nursing Program

Examination: Varies for Different Certifications

Certification Required: National Certification as a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, or Clinical Nurse Specialist. Nurse anesthetist is a separate Michigan RN specialty certification, not part of Michigan's statutory APRN category or its delegated prescriptive authority, per the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide (see the Nursing Licenses in Michigan table above).

Fees:

• $41.35 or $56.55 Application Fee
• Certification Examination Fee (Varies for Different Certifications)

Additional Information: An Active Registered Nurse License Is Required for Application

Renewal: Renewal fee of $161.40 per renewal period required.

The specialty-certification, application, and renewal requirements above reflect the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide, current as of January 2026. The graduate-degree education requirement and role-specific national certification exam reflect the NCSBN APRN Consensus Model.

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

Registered Nurse (RN) in Michigan

Education: Completion of an Approved Registered Nurse Program

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $212.90 Application Fee
• $200 Exam Fee
• Fingerprinting Fee (collected by the Michigan State Police-approved Live Scan vendor; the vendor's fee includes state and FBI search costs and may include an additional service fee)

Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $212.90 application fee and the Live Scan vendor's current fingerprinting fee.

Renewal: Renewal fee is $131.00.

The education, examination, application, and renewal requirements above reflect the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide, current as of January 2026.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Michigan

Education: Completion of an Approved Licensed Practical Nurse Program

Examination: NCLEX-PN

Fees:

• $212.90 Application Fee
• $200 Exam Fee
• Fingerprinting Fee (collected by the Michigan State Police-approved Live Scan vendor; the vendor's fee includes state and FBI search costs and may include an additional service fee)

Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $212.90 application fee and the Live Scan vendor's current fingerprinting fee.

Renewal: Renewal fee is $131.00.

The education, examination, application, and renewal requirements above reflect the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide, current as of January 2026.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can nurses licensed in another state work in Michigan without a Michigan license?

No. Because Michigan is not yet a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, a nursing license issued by another state doesn't by itself authorize practice in Michigan. Nurses relocating to Michigan apply for licensure by endorsement with the Michigan Board of Nursing, which reviews the applicant's existing license and charges the same application fee as licensure by examination.

See the Michigan Legislature's bill-tracking page for House Bill 4246 for the compact legislation's current status.

How long does it take to get licensed as a nurse in Michigan?

Processing time depends on how quickly required items — the application, transcripts, exam results, and background check — reach the Michigan Board of Nursing, and can vary with application volume. Contact the board directly for current processing-time estimates before making relocation or start-date plans.

Information Disclosure:

Licensing fee and renewal amounts above were last verified against the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide, current as of January 2026. The nurse anesthetist entry-to-practice requirement in the table above reflects the Council on Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs' current doctoral standard; the nurse-midwife, nurse-practitioner, and clinical-nurse-specialist graduate-degree requirement reflects the NCSBN APRN Consensus Model. The Michigan RN specialty-certification categories in the table above reflect the Michigan Board of Nursing's official licensing guide, current as of January 2026. The RN and LPN exam fee reflects NCLEX's current fee schedule. Fingerprinting costs are set by the Michigan State Police-approved Live Scan vendor rather than a fixed Board fee.