Become a Nurse in Mississippi – Licensure & Requirements

^{Master’s-or-higher credentials per the Mississippi Board of Nursing.}

Mississippi Nursing Salaries

^{Careers as a nurse salaries above were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Mississippi in May 2025.}

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

Compact State Status

Mississippi is a Nursing Licensure Compact state, per the Nurse Licensure Compact Commission.

About the Mississippi Board of Nursing

The Mississippi Board of Nursing is the state’s consumer protection agency responsible for regulating the practice of nursing through licensure, as provided under the Mississippi State Code. The Board’s office is located at 713 Pear Orchard Road, Plaza II, Suite 300, Ridgeland, MS 39157, and can be reached at 601-957-6300. You can verify an active Mississippi nursing license directly through the Board’s licensee lookup.

Prescriptive Authority in Mississippi

According to the Mississippi Board of Nursing, nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives who meet the Board’s controlled-substance education criteria may apply for prescriptive authority for Schedule II-V controlled substances in collaboration with a physician; CRNAs do not have prescriptive authority in Mississippi. Application requires a $100 fee. An initial APRN applicant without at least one year of prior APRN practice in another jurisdiction must complete monitored practice — 2,000 hours with less than one year of RN experience, or 1,000 hours with one year or more — with evidence submitted to the Board within 30 days. Qualifying accredited-program clinical hours, or at least one year of active APRN practice elsewhere, may satisfy this requirement instead.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Mississippi

APRNs in Mississippi include certified nurse-midwife (CNM), certified nurse practitioner (CNP), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), per the Mississippi Board of Nursing.

Education: Master’s Degree or Higher in Nursing Specialty Area

Examination: Varies for Different Certifications

Certification Required: National certification as a Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, or Nurse Midwife from a Board-Approved Certification Organization

Fees:

• $100 Application Fee
• $75 Criminal Background Check Fee
• Certification Examination Fee (Varies for Different Certifications)

Experience: Applicants must provide information related to any relevant employment or supervised clinical practice.

Additional Information: A Current Mississippi RN License or an Active, Unrestricted Multistate Compact RN License Is Required

Renewal: Renewal is required on even-numbered years, September through December, and requires payment of a $100 renewal fee, maintaining current national APRN certification, and five continuing-education hours on controlled substances per certification period (waived for the first renewal for APRNs who graduated within the prior two years).

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

Registered Nurse (RN) in Mississippi

Education: Completion of an Approved Registered Nurse Program, per the Mississippi Board of Nursing

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $100 Application Fee
• $75 Criminal Background Check Fee
• $200 Examination Fee

Endorsement: Individuals with a current, active RN license from another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $100 fee; anyone who hasn’t practiced nursing for pay in the preceding five years must also show continuing-competency evidence. RNs holding a valid multistate Nursing Licensure Compact license need not obtain a Mississippi license, unless Mississippi is becoming their new primary state of residence, in which case Mississippi licensure applies.

Renewal: Renewal is required every even year, September through December, per the Mississippi Board of Nursing. Requirements for renewal are payment of a $100 renewal fee.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Mississippi

Education: Completion of an Approved Licensed Practical Nurse Program, per the Mississippi Board of Nursing

Examination: NCLEX-PN

Fees:

• $60 Application Fee
• $75 Criminal Background Check Fee
• $200 Examination Fee

Endorsement: Individuals with a current, active LPN license from another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $60 fee; anyone who hasn’t practiced nursing for pay in the preceding five years must also show continuing-competency evidence. LPNs holding a valid multistate Nursing Licensure Compact license need not obtain a Mississippi license, unless Mississippi is becoming their new primary state of residence, in which case Mississippi licensure applies.

Renewal: Renewal is required every odd year, September through December, and requires payment of a $60 renewal fee. An LPN’s Expanded Role certification (IV Therapy and/or Hemodialysis), where held, expires with the LPN license and renews alongside it, per the Mississippi Board of Nursing.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

Information on the above nursing careers in Mississippi was retrieved from the Mississippi Board of Nursing, as of September 2026.