Become a Nurse in New Mexico – Licensure & Requirements

New Mexico Nursing Salaries

^{According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the statewide New Mexico median annual wages in the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) release. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Albuquerque, NM metropolitan-area median annual wages are shown where BLS separately publishes them for this metropolitan area; BLS does not separately publish Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or Nurse Midwife wage estimates for the Albuquerque metropolitan area, and does not separately publish estimates for the Las Cruces or Santa Fe metropolitan areas for any of these occupations in this release.}

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

Compact State Status

New Mexico is a Nursing Licensure Compact State. According to the New Mexico Board of Nursing, the board began charging a $50 fee for multistate compact licenses as of June 1, 2026. Per the Nurse Licensure Compact, a nurse who changes their primary state of residence to New Mexico must apply for licensure in New Mexico within 60 days of establishing residency.

Prescriptive Authority in New Mexico

According to the New Mexico Board of Nursing, certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists may prescribe controlled substances in schedules II through V.

These APRN-level careers must complete either a minimum of 400 hours of work experience in which prescribing dangerous drugs has occurred within the two years immediately preceding the application, or a 400-hour precepted prescriptive experience within six months, per 16.12.2.13 NMAC (CNP), 16.12.2.14 NMAC (CRNA), and 16.12.2.15 NMAC (CNS).

Certified nurse-midwives also hold prescriptive authority for dangerous drugs and, with Board of Pharmacy and DEA registration, controlled substances in schedules II through V, under 16.11.2.11 NMAC.

Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP) in New Mexico

• Education: Masters Degree in Nursing
• Examination: Varies for Different Certifications
• Certification Required: National Certification as a Nurse Practitioner
• Fees: $100 Application Fee, Certification Examination Fee Varies for Different Certifications
• Additional Information: An active registered nurse license is required for application.
• Renewal: Renewal periods are every two years and require a $110 fee, plus continuing education under New Mexico Board of Nursing requirements.

Current CNP licensure requirements above are published by the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Learn more on how to become a nurse practitioner.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in New Mexico

• Education: Master’s degree in Clinical Nursing Specialty
• Examination: National Certifying Exam in Specialty
• Certification Required: National Certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Fees: $100 Application Fee, Certification Examination Fee Varies for Different Certifications
• Additional Information: An active registered nurse license is required for application.
• Renewal: Renewal periods are every two years and require a $110 fee, plus continuing education under New Mexico Board of Nursing requirements.

Current CNS licensure requirements above are published by the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Learn more on how to become a clinical nurse specialist.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in New Mexico

• Education: Master’s Degree or Higher from a Nurse Anesthetist Program Accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
• Examination: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Exam from the National Board on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA)
• Certification Required: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) from the NBCRNA
• Fees:
  • $100 Application Fee
  • $1,310 National Certification Examination (NCE) Fee
• Additional Information: An active registered nurse license is required for application.
• Renewal: Renewal periods are every two years and require a $110 fee, plus continuing education under New Mexico Board of Nursing requirements. Current national recertification by the NBCRNA is accepted for meeting this CE requirement, except that CRNAs with DEA registration who prescribe controlled substances must still complete five hours of continuing education in non-cancer pain management, per the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Current CRNA state licensure requirements above are published by the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Learn more on how to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Registered Nurse (RN) in New Mexico

• Education: Completion of an Approved Registered Nurse Program
• Examination: NCLEX-RN
• Fees:
  • $150 Licensure by Exam
  • $60 Reexamination
  • $150 Licensure by Endorsement
• Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $150 application fee. Registered nurses who hold an active license in another compact state need not apply for licensure in New Mexico unless they plan to change their permanent residency to New Mexico — in which case, per the Nurse Licensure Compact, they must apply for licensure in New Mexico as their new primary state of residence within 60 days.
• Renewal: RNs must provide proof of 30 hours of continued education within the last two years prior to renewal. Renewal fee is $110.

Current RN licensure, examination and endorsement requirements above are published by the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in New Mexico

• Education: Completion of an Approved Licensed Practical Nurse Program
• Examination: NCLEX-PN
• Fees:
  • $150 Licensure by Exam
  • $60 Reexamination
  • $150 Licensure by Endorsement
• Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $150 application fee. Licensed practical nurses who hold an active license in another compact state need not apply for licensure in New Mexico unless they plan to change their permanent residency to New Mexico — in which case, per the Nurse Licensure Compact, they must apply for licensure in New Mexico as their new primary state of residence within 60 days.
• Renewal: LPNs must provide proof of 30 hours of continued education within the last two years prior to renewal. Renewal fee is $110.

Current LPN licensure, examination and endorsement requirements above are published by the New Mexico Board of Nursing.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

Application, endorsement, and renewal fee figures above reflect the New Mexico Board of Nursing’s published fee schedule, retrieved September 2026, except the CRNA National Certification Examination fee, which is set by NBCRNA and effective January 1, 2026. RN and LPN continuing-education renewal figures reflect the New Mexico Board of Nursing’s continuing-education requirements, retrieved September 2026.