Become a Nurse in Texas – Licensure & Requirements

Texas Nursing Salaries

^{Annual mean wage figures above — statewide and metro-area — were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – May 2025 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Texas.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Texas. The one you take will mostly depend on the type of nurse you’d like to become and your current or prospective level of education. The more education, the more opportunities you’ll have to choose where and how you pursue your career in nursing.

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

Compact State Status

Yes, Texas is a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) state, implemented effective January 19, 2018. Texas's compact implementation date is confirmed on the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators' implementation map.

Prescriptive Authority in Texas

In Texas, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Nurse Midwives and Nurse Anesthetists may hold prescriptive authority for Schedule III–V controlled substances through a physician-delegated prescriptive authority agreement, per the Texas Board of Nursing. Schedule II authority is more limited, available only in specified hospital facility-based and hospice settings, per the Texas Medical Board.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Texas

Education: Accredited advanced practice registered nursing education program

Examination: There is no separate Texas APRN licensure examination. Applicants must pass the national certification examination matching their APRN role and population focus area.

Certification Required: Current national certification in the applicable APRN role and population focus area is required under Texas Board of Nursing Rule 221, subject to limited legacy/waiver exceptions.

Fees:

• $100 Application Fee
• $150 Application plus Prescriptive Authority

Additional Information: An active Texas RN license or qualifying compact RN privilege is required for application, separate from national certification.

These examination, certification and application requirements are detailed on the Texas Board of Nursing's APRN Practice FAQ.

Renewal: Advanced Practice Nurse licenses in Texas expire biennially. Renewal requires maintaining a valid RN privilege, current national certification in the applicable role and population focus area (where required), and — except for an APRN's first renewal, when this requirement is waived — 400 hours of practice in that role and population focus area within the preceding 24 months.

This renewal framework is set out in the Texas Board of Nursing's APRN Renewal Information.

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

Registered Nurse (RN) in Texas

Education: Approved registered nurse program

Examination: NCLEX-RN and Jurisprudence Examination

Fees:

• $75 Application Fee (includes Nursing Jurisprudence Examination fee)
• $200 NCLEX Registration Fee (increases to $350 effective February 1, 2027)
• $150 Licensure by Endorsement (includes Nursing Jurisprudence Examination fee)

These fee amounts are listed on the Texas Board of Nursing's Schedule of Fees and the NCLEX Fees & Payment page.

Endorsement: RNs can apply for licensure by endorsement in Texas after submitting all required materials related to current licensure, examination, approved nursing education and passing a jurisprudence exam, as detailed on the Texas Board of Nursing's Licensure – Endorsement page. Ordinary endorsement eligibility requires that the applicant have worked in nursing or taken the NCLEX within the four years preceding the application; nurses outside that window may face additional re-entry requirements such as a refresher course, extensive orientation, or a nursing program of study, per Texas Board of Nursing Rule 217.5.

Renewal: Registered Nurse licenses in Texas expire biennially. Renewal requires either 20 contact hours of continuing nursing education in the nurse's area of practice or current Board-approved national certification, plus any applicable targeted continuing-education requirements. First-time renewers are exempt from most continuing-competency requirements, though applicable targeted requirements can still apply.

These renewal requirements are detailed on the Texas Board of Nursing's Continuing Nursing Education & Competency page.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

How to Get a Registered Nurse (RN) License in Texas

1. Complete an approved registered nurse education program.
2. Submit a licensure application to the Texas Board of Nursing, along with the required fees.
3. Register for and pass the NCLEX-RN examination and the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Examination.
4. If you already hold an RN license in another state and have worked in nursing or taken the NCLEX within the past four years, you may apply for licensure by endorsement instead of examination; otherwise, additional re-entry requirements may apply.

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in Texas

Education: Approved licensed vocational nurse program

Examination: NCLEX-PN and Jurisprudence Examination

Fees:

• $75 Application Fee (includes Nursing Jurisprudence Examination fee)
• $200 NCLEX Registration Fee (increases to $350 effective February 1, 2027)
• $150 Licensure by Endorsement (includes Nursing Jurisprudence Examination fee)

These fee amounts are listed on the Texas Board of Nursing's Schedule of Fees and the NCLEX Fees & Payment page.

Endorsement: LVNs can apply for licensure by endorsement in Texas after submitting all required materials related to current licensure, examination, approved nursing education and passing a jurisprudence exam, as detailed on the Texas Board of Nursing's Licensure – Endorsement page. Ordinary endorsement eligibility requires that the applicant have worked in nursing or taken the NCLEX within the four years preceding the application; nurses outside that window may face additional re-entry requirements such as a refresher course, extensive orientation, or a nursing program of study, per Texas Board of Nursing Rule 217.5.

Renewal: Licensed Vocational Nurse licenses in Texas expire biennially. Renewal requires either 20 contact hours of continuing nursing education in the nurse's area of practice or current Board-approved national certification, plus any applicable targeted continuing-education requirements. First-time renewers are exempt from most continuing-competency requirements, though applicable targeted requirements can still apply.

These renewal requirements are detailed on the Texas Board of Nursing's Continuing Nursing Education & Competency page.

How to Get a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) License in Texas

1. Complete an approved licensed vocational nurse education program.
2. Submit a licensure application to the Texas Board of Nursing, along with the required fees.
3. Register for and pass the NCLEX-PN examination and the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Examination.
4. If you already hold an LVN/LPN license in another state and have worked in nursing or taken the NCLEX within the past four years, you may apply for licensure by endorsement instead of examination; otherwise, additional re-entry requirements may apply.

Information disclaimer:

^{Information on the above nursing careers in Texas was retrieved from the Texas Board of Nursing in September 2026.}