Become a Nurse in Virginia – Licensure & Requirements

Graduate-degree requirements for Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Certified Nurse-Midwives are set by 18VAC90-30-80; Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Certified Nurse Aides do not require a graduate degree, per the Board's RN, LPN, and CNA application pages.

Virginia Nursing Salaries

^{Careers as a nurse salaries above were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for Virginia, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, Richmond, VA, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, retrieved September 2026. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate nurse midwife wage estimate for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk or Richmond metro areas.}

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

Compact State Status

Virginia is a Nursing Licensure Compact state. The Virginia Board of Nursing confirms Virginia implemented the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact on January 19, 2018, allowing nurses with a Virginia multistate license to practice in other compact states without obtaining an additional license, provided they practice according to the laws of the state where care is delivered. Virginia's membership in the interstate Compact is also confirmed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Prescriptive Authority in Virginia

In Virginia, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with prescriptive authority may prescribe Schedule II through VI controlled substances within their role's supported scope. Qualifying autonomous nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives may prescribe without a practice agreement, while clinical nurse specialists require a consultation agreement for prescriptive authority, except for Schedule VI. Certified registered nurse anesthetists' Schedule II–VI authority is limited to periprocedural anesthesia care and, per the Board's APRN application guidance, is granted by operation of law rather than a separate prescriptive-authority application.

To apply for prescriptive authority, an APRN must hold a current, unrestricted Virginia APRN license; complete one qualifying education, certification, or practice pathway in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics; and submit the application and fee. APRNs who hold prescriptive authority must also complete eight hours of continuing education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics every renewal biennium, in addition to their standard renewal requirements.

Nurse Practitioner in Virginia

Education: Graduate degree program in nursing designed to prepare nurse practitioners, per 18VAC90-30-80.

Examination: Varies according to specialty area, but must be nationally recognized and accepted by the board.

Certification Required: Varies according to specialty area, but must include Registered Nurse license. Accepted certifying agencies are listed under 18VAC90-30-90.

Fees: $125 Application; $80 Renewal (plus $25 if filed late), due biennially

Endorsement: Nurse practitioners may apply for licensure by endorsement in Virginia with the following: verification of licensure in another state, evidence of a professional certification within the specialty area, submission of application and fee, and transcripts with core coursework, per 18VAC90-30-85.

Renewal: Nurse practitioner licenses in Virginia expire biennially. Under 18VAC90-30-105, an advanced practice registered nurse initially licensed on or after May 8, 2002 must submit proof of current professional certification in the area of specialty; an APRN licensed before that date may instead complete 40 hours of continuing education in the specialty area.

Learn more on how to become a nurse practitioner.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Virginia

Education: Graduate-level clinical nurse specialist program, per 18VAC90-30-80.

Examination: Varies according to specialty area

Certification Required: National Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification and valid license to practice professional nursing. Accepted certifying agencies are listed under 18VAC90-30-90.

Fees: $125 Application; $80 Renewal (plus $25 if filed late), due biennially

Renewal: Clinical Nurse Specialist licenses in Virginia expire biennially. Under 18VAC90-30-105, an advanced practice registered nurse initially licensed on or after May 8, 2002 must submit proof of current professional certification in the area of specialty; a CNS licensed before that date, or registered by the Board with a retired certification, may instead complete 40 hours of continuing education in the specialty area.

Learn more on how to become a clinical nurse specialist.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in Virginia

Education: Graduate degree program in nursing designed to prepare Nurse Anesthetists, per 18VAC90-30-80.

Examination: Examination from the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

Certification Required: Certification from the NBCRNA and current Registered Nurse license. Accepted certifying agencies are listed under 18VAC90-30-90.

Fees: $125 Application Fee; $80 Renewal (plus $25 if filed late), due biennially

Renewal: Certified registered nurse anesthetist licenses in Virginia expire biennially. Under 18VAC90-30-105, an advanced practice registered nurse initially licensed on or after May 8, 2002 must submit proof of current professional certification in the area of specialty; an APRN licensed before that date may instead complete 40 hours of continuing education in the specialty area.

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

Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) in Virginia

Education: Graduate degree program in nursing designed to prepare Nurse Midwives, per 18VAC90-30-80.

Examination: Examination by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)

Certification Required: Certification from the AMCB and current Registered Nurse license. Accepted certifying agencies are listed under 18VAC90-30-90.

Fees: $125 Application Fee; $80 Renewal (plus $25 if filed late), due biennially

Renewal: Certified Nurse-Midwife licenses in Virginia expire biennially. Under 18VAC90-30-105, an advanced practice registered nurse initially licensed on or after May 8, 2002 must submit proof of current professional certification in the area of specialty; an APRN licensed before that date may instead complete 40 hours of continuing education in the specialty area.

Learn more on how to become a certified nurse-midwife.

Registered Nurse (RN) in Virginia

At a glance, becoming an RN in Virginia means completing an approved nursing education program, passing the NCLEX-RN, completing a fingerprint-based criminal background check, and submitting a licensure application to the Virginia Board of Nursing.

Education: Approved professional nursing education program, per the Virginia Board of Nursing RN application page.

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $190 Application
• $200 Examination, per the NCLEX Fees & Payment schedule
• $140 Renewal (plus $50 if filed late), due biennially

Endorsement: Registered nurses previously licensed by examination in another U.S. jurisdiction may apply for licensure by endorsement in Virginia. Typical requirements include verification of the original-state license, a completed application and fee, a fingerprint-based criminal background check, and proof of primary residence in Virginia; additional documentation may apply depending on the applicant's education and licensure history. See the Virginia Board of Nursing RN application page above for complete pathway-specific requirements.

Renewal: Registered nurse licenses in Virginia expire biennially, on even-numbered years for those born in even-numbered years and odd-numbered years for those born in an odd-numbered year, per 18VAC90-19-150. Renewal requires either 30 contact hours of continuing education relevant to nursing practice, or 15 contact hours plus 640 hours of active practice, each biennium; several other qualifying pathways (such as current specialty certification or applicable academic credit) are also accepted. Under 18VAC90-19-160, the first renewal following initial licensure by examination or endorsement is exempt from these continuing-competency requirements.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Virginia

Education: Approved practical nursing education program, per the Virginia Board of Nursing LPN application page.

Examination: NCLEX-PN, plus a fingerprint-based criminal background check.

Fees: $170 Application; $120 Renewal (plus $40 if filed late), due biennially

Renewal: Licensed practical nurse licenses in Virginia expire biennially. Renewal requires either 30 contact hours of continuing education relevant to nursing practice, or 15 contact hours plus 640 hours of active practice, each biennium; several other qualifying pathways (such as current specialty certification or applicable academic credit) are also accepted. Under 18VAC90-19-160, the first renewal following initial licensure by examination or endorsement is exempt from these continuing-competency requirements.

Information Disclosure:

Fee, renewal and continuing-education details above reflect the Virginia Board of Nursing's current fee schedule and RN/LPN continued-competency requirements, 18VAC90-30-105 governing APRN specialty-certification renewal, and the Virginia Board of Nursing Regulations, retrieved September 2026.