Become a Nurse in Wisconsin – Licensure & Requirements

^{Credential and education requirements above reflect current Wisconsin Board of Nursing licensure guidance for each role: see the Wisconsin Board of Nursing APRN page for the Certified Nurse-Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner (APRN) roles, and the Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse pages for the RN and LPN rows.}

Wisconsin Nursing Salaries

^{Nurse salaries above were retrieved from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — May 2025 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Wisconsin, with metro-area figures from the May 2025 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Milwaukee-Waukesha, Madison and Green Bay reflect BLS's current (2025) metropolitan-area delineations; some MSA/occupation combinations are not separately published by BLS and are marked “Not Available.” Figures are annual mean wage.}

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

Compact State Status

Wisconsin is a Nursing Licensure Compact state. Wisconsin joined the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) effective December 11, 2017, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing.

Prescriptive Authority in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, an APRN’s prescriptive authority is governed by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing’s current administrative rule, not by the Board’s 2017 best-practices guideline for prescribers. Under the current rule, an APRN license can carry a no-prescribing notation restricting the APRN from issuing prescription orders; where prescriptive authority is granted, authorized orders must stay within the APRN’s certified competence, Schedule I controlled substances are prohibited, specified Schedule II amphetamine and sympathomimetic compounds are subject to enumerated exceptions, and anabolic steroids for nonmedical use are prohibited, per Wisconsin Board of Nursing emergency rule N 8.06 and the current Wisconsin Board of Nursing APRN page.

The Board’s 2017 Best Practices for Prescribing Controlled Substances Guidelines remains available as non-binding best-practice guidance for APRNs already holding prescriptive authority, but it does not establish current legal scope. Wisconsin’s prescriptive-authority and scope-of-practice framework for advanced practice nurses changed materially in 2026 — see the APRN section below.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Wisconsin

Effective September 1, 2026, Wisconsin’s former Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber (APNP) credential was replaced by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license under 2025 Wisconsin Act 17 (the “APRN Modernization Act”), per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing’s APRN transition information.

Nurses holding an active APNP certificate before that date were automatically transitioned to an APRN license. The APRN license requires designation of one of four recognized roles: Nurse Practitioner, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Clinical Nurse Specialist, or Certified Nurse-Midwife.

Eligibility routes: Wisconsin currently recognizes two paths to APRN licensure, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing: (1) an RN or Wisconsin multistate-RN license basis, current national certification in the chosen role, malpractice insurance, and a passing score on the APRN jurisprudence examination; or (2) for qualifying Wisconsin RNs, a master’s or doctoral nursing degree, current national certification, and at least 3,840 board-approved clinical hours in the recognized role.

Education: Master’s or doctoral degree in nursing or a related health field, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing (see Eligibility routes above for the alternate Wisconsin-RN pathway)

Examination: Varies according to prerequisite national certification, but must include the APRN jurisprudence exam (Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Exam), per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing

Certification Required: National certification in specialty, a current Registered Nurse or Wisconsin multistate RN license, and malpractice insurance, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing

Fees: Wisconsin’s current initial APRN application/credential fee is not published with a specific dollar amount by DSPS as of this review; the APRN renewal fee is $73, per the DSPS Renewal Dates and Fees schedule. Contact the Wisconsin Board of Nursing for current application fees.

Prescriptive authority hours: Applicants seeking prescriptive authority must complete at least 45 contact hours in clinical pharmacology or therapeutics within the five years preceding application. This requirement applies specifically to prescriptive authority, not to general APRN licensure, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing.

Renewal: The APRN renewal window opens mid-January 2028 and closes February 29, 2028; renewing an APRN license also renews the underlying RN license, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing. Wisconsin has not published a recurring APRN renewal cycle beyond this window as of this review. Sixteen contact hours in clinical pharmacology or therapeutics, including two hours in responsible prescribing of controlled substances, were required for renewal under the prior APNP credential; confirm current continuing-education requirements for APRN renewal with the Wisconsin Board of Nursing before relying on this figure.

Independent practice: The APRN Modernization Act creates a path to independent (non-collaborative) practice for APRNs who meet defined clinical-hour thresholds, in addition to the default collaborative-practice framework described above. Because the Board’s implementing rules for this pathway remain in emergency-rule status as of this page’s last review, the exact eligibility criteria are not restated here — see the Wisconsin Board of Nursing’s own APRN transition information for the current, authoritative criteria.

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

Registered Nurse (RN) in Wisconsin

Education: Accredited school of nursing approved by the board, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing

Examination: NCLEX-RN, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing

Fees:

• $200 NCLEX-RN examination fee, per the NCSBN/Pearson VUE Candidate Bulletin
• Wisconsin’s current initial RN application/credential fee is not published with a specific dollar amount by DSPS as of this review; the RN renewal fee is $73, per the DSPS Renewal Dates and Fees schedule. Contact the Wisconsin Board of Nursing for current application fees.

Endorsement: RNs may apply for licensure by endorsement by providing proof of licensure in their current state, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing. Wisconsin residency (or a stated intent to move to Wisconsin) is required only for eligibility for a Wisconsin multistate RN license, not for Wisconsin RN licensure generally.

Renewal: Registered Nurse licenses in Wisconsin expire on February 28 or 29 of even-numbered years, with a $73 renewal fee, per the DSPS Renewal Dates and Fees schedule.

Learn more about how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Wisconsin

Education: Completed at least two years of high school or equivalent and diploma from an accredited school for licensed practical nurses approved by the board, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing

Examination: NCLEX-PN, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing

Fees:

• $200 NCLEX-PN examination fee, per the NCSBN/Pearson VUE Candidate Bulletin
• Wisconsin’s current initial LPN application/credential fee is not published with a specific dollar amount by DSPS as of this review; the LPN renewal fee is $73, per the DSPS Renewal Dates and Fees schedule. Contact the Wisconsin Board of Nursing for current application fees.

Endorsement: LPNs may apply for licensure by endorsement by providing proof of licensure in their current state, per the Wisconsin Board of Nursing. Wisconsin residency (or a stated intent to move to Wisconsin) is required only for eligibility for a Wisconsin multistate LPN license, not for Wisconsin LPN licensure generally.

Renewal: Licensed Practical Nurse licenses in Wisconsin expire on April 30 of odd-numbered years, with a $73 renewal fee, per the DSPS Renewal Dates and Fees schedule.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

Licensure information on the above nursing careers in Wisconsin was retrieved from the Wisconsin Board of Nursing and confirmed current as of September 25, 2026.