Reviewed September 3, 2026
Nurse Practitioner License Verification by State
Use direct links to official state boards of nursing and board-authorized portals to verify Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) licenses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
How to verify an NP or APRN license
- Select every state where the nurse practitioner currently practices or will provide care, including telehealth.
- Search the official board portal using the clinician's legal name or license number.
- Confirm the credential type, current status, expiration date, population focus, and any restrictions or public discipline.
- Save the primary-source verification according to your organization's credentialing policy.
Nursys and state board verification
Nursys, operated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, can verify nursing licenses from participating boards. Not every state supplies complete APRN data, so use the state board link in this directory whenever an NP or APRN credential is missing or incomplete.
What license verification does not replace
An active state license is only one part of credentialing. Employers may also need to verify national board certification, prescriptive authority, DEA registration, sanctions and exclusions, education, clinical privileges, malpractice history, and payer enrollment.
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a nurse practitioner's license?
Search the nurse practitioner's legal name or license number in the official state board of nursing portal for every state where the clinician will practice. Confirm the license status, APRN or NP credential type, expiration date, and any public discipline or restrictions. Nursys can supplement the search for participating boards, but the state board remains the primary source when APRN data is not available through Nursys.
Is NP licensing handled by the same board as RN licensing?
In most states, the board of nursing regulates both RN and NP or APRN credentials, often through the same lookup portal. The credential name and process vary by state, and some jurisdictions require separate RN and advanced-practice credentials.
What should an employer confirm during NP license verification?
Confirm the clinician's legal name, license number, current status, APRN or NP role and population focus, expiration date, practice-state eligibility, and any restrictions or disciplinary history. Prescriptive authority, DEA registration, board certification, sanctions, and employer credentialing should be verified separately when relevant.
Can Nursys verify every nurse practitioner license?
No. Nursys includes license data from participating boards, but not every state supplies complete APRN information. If the APRN credential or subtype is missing, use the official state board portal listed in this directory.
Is the APRN Compact operational?
No. As of September 3, 2026, the APRN Compact had not reached the seven-state threshold required for implementation. Nurse practitioners should verify each state's current licensing requirements rather than assume a multistate APRN privilege is available.