Missouri RN licensure 2026: $55 fee, 3–4 weeks
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
Missouri licensure at a glance
| Board of nursing | Missouri State Board of Nursing |
| Endorsement fee | $55 |
| Processing time quoted | 3–4 weeks |
| Renewal cycle | 2 years, expiring April 30 of odd-numbered years |
| Fingerprinting | Required for licensure by endorsement |
Apply and check current fees at pr.mo.gov/nursing.asp.
Missouri renewal and licensing rows checked 2026-09-26 against pr.mo.gov, s1.sos.mo.gov.
Missouri RN license renewal: 2 years, expiring April 30 of odd-numbered years. The Missouri State Board of Nursing publishes Missouri's continuing education rules.
Same in all 51: licensing · renewal · discipline · international · CEUs · defence.
Missouri required CE topics, and free courses for them
Missouri names no specific CE topic for RN renewal that we could confirm from the board. Missouri renewal CE: No CE required for RN or LPN renewal; certified APRNs maintain national certification (uncertified APRNs licensed before 2010: 60 contact hours per 2 years). Any accredited course in the free CEU directory counts.
Compact status: Compact state
Missouri issues multistate licenses. With Missouri as your primary state of residence, one license covers every other NLC state; it follows your residence, not your job. Compact map.
Getting licensed in Missouri
Endorsing into Missouri runs through the Missouri State Board of Nursing at $55, quoted at 3–4 weeks, with no second NCLEX. Because Missouri participates in the compact, a travel nurse holding a multistate license can start an assignment here without a separate application, which is why Missouri contracts often list short lead times.
Advanced practice in Missouri
Whether an NP may prescribe independently in Missouri is set by the Missouri State Board of Nursing and moves by legislative session. Check it before accepting an APRN role there.
Practice environment
Staffing ratios: Missouri has no statutory nurse-to-patient ratio law. Staffing is governed by hospital policy and, where one exists, the collective bargaining agreement — so safe-staffing concerns are raised through the facility's chain of command and its staffing committee rather than through a state standard.
BJC HealthCare and SSM Health dominate St. Louis/Kansas City hiring; Missouri requires NP collaborative-practice agreements.
Common questions
Does Missouri accept a compact nursing license?
Yes — Missouri is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers practice here with no Missouri application.
Endorsing a license into Missouri: cost and wait?
$55 to the Missouri State Board of Nursing, which quotes 3–4 weeks. Nursys verifies electronically.
Who regulates Missouri nursing?
The Missouri State Board of Nursing, at pr.mo.gov/nursing.asp.
Licensure in states bordering Missouri
Iowa · Illinois · Kentucky · Tennessee · Arkansas · Oklahoma.
Related Missouri guides
Missouri RN salary data · travel nursing in Missouri · compact license map · national licensing guide.