North Dakota RN licensure 2026: $120 fee, 3–5 weeks
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
North Dakota licensure at a glance
| Board of nursing | North Dakota Board of Nursing |
| Endorsement fee | $120 |
| Processing time quoted | 3–5 weeks |
| Renewal cycle | 2 years, renewing by December 31 of the second year |
| Continuing education | 12 contact hours per 2-year cycle, plus 400 practice hours in 4 years |
| Fingerprinting | Required for licensure by endorsement |
Apply and check current fees at www.ndbon.org.
North Dakota renewal and licensing rows checked 2026-09-26 against ndlegis.gov (1, 2), ndbon.org.
North Dakota RN license renewal: 2 years, renewing by December 31 of the second year. Continuing education for North Dakota renewal: 12 contact hours per 2-year cycle, plus 400 practice hours in 4 years.
Same in all 51: licensing · renewal · discipline · international · CEUs · defence.
North Dakota required CE topics, and free courses for them
Can North Dakota nurses finish CE for free? North Dakota names no required CE topic for RN or LPN renewal, so any accredited free course counts toward what North Dakota asks for.
North Dakota renewal CE: 12 contact hours every 2 years (plus 400 practice hours in 4 years); none before the first renewal after licensure by exam. Topics the North Dakota board names, checked Sep 2026:
- Pharmacotherapy related to scope of practice (prescriptive authority): 15 contact hours · every renewal (every 2 years) · APRN. Source
APRNs with prescriptive authority only
No free course found for North Dakota's version of this yet.
Every free course, with filters: free CEUs for North Dakota nurses.
Compact status: Compact state
North Dakota issues multistate licenses. With North Dakota 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 North Dakota
Endorsing into North Dakota runs through the North Dakota Board of Nursing at $120, quoted at 3–5 weeks, with no second NCLEX. Because North Dakota participates in the compact, a travel nurse holding a multistate license can start an assignment here without a separate application, which is why North Dakota contracts often list short lead times.
Advanced practice in North Dakota
Whether an NP may prescribe independently in North Dakota is set by the North Dakota Board of Nursing and moves by legislative session. Check it before accepting an APRN role there.
Practice environment
Staffing ratios: North Dakota 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.
Bakken oil-region wage premiums; small CRNA cohort produces ICU and travel rates that punch well above baseline RN ranking.
Common questions
Does North Dakota accept a compact nursing license?
Yes — North Dakota is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers practice here with no North Dakota application.
Endorsing a license into North Dakota: cost and wait?
$120 to the North Dakota Board of Nursing, which quotes 3–5 weeks. Nursys verifies electronically.
Who regulates North Dakota nursing?
The North Dakota Board of Nursing, at www.ndbon.org.
Licensure in states bordering North Dakota
Minnesota · South Dakota · Montana · Wyoming.
Related North Dakota guides
North Dakota RN salary data · travel nursing in North Dakota · compact license map · national licensing guide.