Tennessee RN licensure 2026: $115 fee, 3–5 weeks
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
Tennessee licensure at a glance
| Board of nursing | Tennessee Board of Nursing |
| Endorsement fee | $115 |
| Processing time quoted | 3–5 weeks |
| Renewal cycle | 2 years, due last day of birth month |
| Continuing education | No fixed hours; show 2 competence items (e.g., 10 contact hours, employer evaluation, certification) |
| Fingerprinting | Required for licensure by endorsement (TBI and FBI) |
Apply and check current fees at www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/nursing-board.html.
Tennessee renewal and licensing rows checked 2026-09-26 against publications.tnsosfiles.com, tn.gov (1, 2).
Tennessee RN license renewal: 2 years, due last day of birth month. Continuing education for Tennessee renewal: no fixed hours; show 2 competence items (e.g., 10 contact hours, employer evaluation, certification).
Same in all 51: licensing · renewal · discipline · international · CEUs · defence.
Tennessee required CE topics, and free courses for them
Can Tennessee nurses finish CE for free? Tennessee names no required CE topic for RN or LPN renewal, so any accredited free course counts toward what Tennessee asks for.
Tennessee renewal CE: No fixed hours: two competence items per 2-year renewal (10 contact hours of CE is one option). Topics the Tennessee board names, checked Sep 2026:
- Controlled substance prescribing incl. TN Chronic Pain Guidelines: 2 contact hours · every renewal · APRN. Source
Must address controlled substance prescribing and include the TN Department of Health treatment guidelines on opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and carisoprodol
Courses for Tennessee nurses: Know More/No More: Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines and controlled substance prescribing (2-hour prescriber course) (2 h, free, account needed)
Every free course, with filters: free CEUs for Tennessee nurses.
Compact status: Compact state
Tennessee issues multistate licenses. With Tennessee 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 Tennessee
Endorsing into Tennessee runs through the Tennessee Board of Nursing at $115, quoted at 3–5 weeks, with no second NCLEX. Because Tennessee participates in the compact, a travel nurse holding a multistate license can start an assignment here without a separate application, which is why Tennessee contracts often list short lead times.
Advanced practice in Tennessee
Whether an NP may prescribe independently in Tennessee is set by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and moves by legislative session. Check it before accepting an APRN role there.
Practice environment
Staffing ratios: Tennessee 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.
HCA Healthcare's home base; right-to-work, no state income tax, restrictive NP scope of practice produces lowest NP wages in country.
Common questions
Does Tennessee accept a compact nursing license?
Yes — Tennessee is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers practice here with no Tennessee application.
Endorsing a license into Tennessee: cost and wait?
$115 to the Tennessee Board of Nursing, which quotes 3–5 weeks. Nursys verifies electronically.
Who regulates Tennessee nursing?
The Tennessee Board of Nursing, at www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/nursing-board.html.
Licensure in states bordering Tennessee
Kentucky · Virginia · North Carolina · Georgia · Alabama · Mississippi.
Related Tennessee guides
Tennessee RN salary data · travel nursing in Tennessee · compact license map · national licensing guide.