Texas RN licensure 2026: $186 fee, 3–6 weeks
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
Texas licensure at a glance
| Board of nursing | Texas Board of Nursing |
| Endorsement fee | $186 |
| Processing time quoted | 3–6 weeks |
| Renewal cycle | 2 years |
| Continuing education | 20 contact hours or national certification per 2 years, plus targeted CE (e.g., human trafficking) |
| Fingerprinting | Required for licensure by endorsement (DPS and FBI) |
| Jurisprudence exam | Required (board-approved nursing jurisprudence exam) |
Apply and check current fees at www.bon.texas.gov.
Texas renewal and licensing rows checked 2026-09-26 against tcss.legis.texas.gov, sos.state.tx.us.
Texas RN license renewal: 2 years. Continuing education for Texas renewal: 20 contact hours or national certification per 2 years, plus targeted CE (e.g., human trafficking).
Same in all 51: licensing · renewal · discipline · international · CEUs · defence.
Texas required CE topics, and free courses for them
Can Texas nurses finish CE for free? Partly: 1 of the 4 required topics Texas names for RN or LPN renewal have a free course; Nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics; Older adult or geriatric care (nurses whose practice includes older adults); Forensic evidence collection (nurses employed in an emergency room) did not.
Texas renewal CE: 20 contact hours of CNE, or a Board-approved national nursing certification, per 2-year licensing period (plus targeted CE). Topics the Texas board names, checked Sep 2026:
- Nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics: 2 contact hours · every third 2-year licensing period · RN/LPN/APRN. Source
CNE from a Board-recognized provider; certification and CME may not be used
No free course found for Texas's version of this yet. - Human trafficking prevention: each license renewal (applies to renewals on or after Sept 1, 2020) · RN/LPN/APRN. Source
Must be a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Courses for Texas nurses: HEART Training (2027) (1.5 h, completely free) - Older adult or geriatric care (nurses whose practice includes older adults): 2 contact hours · every licensing period · RN/LPN/APRN. Source
CNE, or a Board-approved certification in older adult/geriatric care
No free course found for Texas's version of this yet. - Forensic evidence collection (nurses employed in an emergency room): 2 contact hours · one-time, within 2 years of starting ER employment · RN/LPN/APRN. Source
CNE meeting 216.3(d); Board-approved forensic certification also accepted
No free course found for Texas's version of this yet. - Pharmacotherapeutics (APRNs with prescriptive authority): 5 contact hours · every licensing period, in addition to the 20 APRN hours · APRN. Source
No free course found for Texas's version of this yet. - Safe pain management and opioid prescribing (APRNs whose prescriptive authority agreement covers opioids): 2 contact hours · annually · APRN. Source
No free course found for Texas's version of this yet. - Prescribing and monitoring controlled substances / PMP (APRNs authorized to access the PMP): 2 contact hours · one-time · APRN. Source
No free course found for Texas's version of this yet.
Every free course, with filters: free CEUs for Texas nurses.
Compact status: Compact state
Texas issues multistate licenses. With Texas as your primary state of residence, one license covers every other NLC state; it follows your residence, not your job. Compact map.
For Texas License Holders: Your Compact Privileges
If Texas is your primary state of residence and you hold an active Texas RN license, you automatically hold a multistate compact license. You can practice in any of the 40+ NLC member states — Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and dozens more — without filing a separate endorsement application for each state. Texas participated in the original NLC before 2018 and transitioned seamlessly to the enhanced eNLC at its January 2018 launch. Your license card and Nursys record will show "Multistate" under your privileges. Verify this at nursys.com before taking any out-of-state contract — occasionally an address change or temporary lapse triggers a downgrade to single-state status that requires a quick BON fix. The compact privilege travels with your primary residence designation, so if you move out of Texas, you'll need to transfer your primary license to your new state.
For Travel Nurses Coming to Texas: What Your Compact License Covers
If you hold a compact license from any NLC member state, it is valid in Texas immediately upon accepting a contract. There is no Texas Board of Nursing application, no $186 fee, and no processing wait. This matters enormously for travel nursing contract timing. Texas Medical Center in Houston — the largest medical complex in the world by floor space, with over 60 institutions and more than 10,000 licensed beds — runs high-volume, fast-turn contracts that recruiters fill aggressively. When a recruiter says "we need someone in two weeks," a compact license from any member state means yes is the answer. Dallas/Fort Worth has 50+ hospital campuses competing for nursing staff year-round. San Antonio and Austin are growing faster than their nursing training pipelines can fill. Verify your compact status before accepting any Texas assignment: log into your home state BON portal or check nursys.com and confirm your license shows "Multistate" under privileges. If it shows "Single State," call your home BON before the contract starts — this is fixable, but not overnight.
Texas Endorsement: Non-Compact State Nurses
If your primary state of residence is California, Illinois, Oregon, New York, Alaska, Hawaii, or another non-compact state, you must obtain a standalone Texas RN license before practicing in Texas. The Texas Board of Nursing endorsement process: create an account at bon.texas.gov, submit the online endorsement application ($186 fee), complete a criminal background check (fingerprinting, approximately $50 additional), have your home state BON submit verification through Nursys, and wait 3–6 weeks for processing. Online applications are significantly faster than paper submissions. Submit all documents simultaneously — incomplete applications sit in queue without processing. Use Nursys e-Notify to request electronic license verification from your home state (faster and more reliable than paper verification from non-compact states). Budget $240–$250 total including the background check. The BON can be reached at (512) 305-7400 for status inquiries, but wait at least 30 days before calling — earlier inquiries are typically redirected to the online portal.
Travel Nursing in Texas: Key Markets
Texas consistently ranks among the top three states for travel nursing assignment volume. The math is straightforward: 30 million residents, one of the world's leading medical research hubs, no state income tax, and sustained population growth outpacing the nursing pipeline. Houston's Texas Medical Center alone employs over 106,000 healthcare workers across MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann, HCA Houston Healthcare, Houston Methodist, UTHealth Houston, and CHI St. Luke's Health. ICU, oncology, transplant, and cardiovascular specialty rates in Houston are among the highest in the state. Dallas/Fort Worth anchors Baylor Scott & White (the largest non-profit health system in Texas), UT Southwestern Medical Center, Methodist Health System, Texas Health Resources, and HCA North Texas — with OR, ED, and L&D contracts typically running $2,200–$3,000/week total compensation. San Antonio offers UT Health San Antonio, Baptist Health System, and University Hospital (a Level I trauma center), with travel rates running 10–15% below Houston/DFW but cost of living 15–20% lower. Austin's fastest-in-state population growth drives St. David's Healthcare, Ascension Seton, and the expanding Baylor Scott & White Austin campuses. No state income tax is the financial factor that travels nurses consistently underweight: a $2,500/week Texas contract frequently outpays a $2,700/week California contract on net after state income tax is factored in. Model the after-tax numbers before defaulting to California rates.
In my 10 years of multi-state travel nursing, Texas contracts were consistently my highest-demand and among my best-paying assignments. The compact status is the practical reason — you commit to a contract and start in one to two weeks instead of waiting four to six weeks for a license to clear. The no-income-tax advantage is easy to ignore until you run the actual numbers. I've seen nurses turn down $2,600/week Texas contracts for $2,750/week California contracts and end up with less in their account. Run the math. — Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
Getting licensed in Texas
Endorsing into Texas runs through the Texas Board of Nursing at $186, quoted at 3–6 weeks, with no second NCLEX. Because Texas participates in the compact, a travel nurse holding a multistate license can start an assignment here without a separate application, which is why Texas contracts often list short lead times.
Advanced practice in Texas
Whether an NP may prescribe independently in Texas is set by the Texas Board of Nursing and moves by legislative session. Check it before accepting an APRN role there.
Practice environment
Staffing ratios: Texas 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.
Persistent and widening 12.6% RN shortage projected to reach 14.3% by 2030; no state income tax; Texas Medical Center concentration makes Houston a top APRN market.
Common questions
Does Texas accept a compact nursing license?
Yes — Texas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers practice here with no Texas application.
Endorsing a license into Texas: cost and wait?
$186 to the Texas Board of Nursing, which quotes 3–6 weeks. Nursys verifies electronically.
Who regulates Texas nursing?
The Texas Board of Nursing, at www.bon.texas.gov.
I just moved to Texas from another compact state. Do I need to update my license?
Yes. You must notify your previous home state BON of your address change and apply for a Texas RN license. Once Texas processes your license, your compact privileges attach to the Texas license. Until then, your old-state compact license remains valid — but Texas employers may ask for documentation of the pending transfer if your address doesn't match your license state.
Can I take a Texas contract while living in California and using my California license?
No. California is not an NLC compact state. California nurses must obtain a standalone Texas endorsement ($186, 3–6 weeks) before practicing in Texas. If you're planning a Texas contract, start the endorsement application the moment you know you're interested — don't wait until you have a firm offer.
Licensure in states bordering Texas
New Mexico · Oklahoma · Arkansas · Louisiana.
Related Texas guides
Texas RN salary data · travel nursing in Texas · compact license map · national licensing guide.