West Virginia RN licensure 2026: $100 fee, 3–5 weeks
Last reviewed: by Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN
West Virginia licensure at a glance
| Board of nursing | West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses |
| Endorsement fee | $100 |
| Processing time quoted | 3–5 weeks |
| Renewal cycle | 2 years, expiring June 30 of even years |
| Continuing education | 12 contact hours per renewal period |
| Fingerprinting | Required for licensure by endorsement |
Apply and check current fees at wvrnboard.wv.gov.
West Virginia renewal and licensing rows checked 2026-09-26 against wvrnboard.wv.gov (1, 2, 3).
West Virginia RN license renewal: 2 years, expiring June 30 of even years. Continuing education for West Virginia renewal: 12 contact hours per renewal period.
Same in all 51: licensing · renewal · discipline · international · CEUs · defence.
West Virginia required CE topics, and free courses for them
Can West Virginia nurses finish CE for free? Not for the required topics: none of the 1 topics West Virginia names for RN or LPN renewal had a free course we could verify (Drug diversion, best-practice prescribing and opioid antagonist training), so those hours usually come from a paid, board-accepted provider.
West Virginia renewal CE: 12 contact hours per renewal cycle from a Board-approved provider (RN); APRN 24 contact hours every 2 years. Topics the West Virginia board names, checked Sep 2026:
- Drug diversion, best-practice prescribing and opioid antagonist training: 3 contact hours · one-time, within 1 year of initial licensure · RN/APRN. Source
Board-approved provider
No free course found for West Virginia's version of this yet. - Pharmacotherapeutics (APRN): 12 contact hours · every 2-year APRN renewal · APRN. Source
Board-approved provider
No free course found for West Virginia's version of this yet. - Clinical management (APRN): 12 contact hours · every 2-year APRN renewal · APRN. Source
Board-approved provider
No free course found for West Virginia's version of this yet.
Every free course, with filters: free CEUs for West Virginia nurses.
Compact status: Compact state
West Virginia issues multistate licenses. With West Virginia 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 West Virginia
Endorsing into West Virginia runs through the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses at $100, quoted at 3–5 weeks, with no second NCLEX. Because West Virginia participates in the compact, a travel nurse holding a multistate license can start an assignment here without a separate application, which is why West Virginia contracts often list short lead times.
Advanced practice in West Virginia
Whether an NP may prescribe independently in West Virginia is set by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses and moves by legislative session. Check it before accepting an APRN role there.
Practice environment
Staffing ratios: West Virginia 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.
Among the lowest ER and travel wages in the nation. CRNA figure revised down for 2026 — prior $267K was small-sample volatility; true market is closer to $182K.
Common questions
Does West Virginia accept a compact nursing license?
Yes — West Virginia is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another compact state covers practice here with no West Virginia application.
Endorsing a license into West Virginia: cost and wait?
$100 to the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, which quotes 3–5 weeks. Nursys verifies electronically.
Who regulates West Virginia nursing?
The West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, at wvrnboard.wv.gov.
Licensure in states bordering West Virginia
Pennsylvania · Maryland · Virginia · Kentucky · Ohio.
Related West Virginia guides
West Virginia RN salary data · travel nursing in West Virginia · compact license map · national licensing guide.