Open a jurisdiction to review its dated requirements and official sources. Use the compact tables to compare which states participate.
Nursing licensure · NLC status table · EMS licensure
Does this state recognize my multistate license?
Yes — a qualifying multistate license permits RN/LPN practice here
A valid eligible RN/LPN-VN home-state multistate license is generally sufficient for legal practice in other party states. This is licensure authorization only; state practice laws, individual restrictions, contract/employer eligibility and facility rules remain separate.
A valid eligible RN/LPN-VN home-state multistate license is generally sufficient for legal practice in other party states. This is licensure authorization only; state practice laws, individual restrictions, contract/employer eligibility and facility rules remain separate.
State Board of Nursing · healthy.arkansas.gov · verified 10 Oct 2026
Each answer links to the state rule it comes from. Open “Source quotation” for the exact wording.
Board contacts, official applications and governing rules.
Arkansas State Board of Nursing
Historical official 2017 Act 454 and legislature-hosted 2020 rule markup identify the Arkansas State Board of Nursing; Board web/contact details remain inaccessible.
ARKANSAS STATE BOARD OF NURSING RULES
arkleg.state.ar.us · State administrative code
Current official Arkansas State Board of Nursing landing page.
Observed exact Nurse Portal link target on the Board landing page.
Board contact block; phone and fax are separately bound to their printed labels.
Arkansas State Board of Nursing 1123 S. University Ave. Ste 800 Little Rock, AR 72204 Phone: 501.686.2700 Fax: 501.686.2714
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Arkansas Nurse Practice Act, Subchapter 3 — Licensing.
This authority citation is limited to the current Arkansas Nurse Practice Act licensing subchapter; it does not cite Part 121. The PDF states it is current through the 2025 Regular Session.
License types, exams, expiration dates and multistate eligibility.
RN
LPN
This claim lists the RN/LPN panel scope only. Arkansas also regulates LPTN; the source names it, but this RN/LPN vertical does not represent that track. APRN is not an RN/LPN tier.
Part 121. Licensure: Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, and Licensed Psychiatric Technician Nurse
healthy.arkansas.gov · State administrative code
Yes
Multistate licenses are available to eligible RN/LPN-VN applicants; not every Arkansas license is multistate and APRNs are not issued an NLC license.
The NLC allows for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs) to have one multistate license
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Biennial renewal on the Board’s published staggered birth-date system; the exact expiry convention is unverified. First-license duration conflicts between the renewal page (3–27 months) and RN/LPN initial pages (91 days–2 years).
The ASBN renews licenses on a staggered biennial birth date system.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Yes
The captured Board initial-by-examination pages separately name RN and LPN applicants; endorsement, international RN and equivalency paths are not collapsed into this initial route.
Applicants must complete the application process for both Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) and Pearson to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX®).
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Board summary of statutory eligibility bars; the complete offense list and an individual waiver decision are not supplied in this claim.
If an applicant has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or been found guilty of any offense listed in ACA §17-3-102, he/she is not eligible for Arkansas licensure.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Compact membership, license privileges and application requirements.
13 Mar 2017
Act to update the Interstate Nurse Licensure Compact (HB 1482). Section 2 makes effectiveness contingent (26-state trigger or December 31, 2018).
The current Arkansas Code (current through the 2025 Regular Session) includes the compact as enacted law. The statutory fallback date of December 31, 2018 has passed by the checked date; Do not substitute the Board’s January 19, 2018 implementation date for a statutory effective date.
This Compact shall become effective and binding on the earlier of the date of legislative enactment of this Compact into law by no less than twenty-six (26) states or December 31, 2018.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State statute
19 Jan 2018
The Board calls January 19, 2018 the implementation date, and its current page states Arkansas is a participating state. This is the operational date, distinct from the statutory date.
The official implementation date for the new NLC was January 19, 2018
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Summarized all 11 home-state multistate-license conditions in current Ark. Code Ann. §17-87-601 Article III(c), preserving conditional foreign-education/language requirements and agreed-disposition/discipline nuances. Applies only to eligible RN/LPN-VN multistate applicants; does not assert individual eligibility.
(c) Each party state shall require the following for an applicant to obtain or retain a multistate license in the home state: (1) Meets the home state's qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as, all other applicable state laws; (2) (i) Has graduated or is eligible to graduate from a licensing board-approved RN or LPN/VN prelicensure education program; or (ii) Has graduated from a foreign RN or LPN/VN prelicensure education program that (a) has been approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country and (b) has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a licensing board-approved prelicensure education program; (3) Has, if a graduate of a foreign prelicensure education program not taught in English or if English is not the individual's native language, successfully passed an English proficiency examination that includes the components of reading, speaking, writing and listening; (4) Has successfully passed an NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® Examination or recognized predecessor, as applicable; (5) Is eligible for or holds an active, unencumbered license; (6) Has submitted, in connection with an application for initial licensure or licensure by endorsement, fingerprints or other biometric data for the purposes of obtaining criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state's criminal records; (7) Has not been convicted or found guilty, or has entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony offense under applicable state or federal criminal law; (8) Has not been convicted or found guilty, or has entered into an agreed disposition, of a misdemeanor offense related to the practice of nursing as determined on a case-by-case basis; (9) Is not currently enrolled in an alternative program; (10) Is subject to self-disclosure requirements regarding current participation in an alternative program; and (11) Has a valid United States Social Security number.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State statute
Compact privilege is home-state/PSOR based; a move between party states requires a new home-state application.
“Home state” means the party state which is the nurse's primary state of residence.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State statute
Yes — a qualifying multistate license permits RN/LPN practice here
A valid eligible RN/LPN-VN home-state multistate license is generally sufficient for legal practice in other party states. This is licensure authorization only; state practice laws, individual restrictions, contract/employer eligibility and facility rules remain separate.
Under mutual recognition, a nurse may practice across state lines unless otherwise restricted.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Board identifies Nursys as primary-source-equivalent for participating-state license and discipline verification; it also provides a Board portal for Arkansas license lookup.
The Nursys licensure and disciplinary database is the repository of data provided directly from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and is primary source equivalent.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Eligibility, application fees, background checks and temporary licenses.
Yes
Current Board has distinct RN and LPN endorsement routes; each is for an existing same-type out-of-state license, not initial exam or Arkansas renewal.
This License Application by endorsement is for a nurse who holds a license in another jurisdiction and is applying for licensure in Arkansas jurisdiction for the same license type.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Licensure by endorsement (separate RN and LPN application pages)
Current Board endorsement hub distinguishes RN and LPN endorsement routes.
Observed Nurse Portal application link on the current RN and LPN endorsement pages.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO ARKANSAS NURSE PORTAL TO SUBMIT APPLICATION
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Same-license-type out-of-state licensure
Complete application, required documents and fee
Original-state license verification
Inactive-practice exception over five years
State and federal criminal background checks
Compact primary-state limitation
Structured RN/LPN requirements are bound to their current Board endorsement pages and current Rule Part 121. Internationally educated RN endorsement is a separate pathway; the summary does not cover it.
This License Application by endorsement is for a nurse who holds a license in another jurisdiction and is applying for licensure in Arkansas jurisdiction for the same license type.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
RN endorsement application fee
LPN endorsement application fee
Optional temporary permit
State and federal background-check fees, applicant-paid
Current Board fee table columns list RN, APRN, RNP, LPN; RN and LPN endorsement applications are $125 each. Fees are nonrefundable. Optional temporary permit is a separate $30 fee; state/FBI check charges are applicant-paid but amount is not published in this table.
License/Cert By Endorsement $125.00 — — $125.00
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Both checks are required; background fees are applicant-paid and their amount remains unknown. Out-of-state fingerprint process is included exactly as Board-published.
A state and federal criminal background check is required for all applicants for Arkansas licensure.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
The RN and LPN endorsement pages each describe a one-time permit. Current Part 121 supplies the discretionary issuance condition and six-month nonrenewable maximum. This claim is endorsement-only; examination permit timing and triggers remain separate.
Source context The Board’s LPN endorsement page independently describes this as a one-time temporary permit.
A one-time temporary permit may be issued to a qualified applicant who holds an unencumbered active license from another jurisdiction.
Source context Current Part 121 § 121-601 covers endorsement and examination applicants; the permit is discretionary, nonrenewable, and capped at six months, subject to all other qualifications.
17 CAR § 121-601. Endorsement and examination applicants. (a)(1) The Arkansas State Board of Nursing shall be authorized to issue a nonrenewable temporary permit for a period not exceeding six (6) months. (2) This temporary permit shall be issued only to those applicants who meet all other qualifications for licensure by the board.
Source context The Board fee table column headings identify RN and LPN fee columns.
Source context The Board fee table lists a $30 temporary permit fee for both RN and LPN.
A one-time temporary permit may be issued to a qualified applicant who holds an unencumbered active license from another jurisdiction.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Original-state verification is mandatory, but Nursys is conditional on the original jurisdiction participating; otherwise the ASBN verification form is the route. The verification fee is unknown.
If you were originally licensed in one of the states listed on the NURSYS website, www.nursys.com, you must obtain verification via submitting a verification request online through NURSYS.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Renewal dates, required education and reinstatement options.
2
Current Part 121 rule says renew biennially; Board describes staggered birth-date schedule.
Each person licensed under the provisions of the Nurse Practice Act shall renew biennially.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State administrative code
RN
LPN
Fifteen contact hours are one of three renewal options. Inactive licenses and qualifying first renewals have separate exceptions.
Source context Inactive-status licenses have no continuing-education requirement.
Nurses who have their license placed on inactive status have no requirements for continuing education.
Source context The first-renewal exception applies when the initial license is valid for less than two years; the RN initial page states first license duration as 91 days to 2 years.
If an initial license is valid for less than two years, you will not be required to meet the continuing education requirements for your first renewal.
Source context The LPN initial page states the same first-renewal exception and duration range. The broader first-license-duration conflict recorded elsewhere remains unresolved.
If an initial license is valid for less than two years, you will not be required to meet the continuing education requirements for your first renewal.
Document completion of one (1) of the following during each renewal period: (i) Fifteen (15) practice-focused contact hours from a nationally recognized or state continuing education approval body recognized by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing; (ii) Certification or recertification during the renewal period by a national certifying body recognized by the board; or (iii) An academic course in nursing or related field;
healthy.arkansas.gov · State administrative code
A lapsed license requires a renewal application and payment of current renewal and late fees. Reinstatement to active status has separate requirements based on time away from practice.
Source context For a lapsed license, the rule requires an application and payment of then-current renewal and late fees; this claim does not assert amounts.
Any licensee whose license has lapsed shall: (1) File a renewal application; and (2) Pay the current renewal fee and the late fee.
Source context Practice during the lapsed period is illegal and subject to Nurse Practice Act penalties.
Any person practicing nursing during the time his or her license has lapsed shall be: (1) Considered an illegal practitioner; and (2) Subject to the penalties provided for violation of the Nurse Practice Act.
Source context Exact active-status reinstatement requirements within five years or less, preserving the rule’s and/or wording.
Nurses reinstating a nursing license to active status within five (5) years or less shall: (A) Document completion of the following within the past two (2) years: (i) Twenty (20) practice-focused contact hours within the past two (2) years from a nationally recognized or state continuing education approval body recognized by the board; (ii) Certification or recertification by a national certifying body recognized by the board; or (iii) An academic course in nursing or related field; and/or (B) Provide other evidence as requested by the board.
Source context The separate after-five-years reinstatement pathway is confirmed by the rule.
(2) Nurses reinstating a nursing license to active status after greater than five (5) years shall document completion of the following:
Source context First listed alternative for reinstatement after more than five years.
Twenty (20) practice-focused contact hours within the past two (2) years from a nationally recognized or state continuing education approval body recognized by the board; or
Source context Second listed alternative for reinstatement after more than five years.
Certification or recertification by a national certifying body recognized by the board; or
Source context Third listed alternative for reinstatement after more than five years.
Source context Practice-hours branch for reinstatement after more than five years.
Active practice of nursing for a minimum of one thousand (1,000) hours within the two (2) years immediately prior to application.
Source context Verification and route conjunction for the practice-hours branch.
Source context Refresher-course alternative.
Completion of a board-approved refresher course within one (1) year of the date of application; or
Source context Recent-graduation alternative.
Graduation from an approved nursing education program within one (1) year of the date of application; and
Source context Board may request other evidence.
Source context The Board renewal page independently states the practice restriction.
Persons practicing nursing with an expired or lapsed license shall be considered an illegal practitioner and shall be subject to penalties for violation of the Nurse Practice Act.
The license is lapsed if not renewed or placed in inactive status by the expiration date.
healthy.arkansas.gov · State administrative code
Official license-verification links and the information available from each source.
Board identifies this exact license-lookup portal as a source for disciplinary documents and Board orders; it is not described as a separate discipline-only lookup.
Disciplinary Documents and Board Orders may be downloaded and printed from Nursys.com or https://arsbn.boardsofnursing.org/licenselookup
healthy.arkansas.gov · State Board of Nursing
Arkansas's published rules don't answer these. Ask before you apply — healthy.arkansas.gov.
Worth asking about directly.
What are the current dollar fees for Arkansas endorsement, temporary permit, renewal, and background checks?
What are the Board's current contact details, portal URL, lookup URL, and processing-time expectations?
Do Arkansas RN/LPN licenses expire on an anniversary date or a fixed biennial date?
Which held facts can be established by current primary-source captures using transparent identity?