Texas Nursing License Requirements — How to Apply
Licensing authority: Texas Board of Nursing
Official sources
- https://www.bon.texas.gov/forms_fees.asp.html · Retrieved 2026-09-02
- https://www.bon.texas.gov/licensure_endorsement.asp.html · Retrieved 2026-09-02
- https://www.bon.texas.gov/licensure_examination.asp.html · Retrieved 2026-09-02
Education and training
For licensure by examination, the applicant must graduate from an approved nursing education program. For endorsement, the Board states that an applicant must have graduated from an approved practical/vocational or registered nursing program, taken the appropriate United States national licensure examination, and practiced nursing in another state within the four years before applying for that license type, subject to the Board’s detailed eligibility rules.
Exams
A graduate seeking a first United States nursing license applies by examination and must take the NCLEX. Registration for the NCLEX is through Pearson VUE and costs $200, separately from the Board application. Texas also requires the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination; the Board fee schedule says that examination and endorsement application fees include the NJE fee.
Fees and background check
Application fee: Licensure by examination: $75, including the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination fee. Licensure by endorsement: $150, including the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination fee. Pearson VUE separately charges $200 to register for the NCLEX.
All applicants for Texas licensure must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check. The examination instructions say the applicant receives the fingerprint instructions after the Board receives the application.
Processing timeline
For an authorization to test, Board staff say they review the file within 15 business days after receiving the last required item. The Board separately asks applicants to allow up to 20 business days for staff review and processing of licensure applications and supporting documents. These are published review targets, not a guarantee that a license will issue within that time.
Endorsement or reciprocity
A nurse already licensed elsewhere applies by endorsement. The Board must receive verification from every state, United States territory, province, or country where the applicant holds or has ever held a nursing license. The applicant must meet the education, examination, recent-practice, jurisprudence, and criminal-background-check requirements described by the Board. Nurses moving between Nurse Licensure Compact states must apply for endorsement in the new primary state of residence within 60 days of relocating.
Official licensing authority