Cheapest States for CNA License
50 states ranked by lowest licensing costs for CNA licensing, updated for 2026.
#1
Missouri
$134
Missouri ranks #1 for lowest licensing costs among all states for CNA licensing. App: $0, Exam: $90.
View Missouri CNA requirements →Full Rankings
| # | State | Total Fees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri (MO) | $134 |
| 2 | Indiana (IN) | $135 |
| 3 | Tennessee (TN) | $135 |
| 4 | Arkansas (AR) | $136 |
| 5 | Mississippi (MS) | $140 |
| 6 | Illinois (IL) | $145 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $147 |
| 8 | Montana (MT) | $150 |
| 9 | Oklahoma (OK) | $151 |
| 10 | Nebraska (NE) | $152 |
| 11 | Ohio (OH) | $152 |
| 12 | Iowa (IA) | $155 |
| 13 | Minnesota (MN) | $155 |
| 14 | Texas (TX) | $155 |
| 15 | South Carolina (SC) | $160 |
| 16 | Delaware (DE) | $162 |
| 17 | Idaho (ID) | $165 |
| 18 | Wisconsin (WI) | $168 |
| 19 | New Mexico (NM) | $169 |
| 20 | Kansas (KS) | $170 |
| 21 | Michigan (MI) | $170 |
| 22 | North Carolina (NC) | $170 |
| 23 | Alabama (AL) | $171 |
| 24 | North Dakota (ND) | $171 |
| 25 | Kentucky (KY) | $172 |
| 26 | South Dakota (SD) | $173 |
| 27 | Colorado (CO) | $175 |
| 28 | Rhode Island (RI) | $175 |
| 29 | Georgia (GA) | $177 |
| 30 | Louisiana (LA) | $180 |
| 31 | Hawaii (HI) | $190 |
| 32 | Maine (ME) | $195 |
| 33 | New Hampshire (NH) | $195 |
| 34 | West Virginia (WV) | $195 |
| 35 | Nevada (NV) | $200 |
| 36 | New York (NY) | $200 |
| 37 | Maryland (MD) | $205 |
| 38 | Massachusetts (MA) | $205 |
| 39 | Utah (UT) | $205 |
| 40 | Wyoming (WY) | $205 |
| 41 | Virginia (VA) | $215 |
| 42 | New Jersey (NJ) | $218 |
| 43 | Oregon (OR) | $218 |
| 44 | Connecticut (CT) | $220 |
| 45 | Arizona (AZ) | $222 |
| 46 | Alaska (AK) | $230 |
| 47 | Vermont (VT) | $235 |
| 48 | Washington (WA) | $241 |
| 49 | Florida (FL) | $252 |
| 50 | California (CA) | $269 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on official state licensing data collected from state nursing boards. Fee data includes application, examination, and fingerprinting costs as published by each state board. Data is verified regularly and updated for 2026.
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