How to Get Your Virginia RN License

Getting your Virginia RN license costs around $320 total and takes roughly four to six weeks. You’ll apply online through the Virginia Board of Nursing, complete fingerprinting via Fieldprint, and pass the NCLEX-RN. Virginia has been a Nurse Licensure Compact member since 2018, so a multistate license here lets you practice across more than 40 states.

Last updated: June 2026.

Virginia’s board sits under the Department of Health Professions (DHP), and the whole process is online-only. No mailed paper applications. That keeps things moving, but it also means a single missing upload can hold up your file. Here’s what to expect.

What does a Virginia RN license cost?

According to the Virginia Board of Nursing fee schedule:

Item	Cost	Paid to
Application	$70	Virginia Board of Nursing
NCLEX-RN exam	$200	Pearson VUE
Fingerprinting	$50	Fieldprint Virginia
Total	$320	—

At $70 for the application, Virginia sits on the more affordable end. The $50 fingerprinting figure goes to Fieldprint Virginia, the board’s designated vendor, and the $200 NCLEX charge is billed separately by Pearson VUE.

What are the requirements?

The Virginia Board of Nursing checks four boxes:

Education — Graduate an approved pre-licensure nursing program. An ADN meets the minimum; foreign-educated nurses must meet CGFNS requirements.
NCLEX-RN — Pass the computer-adaptive exam (pass/fail).
Background check — FBI and Virginia State Police fingerprint check through Fieldprint VA.
Application — Submitted online only.

Use Fieldprint Virginia for fingerprinting, not a generic Live Scan vendor. Virginia’s board pairs your prints to your application electronically, and going off-script usually means redoing it.

How long does it take?

The Virginia Board of Nursing notes that application review takes roughly 30 business days. The full sequence:

Submit application online — 1 day
Complete fingerprinting via Fieldprint VA — 1 to 2 weeks
Board review — about 30 business days (4 to 6 weeks)
NCLEX authorization (ATT) — 1 to 3 days
Take the NCLEX — within 1 to 2 weeks
License issued — 1 to 3 days after passing

The roughly 30-business-day review is the chunk you can’t shortcut, so submit a complete file the first time and start fingerprinting early.

How does the compact work in Virginia?

Virginia has been an NLC member since January 2018. If Virginia is your primary state of residence, you can hold a multistate license that lets you practice in every other compact state without extra applications.

Here’s the practical difference:

	Single-state license	VA multistate (NLC) license
Practice in Virginia	Yes	Yes
Practice in other NLC states	No	Yes
Extra applications to work elsewhere	Yes	No
Tied to primary residence	No	Yes

For nurses near the DC metro or doing travel work, the multistate license is usually the obvious choice. Just remember it’s tied to where you actually live. See the current member list on our NLC compact guide.

What are the renewal and CE requirements?

Virginia uses a two-year renewal cycle with a fee around $70. The board’s continued competency rules are flexible: you can meet them with 15 contact hours of CE, or through alternatives that combine 640 practice hours with continuing competency activities.

That practice-hours option is worth knowing about. According to the Virginia Board of Nursing, working nurses who log 640 practice hours plus a qualifying activity can satisfy competency without stacking up pure CE contact hours. If you go the CE route, track your hours with our CE tracker so you hit the 15 cleanly.

What if you’re licensed in another state?

Virginia offers licensure by endorsement for nurses holding an active, unencumbered RN license elsewhere. You’ll complete the online endorsement application, pay the $70 fee, and clear a Fieldprint VA background check. Processing runs the same four to six weeks.

If you’re relocating from another compact state on a multistate license, check whether you need to update your primary residence to Virginia. Our endorsement guide covers verification, and the states directory lets you line Virginia up against your current state.

Bottom line

Virginia keeps it simple and affordable: approved program, online application, Fieldprint fingerprinting, NCLEX. Budget around $320 and plan for four to six weeks. The compact membership and the flexible competency rules are the two things that set Virginia apart.

For full requirements and renewal specifics, see our Virginia state guide. If the exam is next, our NCLEX resources will get you prepared.