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 | Get your Graduate Degree in New Hampshire |
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 | Renewing your License in New Hampshire |
The New Hampshire Board of Nursing (phone: 603-271-2323, [email protected]) oversees the licensing and regulation of nursing practice in New Hampshire, including advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) in the following categories:
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
To be approved to work as an APRN, you must have a valid, unencumbered New Hampshire RN license.
New Hampshire Statistics
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- If you are a new graduate from a board-approved nursing program in the United States or Canada and the program meets the requirements set forth by the Board, you may apply using the Application for Licensing by Examination.
- If you graduated from a nursing school outside of the United States or Canada and you can show evidence of the successful completion of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing School examination (or a course-by-course credentials evaluation), you may apply using the Application for Licensing by Examination.
- If you hold a current, unencumbered RN license in any jurisdiction (except a Compact state), you may apply using the Application for Licensing by Endorsement.*
- If you graduated from a nursing program outside of the United States or Canada and you hold a current, unencumbered RN license in any foreign jurisdiction, you may apply using the Application for Licensing by Endorsement.
- If you are a Canadian-educated nurse, you may apply using the Application for Canadian-Educated Nurse: Endorsement of Canadian License.
- If you previously held a New Hampshire RN license, you must request a reinstatement application from the Board.
All paper license applications can be found on the Forms, Applications, Publications page of the Board’s website. You may also apply using the Board’s online licensing system.
*Nurse Licensure Compact
New Hampshire is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. The Compact offers practice privileges for registered nurses in all compact states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin). If you are a resident of New Hampshire, and you hold an active New Hampshire nursing license, your license is considered a multi-state license, issued by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing. This allows you to practice in all Compact states without applying for additional licenses.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
To work toward APRN licensure in New Hampshire, you must successfully complete either a graduate or post-graduate degree from a nationally accredited nurse practitioner education program. Your educational program must contain at least:
- 225 hours of theoretical nursing content
- 480 hours of clinical nursing practice, including precepted experience and pharmacological interventions
If you earned a certificate from an APRN education program accredited by a national accrediting body before July 1, 2004, you are exempt from the graduate or post-graduate education requirement, although documentation from the director of the program is required to verify that you completed the integration of pharmacological intervention in your studies (applicable if a formal pharmacology course isn’t shown in your transcripts).
Practice and Contact Hour Requirements
In addition to holding a graduate or post-graduate degree and national certification, you must show evidence that you used advanced practice nursing knowledge, judgment, and skills for at least 400 hours within the four years prior to the submission of your APRN application.
If you graduated more than two years prior to applying for APRN licensure, you must show also evidence:
- That you have completed at least 30 educational contact hours to satisfy the RN continuing competence requirements in the last two years
- That you have completed an additional 30 addition hours—5 of which must be in pharmacology training appropriate to your specialty—in the last 2 years
Earning national certification will account for 30 of of the 60 required contact hours.
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
After you complete your graduate education, you are then eligible to take an exam to become nationally certified in your advanced nursing general area of specialty category:
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
To receive an APRN license in New Hampshire, you must retain and maintain national certification denoting your specialty area of practice from one of the following organizations. Any APRN who practices without a current certification is considered to have an invalid APRN license and is therefore considered to be practicing without a license.
The Board only recognizes advanced practice areas of specialty and patient population foci that have been developed by a national credentialing or certifying body recognized by the National Council of State Board of Nursing and that have been pre-approved by the New Hampshire legislature.
The New Hampshire Board of Nursing recognizes the following certifying bodies and related areas of specialty/patient population foci for APRN Licensure:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- National Certification Corporation
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- American Midwifery Certification Board
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Step 3. Apply for your License
To apply for APRN Licensure in New Hampshire, you must complete the Application for Initial Licensure application. The paper application can be found on the Forms, Applications, Publications page of the Board’s website. You may also apply using the Board’s online licensing system.
In addition to a completed application, you must submit the following information:
- An official transcript, sent directly from your nurse practitioner education program, verifying the successful completion of an APRN program with evidence of 225 hours of theoretical nursing content, 480 hours of clinical nursing practice, including a precepted practicum, and pharmacological interventions
- Copy of a current New Hampshire RN license, along with a Criminal Record Report (any nurse who has a current RN license will already have a Criminal Record Report on file with the Board)
- A copy of your national certification or copy of your national certification, plus documentation of 30 educational hours (including 5 pharmacology hours) in the last two years and clinical experience of at least 400 hours within the last 4 years, if you graduated from an APRN program more than two years ago
- A check or money order in the amount of $100, made payable to the Treasurer, State of New Hampshire
Mail the required fee, completed application, and all supporting documents to the State of New Hampshire, Board of Nursing, 21 South Fruit Street, Suite 16, Concord, NH 03301-2431.
Upon receipt of your APRN license, the Board will mail you information regarding your prescriptive privileges, including your DEA number.
If you do not complete the application for licensing process within 120 days of initiating it, it will be considered void.
Prescriptive Authority
Inclusive with all New Hampshire APRN licensing is the authority to possess, compound, prescribe, administer, dispense, and distribute controlled and non-controlled drugs to clients within the scope of the APRN practice.
Temporary License
If you are a new graduate who has successfully completed a graduate-level advanced practice nursing program and are awaiting the opportunity to sit for your first national certifying examination, you may apply for a one-time-only temporary license.
The paper application for Temporary APRN Licensure for New Graduates can be found on the Forms, Applications, Publications page on the Board’s website. You may also apply using the Board’s online licensing system.
Note: The Board must first accept your application for a permanent license before you can apply for a temporary license.Therefore, in addition to submitting an application for a temporary APRN license, you must have the following documents already on file with the Board:
- A documented date to sit for your first scheduled national certifying examination specific to your specialty area
- A current New Hampshire RN license, along with a Criminal Record Report (any nurse who has a current RN license will already have a Criminal Record Report on file with the Board)
- An application for APRN licensure, along with the required $100 fee payable to the Treasurer, State of New Hampshire
- An official transcript, sent directly from the nurse practitioner education program, verifying the successful completion of an APRN program with evidence of 225 hours of theoretical nursing content, 480 hours of clinical nursing practice, including a precepted practicum, and pharmacological interventions
- A document showing supervised clinical practice by an APRN practicing in the same category (found at the end of the application)
You must also submit a check or money order in the amount of $20 payable to the Treasurer, State of New Hampshire.
Mail the required fee and completed application to the State of New Hampshire, Board of Nursing, 21 South Fruit Street, Suite 16, Concord, NH 03301-2431.
All temporary licenses will expire after 120 days or when you receive your APRN permanent license, whichever comes first. You may use the designation TARNP while practicing with your temporary license. Upon notification of your examination results by the national certifying agency, you must complete the APRN licensing process or suspend your practice and notify the Board within 15 business days.
Step 4. Renewing Your License
You must renew both your RN and APRN license every two years, before midnight on your birthday. When renewing your APRN application, you must also meet the continued competency requirements.
You can expect to receive a postcard notice about six weeks prior to the expiration date of your licenses.
The Board of Nursing encourages all nurses to renew their licenses online using the Board’s online licensing system. Instructions to access your code using the online licensing system are available on your renewal postcard. If you are unable to renew your license online, you must return the renewal postcard to the Board of Nursing, requesting a paper application.
Even if you have not received your postcard, you may review the list of licensees posted by the Board about one month before the expiration of your license. You may begin the online process if your name appears on this list (you will need to follow the directions found on the online renewal system to obtain a registration code).
Note: The Board of Nursing is no longer issuing paper copies of nursing licenses in New Hampshire. You may verify the issuance of your license or print a verification of your license through the Board’s online licensing system.
Renewal for an RN license is $100 and renewal for an APRN license is $100. You can pay by credit card through the online licensing system.
Continued Competency Requirements
All continuing competency requirements revolve around ongoing education and maintaining an “active in practice” status. APRN Continued Competency requirements are as follows:
- Continuing Education Requirements: 30 hours for RN licensure and 30 additional hours for APRN licensure, 20 of which must be specific to the APRN specialty and 5 of which must be related to pharmacology. Current certification in your specialty will account for 30 continuing education hours.
- Active in Practice Requirements: 400 hours active in practice specific to your specialty during each two-year renewal cycle.
Updating Contact Information
To notify the Board of a name or address change, complete the change of address and name forms found on the Forms, Applications, Publications page on the Board’s website. Once you have completed the appropriate form, you can either fax it back to the Board at 603-271-6605 or email your changes to the Board at [email protected]. You may also mail the form to the Board at: New Hampshire Board of Nursing, 21 South Fruit Street, Suite 16, Concord, NH 03301.
Inactive Status
If you do not want to renew your license, you do not have to file for inactive status. Instead, your license will automatically become inactive at midnight on the birthday of your renewal year. The Board will keep your name on file, and if you want to reinstate your license at any time, you must meet the continuing competence requirements, including active in practice and continuing education requirements.
License Reinstatement
If you fail to renew your license before the expiration date, you may reinstate your license and pay a reinstatement fee, provided you meet the continuing competence requirements. If you have not met the continuing competency requirements, you must complete the re-entry process for APRNs.
To reinstate your APRN license, you must contact the Board at 603-271-2323 or send an email to [email protected] to request a reinstatement application.
Re-Entry Requirements
As an APRN, you have a number of education re-entry options if you don’t meet the continued competency requirements:
- Approved re-entry program under the specialty certification organization – There are a number of organizations that offer refresher APRN programs.
- Approved re-entry program through a university – Some colleges and universities have APRN refresher programs in a number of nursing specialties.
- New Hampshire of Nursing Re-Entry Program – This re-entry program is specifically designed for nurses who graduated from APRN programs more than two years ago or nurses who have not been “active in practice” in the APRN role for a minimum of 400 hours in the four years before applying for an APRN license.
Before you can begin the re-entry process for APRN licensure, you must hold an active, unencumbered New Hampshire RN license. If you have not been active in the RN role for a minimum of 400 hours in the four years preceding your application for licensure, an RN re-entry program must first be completed.
An application for the approval of an APRN re-entry program must be submitted to the Board and approved by the APRN Liaison Committee of the Board of Nursing before a re-entry program can begin.
Your application should include:
- Your resume
- A copy of your current certification in your APRN specialty
- If you have never been licensed as an APRN in New Hampshire, you must include an official transcript from the APRN program from which you graduated, which must include evidence of 225 hours of theoretical nursing content, 480 hours of clinical nursing practice, including a precepted practicum, and pharmacological interventions
- Details of your re-entry education plan, including the name of the program and the faculty overseeing the program
- Details of your re-entry clinical practice plan, including the name of the assigned clinical preceptor and the copy of the preceptor’s license, the start and projected end dates of the experience, and details of the facility where the clinical program will occur
- $100 paid in the form of a check or money order, made payable to: Treasurer, State of New Hampshire
Once the APRN Liaison Committee has approved your re-entry plan, you will have 18 months to complete the program. Once you have successfully completed the re-entry program, you must then submit the following documents to the APRN Liaison Committee:
- Your completed application for APRN licensure
- Letter from the educational institution attesting to the completion of the program detailed in your re-entry program application
- If it is an initial license in New Hampshire, you must complete the Criminal Record Release Authorization Form, following directions received from the Board
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in New Hampshire
There are a number of elective membership organizations that offer continuing education opportunities and advocacy services to support APRNs in New Hampshire:
- New Hampshire Nurses Association
- New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner Association
- Newfound Area Nursing Association
- Visiting Nurse Association of Manchester & Southern New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Emergency Nurses Association
- New Hampshire Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nurses
New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner Salary
NPs in NH earn a very comfortable living: $112,460 per year, on average. Those who climbed to the top 10 percent earn $144,300 or better. So, you won’t go hungry in this state if you choose this career.
Registered Nurse Salary
RNs in NH make an average $75,970 annually – about $35,000 more than the state’s per capita income. What’s more, top earners in this role report annual earnings of at least $101,400. A six-figure salary is more than possible.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
Nursing instructors in the Granite State make a comfortable living: an average $72,690 per year. Around 230 nursing instructors are currently working in NH.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
Nurse administrators in NH make six figures, easily. The average annual pay for this role is $120,490 per year. For the top 10 percent, it’s a minimum of $195,700 per year. That means a $200,000-plug salary is possible down the line.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Anesthetists in NH make a fantastic salary, to put it mildly: $197,570 per year, on average. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t report incomes greater than $208,000 per year, it’s likely the top-earning anesthetists in this state bring in at least that figure.
New Hampshire Nurse Midwife Salary
Envision yourself in a natal care role? In NH, midwives make an average $115,760 per year. For the top 10 percent, that salary climbs to $153,860 or better. Either income makes for a very comfortable living in the Granite State.
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for 1) Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives; 2) Medical and Health Services Managers (Nurse Administrators); 3) Registered Nurses; and 4) Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. 2019 US Census Bureau figures for state median household income provided for comparison. Data Accessed December 2021.