California Nursing License

Are you thinking of getting your nursing license? Or do you want to confirm that someone you know is a licensed nurse? The CA Board of Nursing license lookup makes this straightforward to check. You can just enter the name or license number and get information from the CA nursing license lookup in seconds.

How Do I Get a California Nursing License?

There are two types of nursing licenses you can get in California. A registered nurse attends college for two or four years and provides independent care. A licensed vocational nurse only attends around a year of school, and they typically work under an RN’s supervision. Most people interested in getting a nursing license and who end up accessing the CA BRN license lookup want to be an RN.

You will have to graduate from a nursing school. If you want a pre-licensure nursing program, you can choose to get an Associate Degree in Nursing in two to three years, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in four years, or an Entry Level Master’s Program in Nursing, which takes another one or two years after an unrelated undergrad degree.

If you are a licensed vocational nurse and want to become an RN, you can complete an LVN 30 Unit Option. If you were a military corpsman and have relevant education and experience, you can take the licensure exam.

After you complete any of those options, you will need to pass a background check and the licensing exam. From there, you can apply to get your license and then eventually appear on a California nursing license lookup.

The National Council Licensing Examination is given six days a week and is done on the computer. While you wait for exam results, you can apply to get an Interim Permit. With this permit, you can temporarily perform nursing duties while supervised but will not yet be listed in a California LVN license lookup.

How Long Does It Take to Get a California Nursing License?

The biggest factor in how long it takes to get your California nursing license is the educational path you choose. The education requirements can be anywhere from one to four years.

Once you apply and take the licensure exam, you will have to wait 10 to 16 weeks. In rare cases, it can take as long as six months. Most of the time, however, it is closer to 10 to 12 weeks.

Can I Transfer My RN License to California?

With a few steps, you can transfer your RN license to California. However, you will need to complete a few actions to do so and appear on the CA nurse license lookup.

If you currently have an active RN license in a different state, a U.S. territory, or in Canada, you qualify for licensure by endorsement or reciprocity. You must have passed the National Council Licensure Examination or the State Board Test Pool Examination.

If you haven’t passed one of those tests nor have an RN license from another country, you can apply via Licensure by Examination. This requires proof of your nursing education and passing the exam.

Is California a Walkthrough State for Nurses?

California is not a walkthrough state. A walkthrough state lets you get a temporary nursing license for practicing nursing while you wait on your final license to be processed. However, a temporary license is available.

You can also get an Interim Permit. This will come out within 48 hours of your exam application getting approval. You can check this with the California nurse license lookup or by logging in to your Breeze account.

How Do I Verify a Nursing License in California?

The easiest way to verify a nursing license is with a California RN license lookup. The California Board of Registered Nursing directs you to the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) license lookup page.

When you visit the California CNA license lookup page, choose “Registered Nursing, Board Of” from the drop-down menu under “Boards and Bureaus.” From there, you can choose the license type in another drop-down menu or search by license number or name. The RN California license lookup will give you the name and license number of the nurse you enter. If there are disciplinary documents available for the license, you will see these as well. The nursing license lookup California also shows the status of the license.

How Long Does It Take to Get a California Nursing License By Endorsement?

Conveniently, you don’t have to constantly search the nurse license lookup California to see if you are licensed. The California Board of Registered Nurses maintains a list of current processing times for each type of application. You can see the typical timeframe, as well as which applications are currently being processed.

For licensure by endorsement, processing times are usually 10 to 12 weeks in California, the United States, and internationally. For military applications, this drops to 1 to 2 weeks.