To work as an RN in New Jersey you license with the New Jersey Board of Nursing (Division of Consumer Affairs). Exam and endorsement applications are now one online 'Candidate' application: the Board issues a multistate compact licence if you meet the requirements and a single-state licence if not. You may sit the NCLEX before the criminal history check is finished, but you cannot work or be licensed until the Board has the results. Three consecutive fails mean a 30-hour remediation course before a fourth attempt.
✓ Checked against NJ BON's official pages on October 7, 2026
At a glance
BoardNew Jersey Board of Nursing (Division of Consumer Affairs)
The steps, in order (graduates of a New Jersey program)
Tick each step as you finish it; your progress is saved on this device.
7 steps
If you were educated outside the United States
The exam is the same; the path to being allowed to write it is longer. These are the extra steps.
3 steps
Documents to have ready
Online RN and LPN Candidate application and fee
Certification and Authorization Form for the Criminal History Background Check, then fingerprints per the Board's instructions
Education certification from your nursing program
Pearson VUE registration (US$200)
Social Security number (required for a multistate licence)
Re-examination (paper) application and remediation-course proof after three consecutive fails
International graduates: credential evaluation and English proficiency evidence per the Board's packet
Fees
Candidate application (licence + application + surcharge)US$120 licence + US$100 application + US$5 surcharge; the online application shows the amount due
US$225 per the foreign-graduate packet
Criminal history background check service feeper the Board's packet, plus fingerprinting
US$18.75
NCLEX-RN registration (Pearson VUE)per attempt, non-refundable. US$350 from Feb 1, 2027.
US$200
30-hour remediation courseonly after three consecutive fails
varies
How long it takes
You may sit the NCLEX before the background check is complete, but no licence or work until the results arrive.
The NPDB query can add several days after all other requirements are met.
Retake after 45 days; a 30-hour remediation course is required before a fourth attempt.
New Jersey has issued multistate licences since November 15, 2021.
Mistakes that cost people time or money
Send the background-check authorization form the same day you apply; the fingerprinting instructions only come after the Board receives it.
One Candidate application covers exam and endorsement; do not look for a separate 'examination' form.
New Jersey has no graduate permit; the Temporary Courtesy Licence is for nurses licensed elsewhere.
Third fail? Book the remediation course immediately; the fourth attempt cannot be scheduled without it.
Questions people ask about New Jersey
How do I register for the NCLEX in New Jersey?
Submit the online RN and LPN Candidate application to the New Jersey Board of Nursing, send the Certification and Authorization Form for the criminal history background check and complete fingerprinting when instructed, have your program certify your education, and register with Pearson VUE (US$200). You can test while the background check is pending, but you are licensed only after the results arrive.
How much does a New Jersey RN licence cost?
The Board's packet lists US$225 (US$120 licence, US$100 application, US$5 surcharge) for foreign graduates, with the online Candidate application showing the exact amount for US graduates, plus US$18.75 for the background check service, fingerprinting and US$200 to Pearson VUE.
Can I work in New Jersey before I pass the NCLEX-RN?
No. The Board states you will not be permitted to work or be licensed as a nurse until the criminal history background check is complete; there is no graduate permit for exam candidates.
Is New Jersey a compact state?
Yes, since November 15, 2021. The Candidate application issues a multistate licence automatically if you meet the uniform requirements (New Jersey residence, fingerprint checks, no disqualifying convictions, a Social Security number); otherwise you receive a single-state licence and can upgrade later.
What happens after three failed NCLEX attempts in New Jersey?
Under N.J.A.C. 13:37-2.1(b) you must complete a 30-hour remediation course taught by a qualified instructor and prove it to the Board before a fourth attempt, using the paper re-examination application.
What is the NPDB check?
Since P.L. 2021, c. 335, New Jersey health boards must query the National Practitioner Data Bank before issuing or renewing a licence. No action is needed from you, but it can add several days after everything else is complete.
Official links and sources
Rules and fees change. Everything on this page was read on NJ BON's and NCSBN's own pages on October 7, 2026; when a detail matters to you, confirm it there:
This guide explains the process; it is not legal or immigration advice. Decisions about your eligibility are made by New Jersey Board of Nursing.
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