How to Register for the NCLEX in Oregon (OSBN): Steps, Fees, Documents

To work as an RN in Oregon you license with the Oregon State Board of Nursing through its Nurse Licensing Portal (US$260 plus a US$9 Oregon Nursing Advancement Fund surcharge). Fieldprint fingerprints come after you apply, your program confirms graduation in the Affidavit of Graduation portal, and you register with Pearson VUE only when ready because the 90-day ATT clock starts at once. Oregon allows four attempts before extra remediation and requires its pain-management education. Oregon is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact.

At a glance

The steps, in order (graduates of a Oregon program)

8 steps

Create your Nurse Licensing Portal login with your legal nameUse a computer (the portal does not display on phones), your full legal name as on your ID, a personal email and correct SSN and date of birth; errors stop you scheduling the exam. Validate your email before the first login.OSBN: LPN or RN by exam application steps (PDF) →
Apply: 'Initial LPN or RN by Examination' and pay US$260 + US$9Select the correct education program code (each program at a school has its own NCLEX code; the wrong one keeps you off your school's Affidavit of Graduation list). Pay the fee breakdown through the payment vendor.OSBN Nurse Licensing Portal →
Complete the statutorily required pain-management educationOregon requires its pain management continuing education of licence applicants; the application has a page for it.OSBN: pain management education →
Fieldprint fingerprints after you applyRegister at fieldprintoregon.com with code FPORBoardNursingDAS and book a Livescan appointment; do not get prints before submitting. The state fee rises to US$61 and the total to US$73.50 on October 1, 2026. More than 75 miles from a site or abroad? Ask for an accommodation in the Message Center.OSBN: fingerprint requirements →
Your program confirms graduation in the Affidavit of Graduation portalOregon schools upload proof of graduation; non-Oregon schools send transcripts to osbn.transcripts@osbn.oregon.gov. OSBN makes you eligible once your administrator confirms completion.
Register with Pearson VUE only when you are ready (US$200)Select Oregon as the licensing state and your program's NCLEX code. OSBN warns the 90-day clock starts the moment you receive the ATT; if the ATT expires you repay Pearson VUE.NCSBN: NCLEX registration →
Write the NCLEX-RN; retake application US$25A fail brings a Candidate Performance Report by email; before testing again submit the RN/LPN Exam Retake Application (US$25) in the Nurse Portal and re-register with Pearson VUE (45 days between attempts). After four unsuccessful attempts you must complete an NCLEX prep course or an individualized study plan with certification before further retakes.OSBN: application process for licence by NCLEX, January 2026 (PDF) →
Licence issued once staff confirm every requirementOSBN receives the pass, confirms the file (fingerprints, education, pain-management CE) and issues the licence. Oregon is not a compact state. There is no graduate permit for exam candidates.OSBN: how to apply for a licence or certificate →

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.

2 steps

Credential evaluation per OSBN Form LIC-616Graduates educated outside the United States follow the Board's credential evaluation directions before or with the application.OSBN: forms (credential evaluation) →
Application, Fieldprint (accommodation if abroad), Pearson VUESame US$269 application, Fieldprint after filing (ask in the Message Center if you are outside the US), and Pearson VUE (US$200, plus US$150 to test outside the US).OSBN Nurse Licensing Portal →

Documents to have ready

Fees

How long it takes

Mistakes that cost people time or money

Do not register with Pearson VUE the day you apply unless you are ready to test; Oregon's 90-day clock is unforgiving.
Check your program's exact NCLEX code with your school before applying; the wrong code delays the Affidavit of Graduation.
Do the pain-management module while you wait for fingerprints; it is a licence requirement, not optional CE.
Oregon is not in the compact: Washington and Idaho nurses need an Oregon licence to work across the border, and vice versa.

Questions people ask about Oregon

How do I register for the NCLEX in Oregon?

Create a Nurse Licensing Portal login, apply for 'Initial LPN or RN by Examination' (US$260 + US$9), complete the pain-management education, get Fieldprint fingerprints after applying, have your program confirm graduation in the Affidavit of Graduation portal and register with Pearson VUE (US$200) when ready. OSBN makes you eligible and Pearson VUE emails the Authorization to Test, valid 90 days.

How much does an Oregon RN licence cost?

US$269 to OSBN (US$260 plus the US$9 surcharge), US$70.50 for Fieldprint fingerprints (US$73.50 from October 2026) and US$200 to Pearson VUE. A retake application is US$25.

Can I work in Oregon before I pass the NCLEX-RN?

No. OSBN's exam process has no graduate permit; the licence is issued after the pass and after staff confirm every requirement.

Is Oregon a compact state?

No. Oregon issues single-state licences only.

How many times can I take the NCLEX-RN in Oregon?

Applicants are permitted up to four attempts. After four unsuccessful attempts you must complete an NCLEX prep or review course, or an individualized study plan documenting remediation, before OSBN allows further retakes.

What is the Oregon pain-management requirement?

Oregon statute requires pain management continuing education of nursing licence applicants; the application includes a page for the statutorily required education and OSBN's pain-management page explains the module.

Official links and sources

Rules and fees change. Everything on this page was read on OSBN'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 Oregon State Board of Nursing.

Licensure by examinationplus US$9 Oregon Nursing Advancement Fund surcharge	US$260
Fieldprint fingerprint background checkUS$73.50 from October 1, 2026 (state fee US$61)	US$70.50
Exam retake applicationplus Pearson VUE again	US$25
NCLEX-RN registration (Pearson VUE)per attempt, non-refundable. US$350 from Feb 1, 2027.	US$200

How to register for the NCLEX in Oregon