Please review the below list of application requirements and additional information. ​

Credential Evaluation

Puerto Rico is not a member of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN); therefore, all education must be evaluated. If you were educated in Puerto Rico after September 1, 2006, you will need to apply for a Credential Evaluation using one of the following, approved Credential Evaluation companies. Once the evaluation has been completed, the report needs to be sent to the Kentucky Board of Nursing at KBN.Credentials@ky.gov​ or by mail to:​

• Kentucky Board of Nursing
• ATTN: Endorsement
• 312 Whittington Pkwy Suite 300
• Louisville, KY 40222
  

English Language Proficiency Examination Requirements

If the credential evaluation received states that your language of instruction and the textbooks used in your nursing program were not in English, you are required to take and pass the English Language Proficiency Exam.
The full list of English Language Proficiency Exams that we will accept are:

• Cambridge Assessment English (B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 qualifications exams) https://​www.cambridgeenglish.org/​
  
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) http://www.ielts.org/
• MET (Michigan English Test) https://michiganassessment.org/michigan-tests/met-new/
• OET (Occupational English Test) https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/
• Pearson PTE Academichttps://www.pearsonpte.com/
• TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-based Test) http://www.toefl.org/
• TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) https://www.ets.org/toeic.html

For more information on the tests and their acceptable scores, please visit: https://www.trumerit.org/services/certification/visascreen-visa-credentials-assessment/

Once you have taken and passed the exam with the qualifying score, the report needs to be sent to the Kentucky Board of Nursing at KBN.Credentials@ky.gov or by mail to:

• Kentucky Board of Nursing
• ATTN: Endorsement
  
• 312 Whittington Pkwy Suite 300
• ​Louisville, KY 40222
  

​Complete the application and submit the fee.​

• Submit the application through the Kentucky Board of Nursing Nurse Portal​. You will need to create an account through the nurse portal and then you will select Apply for a License located on the Nurse Portal Dashboard.
• For more information on the nurse portal and a tutorial on how to create an account, please go to:
• Kentucky Nurse Portal - Kentucky Board of Nursing
  
• Applications are valid for one year. If requirements are not met within one year, your application will expire and you will have to start the process over again.
  
• ​​Pay application fee of $165 (ALL FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE).

Pass the Jurisprudence Exam with a score of 80% or higher

• Complete the Jurisprudence Examination after completing the ​application.
• The Jurisprudence Examination cannot be accessed prior to having a current application on file with the KBN.

Complete the state and federal criminal background check through IdentoGO®.

• Complete the state and federal criminal backgr​ound check​ through IdentoGO®

Request the verification of licensure be submitted to KBN​

• A ​Request that the verification of licensure be sent to the Kentucky Board of Nursing from the state where you took and passed the NCLEX and received your license by examination.
  
• ​This request should be made through Nursys if your state is a participating board. There is a fee of $30 that is paid to Nursys and not to the KBN. This fee is subject to change without notice.
• If your state is not listed on NURSYS you will need to complete the verification of licensure form to another state board and contact that board of nursing to determine the fee.

Submit proof of Continuing Education, if applicable.

Nurses who have been licensed for more than five (5) years but have not practiced at least 500 hours within the past five (5) years are required to complete 120 hours of continuing education (CE).

​Please note:

• Your application is valid for one year from the date it is submitted. 
  
• CE may be completed beginning one year prior to the application date and through the application expiration date.
  
• CE hours must be obtained from an approved CE provider.
  
• Certificates documenting completion of the required 120 CE hours must be uploaded as one PDF to your Nurse Portal Message Center to the topic "Endorsement".
  
• Alternatively, certificates may be emailed as multipled PDF attachments to KBN.Credentials@ky.gov​.
• NOTE: A license will not be issued until all CE documentation and other application requirements have been received and reviewed.
  

• Information on Approved/Accepted CE Providers​​
  

In addition, within three years of obtaining a Kentucky license the following one-time content-specific requirements must be completed.​

• 3 contact hours of Domestic Violence
• 1.5 contact hours of Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome)
• 2 contact hours of Suicide Prevention​
  
• 1 contact hour of Alzheimer’s Disease​ and Other Forms of Dementia​
  

Reporting Criminal Convictions

• If you have any criminal convictions, they will need to be reported on your application. The exception to this is traffic misdemeanors, other than DUIs. For information about what qualifies as a criminal conviction please review the Mandatory Reporting of Cr​iminal​ Convictions.
  

How will I know when my temporary permit or license has been granted?

• Kentucky does not issue license cards. You will receive an email notification when the permanent license has been issued. You may validate the temporary permit and permanent license number through the License Verification Portal.​