Arkansas Department of Health

ASBN - Licensure Application and Instructions

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Initial Licensure Application and Instructions

Initial Licensure by Exam

Information & Application Process

If you are applying for an Arkansas APRN license and you DO NOT already hold APRN licensure in another state(s), after reading this information, select the link at the bottom of this webpage. This will direct you to the Arkansas Nurse Portal.

The Arkansas Nurse Portal will enable you to create a user profile account which is a prerequisite to the application process. A valid personal email address rather than a work email is preferable. The nurse portal is also accessed by going to www.arsbn.org.

In order to expedite your license application process, there are specific documents and data which should be readily on hand. First, proceed to www.nursys.com. Select the Quick confirm tab. Scroll down and select “I agree”. Enter the requested information and download the view report. Print the information. This will supply your complete licensing history.

You will also need to access your educational history to include the date of graduation for each degree completed. The month and year will suffice for the date of completion.

You should have a copy of your national certification on hand to include the date of original licensure, current issue date, and expiration date. The certificate will need to be uploaded as requested (pdf). If you have not taken your certification at this point, you may skip this but your license will not be issued until the official proof of certification is received by the Board.

Complete and submit the licensure application along with associated fees. There is a nominal fee for online processing that will be included in the final total. Payment of associated fees may be made by credit card or E-check and are paid within the online process prior to submission of the application. Print the final payment screen as this will have a number that is necessary for applying for your criminal background check.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK

State and federal background checks are required in order to complete your application. These results are only valid for the 12 months. If already on file with ASBN and current (less than one year) you may forego this step. Otherwise you must utilize the criminal background check (CBC) instructions on the ASBN website. Background checks from other agencies will not be accepted.

The federal CBC requires either:

Completion of a fingerprint card supplied through ASBN and submission of the card to the Arkansas State Police or
Completion of this process through Arkansas Live Scan fingerprint scanning.

Fees associated with conduction of the state and federal criminal background checks are at the applicant's expense and are paid within the CBC process.

You will need to print a copy of the payment page (Payment Summary) for your records. IMPORTANT: You will need the INA Search number that is located on the Payment Summary to include on your fingerprint card. It is also used in the Live Scan process.  The CBC information is found HERE

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT

Contact the university/college where you completed your APRN program and have them send an official transcript to the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN), ATTN: APRN Department, 1123 S. University Ave., Suite #800, Little Rock, AR 72204.

CERTIFICATION VERIFICATION

Have your certification agency submit verification that you passed the certification exam. Verification information should be mailed directly to the ASBN address above or emailed to Ellen Harwell, Licensing Coordinator, at eharwell@arsbn.org

LICENSE VERIFICATION INFORMATION

RN Licensure Verification

To be licensed as an APRN in Arkansas, you must hold both RN (Arkansas or compact state) and APRN licenses. To apply for an Arkansas RN license, go HERE

If you hold current RN licensure in Arkansas, skip this section.
If you hold RN licensure in a state that is NOT a compact state (does not participate in the Compact State Agreement), you must also apply for an Arkansas RN license.
If you hold RN licensure in a compact state (other than Arkansas), you must submit verification of your RN licensure by logging on to https://www.nursys.com. Choose Nurse License Verification for Endorsement. Submit a verification request.

 TEMPORARY PERMIT INFORMATION 

If you would like a temporary permit, select this during the application process. There is an additional nonrefundable fee. In order to be eligible for a temporary permit, you must have your APRN program submit an official transcript showing your degree and APRN role/specialty, a clear federal and Arkansas state criminal background check result (no violations of ACA 17-87-312), and verification of your eligibility to sit for your respective certification exam.
The temporary permit is valid up to six months, is nonrenewable, and does NOT apply to prescriptive authority.
The temporary permit becomes invalid if the applicant fails their respective certification exam. Upon receipt of the verification of certification, the temporary permit will be voided and the full APRN license will be issued.
To verify confirmation of a temporary permit or full license being issued, log onto www.nursys.com and follow the instructions for the Quick Confirm access.

PRESCRIPTIVE AUTHORITY

You do not automatically receive Prescriptive Authority with the issuance of your APRN license. The application process for Prescriptive Authority must be completed.

You may apply online for Prescriptive Authority which is included at the end of your APRN application or you may request prescriptive authority at a later time ( if you are not employed, therefore do not have a CPA or QA plan). Prescriptive Authority includes an additional fee.

Eligibility guidelines are located at: www.arsbn.org/Laws & Rules tab/Rules link/Chapter 4 link/Section VIII Prescriptive Authority or by selecting this link - Chapter 4 - Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

IN ADDITION TO THE ONLINE APPLICATION, you are required to submit two items:

Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA), and
Quality Assurance (QA) Plan.

These documents should be uploaded into your application and also mailed or faxed to the ASBN, 1123 S. University Ave., Suite #800, Little Rock, AR 72204, Attention: APRN Dept., or faxing to 501.686.2714, Attention: APRN Dept. Both documents must be signed by the APRN and the collaborating physician(s).

Feel free to make changes to accommodate the agreement between you and your collaborating physician however, certain required criteria must be included in these documents. You are welcome to use the examples provided on our website (under the Adv. Practice tab) or by selecting the following links:

Collaborative Practice Guidelines for APRNs 

Quality Assurance Plans for APRNs

Prescribing protocols

APRNs with Prescriptive Authority must have prescriptive protocols (indications for and classifications of legend and controlled substances medications). You should modify the example provided to meet your specialty as this is a generic form.

Do not submit prescriptive protocols to the ASBN unless requested. They must be reviewed and approved yearly.

Examples and more information is located on the ASBN website under the Adv. Practice tab or by selecting the following link - Prescriptive Protocol Guidelines for APRNs

DEA APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Do not apply for a DEA certificate until you receive full APRN licensure and a Prescriptive Authority Certificate number.

If you plan to prescribe Schedules III - V controlled substances, you must apply for a DEA #. Directions for applying for a DEA # are provided on our website under the Adv. Practice tab, DEA registration link. Submit a copy of your DEA # card to the ASBN once received.

If you have requested expressed authority to request Schedule II hydrocodone combination products, you must use the appropriate CPA. You will see Schedule II on the DEA certificate but you are limited to hydrocodone combination products.

TO BEGIN THE ONLINE APPLICATION FOR APRN LICENS