The Alaska Board of Nursing is committed to protecting the health of Alaska’s citizens. Registered nurse licenses are handled through the Professional Licensing division of Alaska’s Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Alaska is not a compact state, so it is important to know what the Board’s licensing requirements are when seeking endorsement of your nursing license.
Application for license endorsement is required for nurses who received their license in another state. The requirements for endorsement are listed below.
Note: Your license must be current at the time of application and when your permanent license is issued by the board.
Canadian nurses who have not taken the NCLEX exam should click here for exam requirements.
A department-provided form documenting 320 hours of employment as a nurse within two years is required. If 320 hours cannot be documented, a Board-approved refresher course must be taken. A refresher course is also required for nurses who have not practiced in the last five years. Refresher courses can be found at nursing.alaska.gov.
Graduates from a registered nurse or practical nurse program outside the US and Canada (except Quebec) or anywhere English is not the primary language must pass either the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with satisfactory scores. Minimum score requirements can be found here.
Applicants must be aware of continuing education (CE) requirements. RNs must complete at least two of the methods listed below to maintain continuing competency.
Guidelines governing these methods or alternatives can be found in article six of the Statutes and Regulations for Nursing.
Click here to locate documentation forms for CE or professional activities.
The following areas should fulfill CE requirements:
Subjects must be board-approved or required for completion of an advanced, formal nursing program. This does not include courses taken for an initial license.
Note: Contact hours do not necessarily equate to semester hours. Each semester credit hour equals 15 contact hours, and each quarter credit hour equals 10 contact hours.
Please Mail Written Correspondence for the Juneau Location to:
P.O. Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811-0806
The Physical Address for the Juneau Location is:
333 Willoughby Avenue
9th Floor
Juneau, AK 99801-1770
Phone and Fax Numbers for the Juneau Location are:
Main Phone: 907-465-2550
FAX: 907-465-2974
Mailing and Physical Address for the Anchorage Location is:
550 West Seventh Avenue
Suite 1500
Anchorage, AK 99501-3567
Phone and Fax Numbers for the Anchorage Location are:
Main Phone: 907-269-8160
FAX: 907-269-8156
Alaska Board of Nursing website address:
https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofNursing.aspx
Lisa Maroney
Records & Licensing Supervisor
send email
Phone: 907-268-8892
Fax: 907-269-8196
Click here to view the Alaska Board of Nursing’s most frequently asked questions page.