To run a Delaware NP license verification, use the state’s free DELPROS online portal: search by name or license number, open the practitioner’s record, and check that the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license is listed as Active, along with its expiration date and any disciplinary history. If you need documentation an employer or an out-of-state board will accept as primary source, the Division of Professional Regulation sells official verifications for $35 or $45.
Running the Free DELPROS Lookup
DELPROS is the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation’s public database for every profession it licenses, nursing included. The lookup sits on the public side of the portal, so no account or login is required. Choose the Individual search (not Facility) and fill in whatever you have:
- Last name and first name. The broadest search. Common names return multiple results.
- License number. The most precise option and the fastest way to pull an exact match.
- Profession and type. Dropdowns that let you narrow to nursing and the APRN type.
- City and state. Optional filters when a name search returns too many hits.
Click Search, then click the practitioner’s name in the results list to open the full record.
What the Record Shows
An APRN profile displays the license number, the type of nursing authorization, the expiration date, the current status, and any public disciplinary action on file. Two status labels cover almost every lookup:
- Active. The license is current and the practitioner may practice.
- Expired. The expiration date has passed and the license has not been renewed. Practice is not permitted.
DELPROS uses additional labels for less common situations, and the portal’s Status Legend page lists them in full.
What the APRN License Alone Doesn’t Tell You
Delaware grants full-practice authority to APRNs on license issuance, including the ability to evaluate, diagnose, order tests, and prescribe. New APRN graduates still have to complete a collaborative agreement period of two years and at least 4,000 practice hours before practicing independently outside an established healthcare organization.
Prescribing controlled substances requires something extra. Delaware issues a separate Controlled Substances Registration (CSR) through the Division of Professional Regulation, and its status is checked independently of the nursing license. If you’re verifying a prescribing nurse practitioner, confirm both the APRN license and the CSR are active.
One boundary worth knowing if you’re checking an out-of-state nurse: Delaware belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, but the compact covers RN and LPN licenses only. A nurse practitioner working in Delaware needs a Delaware-issued APRN license regardless of any multistate privilege. For a compact RN or LPN privilege, the Division’s license verification page points to a separate Compact License Verifications process rather than the standard DELPROS search.
When You Need Official Verification
The free DELPROS lookup is enough for a patient checking a provider or a quick employment screen. Many employers and other states’ licensing boards require primary source verification, meaning documentation sent directly from the issuing authority. Delaware offers two tiers through the Division of Professional Regulation:
- Standard verification, $35. Confirms license type, status, issue date, expiration date, and disciplinary history.
- Special verification, $45. Everything in the standard verification plus additional information requested by the receiving board or employer.
All official verifications are sent electronically. The Division no longer mails paper copies. The practitioner requests the verification through DELPROS, and the documentation goes directly to the receiving board or employer.
Nursys Has a Gap for Nurse Practitioners
Nursys, run by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, is the national database for nurse licensure and discipline information and pulls data directly from participating state boards. Its free QuickConfirm lookup only covers RN and LPN/VN licenses. APRN licenses are not included. To verify a nurse practitioner through Nursys, you have to contact the board of nursing directly or use the paid Nursys verification-for-endorsement service that boards use when a nurse applies for endorsement in a new state.
Reading an Expired Status
An Expired label in DELPROS doesn’t always mean a disciplinary problem. The practitioner may be mid-renewal. Delaware APRN licenses expire on the same date as the practitioner’s Delaware RN license. For an APRN who doesn’t hold a Delaware RN license, the APRN license expires on September 30 of odd-numbered years. Renewals go through DELPROS before the expiration date and require 30 hours of continuing education per two-year cycle, with at least three hours on substance abuse. A missed deadline flips the status from Active to Expired until the practitioner either renews or completes the reinstatement process, after which the status returns to Active. If a lookup shows an expired license and the timing lines up with the renewal cycle, it’s worth checking again in a few weeks before drawing a conclusion.