Form 5506-NAR is the Texas Nurse Aide Registry Employment Verification form, and it is how a certified nurse aide in Texas proves paid nursing work at a licensed facility in order to renew a certificate of registration. You complete Section 1 with your own information, hand the form to an authorized representative at the facility to complete and notarize Section 2, and then upload the finished form through the Texas Unified Licensure Information Portal (TULIP) as part of your renewal application to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).1Texas Health and Human Services. Nurse Aide Registry
Who Needs This Form
The 5506-NAR documents that you performed paid nursing or nursing-related services at a nursing facility. HHSC uses that proof to renew your certificate and keep your name active on the Nurse Aide Registry. Volunteer hours don’t count. Under Texas Administrative Code Section 556.9, the form has to show paid nursing or nursing-related services performed during the relevant certification period.2Legal Information Institute. 26 Texas Administrative Code 556-9 – Certificate of Registration, Nurse Aide Registry, and Renewal
You can start your renewal up to three months before your certificate expires. Under Section 556.11, the certificate expires if 24 consecutive months pass without paid nursing services and without a renewal application filed through the portal.3Legal Information Institute. 26 Texas Administrative Code 556-11 – Expiration of the Certificate of Registration and Active Status Download the fillable PDF from the HHSC page for Form 5506-NAR.4Texas Health and Human Services. Form 5506-NAR, Texas Nurse Aide Registry Employment Verification
Completing Section 1
You fill out Section 1 yourself. It asks for:
- Your full legal name
- Your Social Security Number
- Your current mailing address
- Your Texas nurse aide registration number
Match every entry to what HHSC already has on file. A name mismatch, such as a maiden name where the registry has a married name, is a common reason renewals get stuck. Sign and date Section 1 before you hand the form off.
Completing Section 2 With Your Employer
Section 2 is completed by an authorized representative at the nursing facility where you worked. That is usually the director of nursing or the facility administrator. The employer enters:
- The facility’s name and physical address
- The state-assigned facility license number
- Your dates of employment
Two details cause most rejections. First, the employer’s signature must be notarized; a plain signature with no notary seal will bounce the form back. Second, the facility license number has to match HHSC’s provider records exactly. Confirm it with the facility before signing takes place. The employment dates matter too, because HHSC uses them to check that your paid nursing work falls within the certification period the renewal covers.
Submitting the Form Through TULIP
The form goes to HHSC through TULIP at tulip.hhs.texas.gov. That is the only submission method described on the current HHSC renewal page.5Texas Health and Human Services. Renew or Make Changes to a Nurse Aide Certificate in Texas You have two options for getting it there.
You upload it yourself. Log into your TULIP account, complete a Certified Nurse Aide Renewal Application, and upload a scan or clear photo of the completed, notarized 5506-NAR. HHSC staff review the application and documents. If something is missing or wrong, the application is flagged “response required” so you can correct and re-upload. Once it’s approved, TULIP sends you a confirmation email and you can print the updated certificate from the portal.
Your employer uploads it. The facility submits a Nurse Aide Facility Staff Renewal through TULIP on your behalf. If HHSC finds a problem, the employer’s renewal attempt is denied and HHSC contacts you directly with instructions to resubmit yourself. If it’s approved, you get the same email and can print the certificate.
Uploading it yourself gives you direct visibility into the status. Employer submission is convenient when a facility is renewing several aides at once, but any defect kicks the fix back to you anyway. Keep a copy of the completed form and the notary receipt either way.
After You Submit
HHSC staff review your TULIP application and the uploaded 5506-NAR. If everything is in order, they renew the certificate and TULIP emails you a confirmation. Log in, print the updated certificate, and check that the new expiration date is correct. HHSC doesn’t publish a guaranteed turnaround, so submit well before your expiration date.
If the reviewer finds a missing notary stamp, a facility license number that doesn’t match HHSC records, or incomplete employment dates, the application moves to “response required” and you’ll need to fix the document and re-upload it. Almost every stall traces back to Section 2, so give it a careful read before you upload.
When Form 5506-NAR Alone Isn’t Enough
If your certificate has already expired under Section 556.11, you can’t work in a licensed nursing facility until you reactivate it, and the 5506-NAR only carries you back if you actually have paid nursing work to document.3Legal Information Institute. 26 Texas Administrative Code 556-11 – Expiration of the Certificate of Registration and Active Status
If you performed paid nursing services during the relevant period but simply missed the renewal deadline, the 5506-NAR route still works through TULIP under either submission option above. If you have no qualifying work experience, the form won’t help, and HHSC directs you to one of two alternate paths:5Texas Health and Human Services. Renew or Make Changes to a Nurse Aide Certificate in Texas
- Retrain and retest. Complete a state-approved NATCEP (60 hours of classroom and 40 hours of clinical training), submit a New Nurse Aide by Examination application through TULIP, and pass the written and skills exams.
- Retest only. Complete a Texas Department of Public Safety criminal history check for every last name you have used (there is a fee per check), upload the results and a government-issued photo ID to TULIP, then schedule and pass both exams.
For either path, HHSC also checks the Employee Misconduct Registry before approving the application. Prometric sends exam scores to TULIP electronically, and HHSC updates your certificate when you pass.
Using Form 5506-NAR for Out-of-State Reciprocity
If you hold a nurse aide certification from another state and want to work in Texas, you apply through TULIP under the reciprocity process. In most cases you upload the other state’s certificate, a DPS criminal history check, a valid photo ID, and your Social Security card. Form 5506-NAR comes into the reciprocity application only when the issuing state’s certificate does not carry an expiration date. In that situation, HHSC requires a completed 5506-NAR to verify your recent employment.6Texas Health and Human Services. Become a Certified Nurse Aide in Texas The form itself is completed the same way described above: your part in Section 1, the facility’s part in Section 2, notarized, uploaded through TULIP.