To transfer your out-of-state Certified Nursing Assistant credential onto the Mississippi Nurse Aide Registry, you file the Mississippi CNA reciprocity form through Headmaster/TMU, the vendor that manages the registry for the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), and arrange for your current state’s registry to verify your standing directly to MSDH.1Mississippi State Department of Health. CNA (Nurse Aide) Certification and Training You will not need to repeat training or retake the competency exam if you qualify.
Who Qualifies
Three things have to be true before you start the form:
- You are currently listed on another state’s nurse aide registry as active and in good standing, and your original certification met OBRA ’87 training and competency requirements.1Mississippi State Department of Health. CNA (Nurse Aide) Certification and Training
- Your record carries no documented finding of resident abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property on any state registry.
- Your certification has not lapsed. Federal rules require states to remove a nurse aide from the registry after 24 consecutive months without performing nursing or nursing-related services, and a removed name is not eligible for reciprocity.2eCFR. 42 CFR 483.156 – Registry of Nurse Aides
One more check sits outside the registry itself. The federal Office of Inspector General maintains the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities, and Mississippi long-term care employers screen against it before hiring, so an exclusion blocks your ability to work even if MSDH accepts the application.3Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Exclusions Program
What to Gather Before You Open the Form
A missing field stalls the whole packet, because MSDH compares what you submit against what the sending state returns. Have these ready:
- Your full legal name exactly as it appears on a valid government-issued photo ID.
- Social Security Number and date of birth.
- Current mailing address and phone number.
- The state that issued your current CNA certification, your certification number, and its expiration date.
- The name and location of the nurse aide training program where you completed your original education.
Confirm your name and Social Security Number match your current state’s registry exactly. Mismatches between your application and the records the sending state transmits are a leading cause of delay.
How to Submit the Form
Step 1: Set Up a TMU Account
Mississippi’s registry runs through Headmaster/TMU rather than directly through MSDH.1Mississippi State Department of Health. CNA (Nurse Aide) Certification and Training Call 800-393-8664 to create your TMU online account. The system will not open the reciprocity form until an account exists.
Step 2: Complete the Applicant Section
Log in to the TMU portal and open the reciprocity application. Fill in the personal and credential details you gathered. Enter them carefully; this is the data Mississippi will match against the sending state’s verification.
Step 3: Have Your Current State Verify Your Standing
This is where most applicants lose time. The sending state’s registry must confirm your certification status, report any suspension or revocation, and disclose any findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property. Some states respond quickly, others take weeks, and many charge a separate verification fee paid to that state’s registry rather than to Mississippi. You are responsible for making sure the sending state completes its part. If you have not heard back within two weeks, follow up with that registry directly.
Step 4: Send the Completed Packet to MSDH
Once the sending state finishes its verification, the completed documentation goes to the Mississippi State Department of Health by email, mail, or fax. For questions about submission or the nurse aide program, call 601-364-2718.4Mississippi State Department of Health. Nurse Aide Training Courses
After You Submit
MSDH reviews the packet, confirms the sending state’s verification, and checks that your original credential meets OBRA ’87 standards. When everything clears, your name is added to the Mississippi Nurse Aide Registry and you are authorized to work.
Processing time is not published. Plan on at least two to three weeks from the date a complete packet, including the sending state’s verification, reaches MSDH. For a status check, call 601-364-2718.
Do not start work in a Mississippi long-term care facility before your name appears on the registry. Facilities face penalties for employing nurse aides who are not actively listed, and you could lose the position before your first paycheck.
Keeping Your Listing Active
Federal rules remove any nurse aide from the registry after 24 consecutive months without performing nursing or nursing-related services.2eCFR. 42 CFR 483.156 – Registry of Nurse Aides Mississippi follows that standard, and you need at least eight hours of paid nursing-related work in a licensed or certified healthcare facility within every 24-month period to stay listed. Private-duty caregiving, companion services, and similar non-facility roles generally do not count. Keep pay stubs or a payroll printout showing the facility name, your name, dates, and hours. If the certification lapses, you cannot use reciprocity a second time on the same credential; retraining and retesting become the only path back.
If You Don’t Qualify
Applicants whose certification has expired, been revoked, or carries a finding of abuse or neglect have to go through Mississippi’s full certification process: an MSDH-approved nurse aide training program followed by the competency evaluation. The federal minimum is 75 clock hours of training, and approved Mississippi programs may require more.5Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. State Operations Manual – Transmittal R14SOM A list of approved training courses is available by calling the MSDH Nurse Aide Office at 601-364-2718.4Mississippi State Department of Health. Nurse Aide Training Courses