The CDPH 283B is California’s initial Certified Nurse Assistant application, and filling it out correctly comes down to six sections, an accurate Social Security or ITIN number, a signature from your training program’s supervising RN, and Live Scan fingerprints mailed in alongside the form. Download the current version from the CDPH website, complete it in legible ink or electronically, and send it with your supporting documents to the Healthcare Workforce Branch in Sacramento.1California Department of Public Health. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Initial Application
Before You Start
Two things have to be true before the form will do you any good. You must be at least 16 years old, and you must have completed a CDPH-approved CNA training program.2California Department of Public Health. CNA Initial Application California Health and Safety Code Section 1337.1 sets that program at a minimum of 160 hours: 60 classroom hours covering basic nursing skills, patient safety, residents’ rights, and abuse prevention, plus 100 hours of supervised clinical practice. At least six classroom hours must address recognizing and reporting resident abuse, and at least two classroom hours and four clinical hours must cover residents with developmental and mental health conditions.3Justia Law. California Health and Safety Code 1337-1338.5
One boundary worth knowing: the 283B is for CNA certification only. If you trained as a Home Health Aide, you need the separate CDPH 283D form.4California Department of Public Health. Forms: Licensing and Certification Program
Always download the current revision directly from the CDPH forms page. The department updates the 283B periodically, and an outdated version is one of the quickest ways to get your application kicked back.
Section I: Type of Request
Check the box that matches your situation. First-time applicants finishing a CNA training program check the option for new applicants. A separate box exists for applicants seeking reconsideration of a previously denied or revoked certificate.1California Department of Public Health. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Initial Application
Section II: Personal Information
Fill in your full legal name, sex, date of birth, Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, driver’s license or state ID number, phone, and email. The form asks for two addresses: a public address that may be released under public records requests, and a confidential address CDPH keeps private. Even if you only use one address, fill in both fields.
Check your SSN or ITIN twice before you move on. A single transposed digit mismatches with Department of Justice records and stalls the background check, and it is one of the most common reasons applications sit.1California Department of Public Health. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Initial Application
Section III: Criminal History and Disciplinary Disclosures
Two yes-or-no questions. The first asks whether you have ever been convicted of any crime other than a minor traffic violation. You must disclose convictions even if a court later dismissed them under Penal Code Section 1203.4. The only exceptions are certain marijuana offenses under Health and Safety Code Sections 11361.5 and 11361.7.5California Department of Public Health. Criminal Record Review The second asks whether any health-related licensing or disciplinary authority has ever taken action against you, such as a revocation or suspension.
If either answer is yes, attach a written explanation and any supporting documents. A yes does not automatically disqualify you. CDPH reviews convictions case by case, weighing the nature and severity of the offense and how much time has passed, and asking whether the conviction is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a CNA.5California Department of Public Health. Criminal Record Review What will sink you is failing to disclose something that shows up on your Live Scan; CDPH treats that as a false statement, which is independent grounds for denial.
Section IV: Training Program Information
Enter the name, phone number, and mailing address of the school or facility where you completed CNA training, along with the California Training Program ID number assigned to that program. Record the beginning and end dates of your training. Get the Training Program ID directly from your school’s administration rather than guessing; every approved California program has a unique number.
The section is marked “if applicable” because some applicants, including those seeking reconsideration or coming from out of state, may not have trained through a California program. If you did train in California, treat this section as required.1California Department of Public Health. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Initial Application
Section V: Your Signature
Sign and date the form. Your signature certifies under penalty of perjury that everything in the application is true and correct. The form warns on its face that false, incomplete, or incorrect statements can result in denial.1California Department of Public Health. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Initial Application CDPH accepts electronic signatures; if you are completing a paper copy, use legible ink.
Section VI: Training Program Verification
You do not fill out this section. The registered nurse who supervised your training program signs here, certifying that you successfully completed state and federal nurse assistant training requirements and are eligible to take the competency exam. Make sure your program’s RN completes Section VI before you mail the form. A missing signature here is a frequent reason applications sit unprocessed, because CDPH has no way to verify your training without it.1California Department of Public Health. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Initial Application
Live Scan Fingerprinting
Every California CNA applicant must be fingerprinted electronically through Live Scan. Fill out a Request for Live Scan Service form (BCIA 8016) and take it to any authorized Live Scan site. Police stations, UPS stores, and private fingerprinting services commonly provide the service.6California Department of Justice. Forms for Applicant Agencies Your prints are transmitted electronically to the Department of Justice, which runs them against state and FBI criminal databases.7California Department of Justice. Request for Live Scan Service
Live Scan sites charge a rolling fee, typically in the range of $20 to $50 depending on the provider, and the Department of Justice and FBI each add their own processing fees collected at the time of fingerprinting. Ask the site for the total before your appointment.
If CDPH does not clear you, the department sends a Notice of Denial, and you cannot work or advertise yourself as a CNA while a denial is in effect. Denied applicants have the right to request reconsideration.5California Department of Public Health. Criminal Record Review
Where to Send the Application
Mail the completed 283B and any supporting documents to:
California Department of Public Health
Licensing and Certification Division
Healthcare Workforce Branch (HWB)
MS 3301, P.O. Box 997416
Sacramento, CA 95899-74168California Department of Public Health. Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Initial Application>
CDPH also accepts submissions through its portal. The department posts current processing dates on its website; as of late March 2026, paper applications were being processed on roughly the date they were received, and portal submissions were listed as current.9California Department of Public Health. Processing Times Timelines fluctuate with volume and background check turnaround, so check the processing times page before you draw conclusions. Keep copies of everything you mail.
Mistakes That Delay Applications
Most 283B slowdowns come from a short, preventable list:
- A mistyped SSN or ITIN that fails to match Department of Justice records.
- A blank Section VI, because the training program’s RN never signed.
- A wrong or guessed Training Program ID in Section IV.
- Convictions disclosed on Live Scan but omitted from Section III.
- An outdated version of the form downloaded from somewhere other than the current CDPH forms page.
If your application has been pending longer than the processing date posted on CDPH’s weekly-updated page, contact the Healthcare Workforce Branch. Submitting a duplicate application creates more confusion than it resolves.9California Department of Public Health. Processing Times
What Happens Next
Once CDPH processes your application and clears your background check, you receive an eligibility notice to register for the state competency exam through California’s testing vendor, Credentia Nurse Aide LLC.10California Department of Public Health. CNA Testing Vendors Pass both the written and skills portions, and CDPH adds you to the California Nurse Assistant Registry and mails your certificate to the address on your 283B.