To transfer a CNA license to Arizona, you apply for endorsement through the Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN) using its online Nurse Portal. You will not have to repeat a training program or retake the competency exam, provided your out-of-state certification is current and you have worked as a nursing assistant recently. Before you start, you have to pick between two Arizona credentials: the free Registry CNA or the Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA), which requires a fee and a fingerprint clearance card.
Choose Your Arizona Credential First
Arizona runs two nursing assistant credentials, and you cannot hold both at the same time. The endorsement application asks you to choose one up front, so make the decision before you log in.
The Registry CNA is free. There is no criminal background check, and renewal every two years requires only eight hours of nursing assistant work in that window.1Arizona State Board of Nursing. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) and Certified Medication Assistant (CMA) Questions and Answers
The LNA costs $50 to apply, requires a fingerprint clearance card, and carries a 160-hour practice requirement every two years.1Arizona State Board of Nursing. Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) and Certified Medication Assistant (CMA) Questions and Answers Some hospitals and skilled nursing facilities prefer or require the LNA. If you plan to work full-time, the 160-hour threshold is easy to clear, and the real trade-off comes down to the upfront cost and background check.
Who Qualifies for Endorsement
The same eligibility rules apply to both credentials:
- Your out-of-state CNA certification must be current, unencumbered, and listed on that state’s nurse aide registry.
- You must have worked as a nursing assistant within the past 24 months.2Arizona State Board of Nursing. CNA and LNA Endorsement Process
- You completed a state-approved nursing assistant training program of at least 120 hours. If your program ran between 75 and 119 hours, you can still qualify by documenting at least 45 hours of paid CNA employment to make up the gap.3Arizona State Board of Nursing. Apply for a License
If your certification has been expired for more than two years, or you have not practiced within 24 months, endorsement is likely off the table and Arizona would route you to the competency exam instead.
What to Have Ready Before You Open the Portal
Missing paperwork is the most common reason applications stall. Pull everything together first:
- Full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number.
- Every CNA certification you have ever held: state, license number, issue and expiration dates, and current status.
- Official transcripts or a completion certificate from your training program showing total hours. If the program was under 120 hours, add documentation of your paid CNA work hours.
- Employment history with dates, employer names, and hours worked as a CNA, covering the 24-month recency requirement.
- Any disciplinary actions on your license in any state, and any criminal history. Disclose everything. Omissions cause far more trouble than the underlying facts.
- For LNA applicants only: your Arizona fingerprint clearance card.
The Fingerprint Clearance Card (LNA Applicants)
Registry CNA applicants can skip this section. Everyone applying for the LNA needs a fingerprint clearance card issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which is a separate agency from the AZBN. You apply through the DPS Public Services Portal, and the processing fee is $67, non-refundable whether the card is approved or denied.4Arizona Department of Public Safety. Fingerprint Clearance Card
Once you submit through the DPS portal, you have two ways to be fingerprinted. If you are already in Arizona, get printed electronically at an approved vendor. If you are still out of state, use a paper fingerprint card taken by a local law enforcement office or a third-party service, then mail it to DPS. DPS offices do not do fingerprinting themselves.4Arizona Department of Public Safety. Fingerprint Clearance Card
Start early. Card processing can take several weeks, and your LNA application will sit incomplete without it. Total out-of-pocket for LNA endorsement runs about $117 (the $50 AZBN fee plus the $67 DPS fee), before any vendor fingerprinting charges.
Submitting the Endorsement Application
Applications go through the AZBN’s Nurse Portal. Create an account on the AZBN website if you don’t have one, log in, and select either CNA by Endorsement or LNA by Endorsement based on the credential you chose.5Arizona State Board of Nursing. Instructions for Transferring CNA Certificate to Arizona
The form walks through personal information, training, employment, and disciplinary and criminal history. Upload transcripts, completion certificates, and employment verification where the portal prompts. LNA applicants attach their fingerprint clearance card information as well.
Review every field before submitting. A misspelled employer name or a wrong digit on a license number triggers a verification request and adds weeks. Save the confirmation screen and the confirmation email once you submit.
What Happens After You Submit
The AZBN reviews applications in the order received. Clean applications with complete documents move faster; anything requiring investigation into criminal history or prior discipline takes noticeably longer. You can track status through the Nurse Portal, and if the Board needs more information, it will message you there. The review effectively pauses until you respond, so answer quickly.
Once approved, your credential appears in the AZBN’s online verification system. No physical license is mailed by default. Employers verify through the AZBN’s public license lookup, so check that your listing is accurate before your first shift.
One important limit: you cannot work as a nursing assistant in Arizona while your endorsement is pending. The credential has to be issued first. Apply well before your intended start date.
Renewing Your Arizona Credential
Both credentials renew every two years on your birthday.6Arizona State Board of Nursing. Renew Your License The Registry CNA renews free and requires only 8 hours of nursing assistant work in the two-year period. The LNA requires 160 hours of practice and a $50 renewal fee.7Arizona State Board of Nursing. Practice Hours Requirement Evaluation
For anyone working even part-time, 160 hours across two years works out to roughly two hours per week. Track your hours as you go with a simple spreadsheet listing dates, employers, and shift hours. Miss the deadline and you go through reinstatement; let the credential lapse for more than two years and Arizona may require the full competency exam.