Quick answer: Most nursing programs run a criminal background check at or before admission, and clinical placement sites run their own checks separately. These two checks are distinct from the background check the state board of nursing (BON) runs when you apply for your nursing license after graduation. Understanding all three – and when each one matters – is essential if you have any criminal history and are considering nursing school.
This guide covers the nursing school admission and clinical placement checks specifically. For what happens at the licensing stage, see our nurse background check licensing guide.
The two checks most students don’t realize are separate
Before you graduate, you will face at least two background checks – and potentially more:
Check 1: Nursing school admission background check. Many programs run a background check after you receive a conditional offer of admission and before you are fully enrolled. The purpose is to identify issues that would prevent you from completing clinical rotations (since the school cannot place you in a hospital if the hospital will not accept you).
Check 2: Clinical site background check. Each clinical placement site – the hospital, health system, or outpatient clinic – may run its own background check before allowing students on their premises. Hospital systems often have their own credentialing standards that are independent of the school’s screening. If you rotate through multiple systems over the course of your program, each may screen you separately.
Check 3 (post-graduation): BON licensing background check. When you apply to the state board of nursing for your RN or LPN license after graduation, the board runs a separate fingerprint-based background check. This is what determines whether you can be licensed as a nurse. The nursing school checks are about whether you can complete the program; the BON check is about whether you can practice.
The important distinction: passing the nursing school and clinical site checks does not guarantee you will pass the BON check. The three processes have different standards, different databases, and different adjudicators.
What nursing schools and clinical sites check
A standard nursing school background check typically includes:
- National criminal database search: Searches commercial aggregator databases covering court records from multiple states
- County-level court records: A search of the specific counties where you have lived (more thorough and more current than national databases)
- Sex offender registry: National and state registries
- OIG/SAM exclusion lists: Federal Office of Inspector General and System for Award Management exclusion lists – anyone barred from participation in federal healthcare programs appears here
- Healthcare sanctions registry: Some programs also check state nurse aide registries and healthcare worker abuse registries
Clinical sites often add:
- Motor vehicle record check (if the role ever involves transporting patients or driving duties)
- Social Security number trace (to identify all names and addresses associated with your SSN)
- Expanded multi-state search (if you have lived in multiple states)
Which offenses commonly cause problems
Not all criminal history creates the same risk at the admissions and clinical placement stage. The factors that matter most are: nature of the offense, recency, whether it involved violence or vulnerable people, and whether it directly relates to healthcare settings.
| Offense type | Typical impact on nursing school admission | Typical impact on clinical placement |
|---|---|---|
| Violent felony (assault, domestic violence, manslaughter) | Likely review; may result in denial | Many hospital systems will deny placement |
| Sexual offense / sex offender registration | Most programs deny admission | Almost universally denied placement |
| Drug-related offense (possession, DUI) | Evaluated individually; older offenses often manageable | Varies by hospital system and recency |
| Healthcare fraud or theft | High scrutiny; directly relevant to clinical setting | Often denied placement |
| Non-violent, non-healthcare-related felony | Evaluated individually; often manageable with disclosure | Varies significantly by hospital system and recency |
| Misdemeanor (general) | Lower risk; usually not disqualifying | Evaluated on type and recency |
| Arrest without conviction | Generally not disqualifying; must disclose if asked | Varies; some sites screen for pending charges |
| Expunged record | Programs usually require disclosure; impact varies | Hospital credentialing varies by state and system |
State BON early eligibility determination: do this before you start
Several states offer what is called an early eligibility determination or declaratory order process through the board of nursing. This allows you to submit your criminal record to the BON before you enroll in a nursing program and receive a formal determination of whether your history would prevent licensure.
This is the single most important step for anyone with criminal history considering nursing school. Here is why:
Nursing school takes 2–4 years. If you invest that time and money only to be denied a nursing license at the end because of your record, you have lost years and significant financial resources. An early eligibility determination tells you in advance whether the BON considers your record a bar to licensure – before you spend anything on education.
States with formal early eligibility processes include (but are not limited to): Texas, California, Florida, and several others. The process and availability vary by state. Contact your state BON directly to ask whether this option is available.
Even in states without a formal early eligibility process, you can often submit a written inquiry to the BON asking how they would evaluate your specific history. The response is not binding, but it is informative.
Timing and disclosure
When you disclose matters. Most nursing programs ask about criminal history on the application itself, before they run the background check. Lying on the application – or omitting history you were asked to disclose – is typically treated more seriously than the underlying offense. Programs and clinical sites are looking for honesty; a failure to disclose is a failure of professional integrity, which goes directly to fitness for the nursing profession.
What to disclose: Read the application question carefully. If it asks about felony convictions only, you need only disclose felonies. If it asks about all convictions including misdemeanors, disclose all of them. If it asks about arrests regardless of conviction, disclose those too. The question asked determines what you disclose.
Expunged records: Many programs and clinical sites require disclosure of expunged records when asked directly about criminal history. This is state-specific. Some states allow omission of expunged records in response to general criminal history questions; others require disclosure even after expungement for healthcare-related applications. Check your state’s specific rules before omitting anything expunged.
How to present your history: If you have prior criminal history, a brief, factual written statement accompanying your application can help. Focus on: what happened, what has changed since, and what evidence of rehabilitation you can provide (completion of required programs, stable employment, community involvement, elapsed time). Programs are looking for context and demonstrated growth.
If you are denied clinical placement after enrollment
This is the scenario that creates the most harm: a student is accepted into a nursing program, completes several semesters of classroom work, and then is denied placement at the clinical site because the hospital’s credentialing standards are stricter than the school’s admission standards.
This happens. Hospital systems – especially large academic medical centers – may have automatic exclusions for offense types that the nursing school evaluated and chose to overlook at admission.
What to do:
- Ask your program’s clinical coordinator immediately whether alternative placement sites are available with different credentialing standards.
- Understand whether the denial is permanent or whether elapsed time and additional documentation could change the outcome.
- Consult a healthcare employment attorney if you believe the denial may be unlawful.
If alternative placement cannot be arranged and you cannot complete clinical hours, you typically cannot complete the program. The credits you have earned may be transferable to a non-nursing degree, but your nursing licensure path is interrupted.
This outcome is precisely why the BON early eligibility check matters so much before you begin.
The distinction from nurse-background-check-licensing.md
Our nurse background check licensing guide covers what happens when the state board of nursing runs its fingerprint-based check at the time of your license application. That check is conducted by the BON, is fingerprint-based, uses state and federal criminal record repositories, and determines whether you can be licensed to practice nursing.
The checks described in this guide happen earlier – at the point where you are considering or beginning nursing school. They are conducted by the school and clinical sites, not the BON. They use commercial background check vendors and county court record searches rather than fingerprint databases. They determine whether you can complete the program, not whether you can ultimately be licensed.
Both matter. The earlier checks are the first gate; the BON check is the last gate. Someone can pass the admission and clinical site checks and still face challenges at the BON stage if the offense types differ in how each reviewer evaluates them.
FAQ
Do all nursing schools run background checks?
Most accredited nursing programs run some form of background check, either at admission or before clinical placement. Because students must be placed at clinical sites that require screening, programs have a practical incentive to screen early and identify issues before the student has invested significantly in the program.
Will a misdemeanor from 10 years ago prevent me from getting into nursing school?
A single, older, non-violent misdemeanor is unlikely to be disqualifying at most programs. The factors that matter most are the type of offense, how long ago it occurred, and whether you have subsequent criminal history. Honest disclosure and context about what has changed since the offense typically produce better outcomes than omission.
Can I apply to nursing school if I have a felony?
Yes, you can apply. A felony does not automatically bar you from admission at most programs. The offense type, recency, and circumstances are what determine the outcome. For a detailed breakdown of how felony convictions are evaluated in the nursing licensure context, see our can you be a nurse with a felony guide.
What if I was charged but not convicted?
Arrests without convictions are not the same as convictions and are generally not disqualifying at the program level. However, some applications ask about arrests in addition to convictions – read the question carefully and answer accurately. Hospital credentialing may also access arrest records in some cases, depending on what databases they search.
How do I find out what a specific nursing program’s policy is?
Contact the program’s admissions office directly and ask: “Does your program run a criminal background check, and what is your policy for applicants with criminal history?” Many programs have written policies available on request. If a program cannot or will not answer that question, that itself is informative. For more on what to expect from the application process overall, see our nursing school prerequisites guide.