Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) relocate for all kinds of reasons – a partner’s job, family, cost of living, or a better-paying market. Whatever the reason, working as a CNA in a new state means getting onto that state’s nurse aide registry before you start.
One point of terminology matters before anything else. CNAs are not licensed in the way that RNs and LPNs are. Federal law requires each state to maintain a nurse aide registry listing every individual who has completed an approved training and competency evaluation program, and employment eligibility comes from being listed on that registry in good standing [1]. What people call “transferring your CNA license” is more precisely a transfer of your registry listing, usually handled through a process states call reciprocity or endorsement.
That distinction has a practical consequence. The Nurse Licensure Compact, which lets RNs and LPNs hold one multistate license valid across the 40 states that have implemented it, does not cover nurse aides [2]. There is no CNA equivalent of the compact. Every state handles incoming CNAs through its own registry rules, which is why the process varies so much from one state to the next.
How CNA reciprocity works
Most states will place an incoming CNA on their registry by reciprocity if you meet two conditions: you completed a training and competency evaluation program that satisfies the federal standard, and you are currently listed on another state’s registry as active and in good standing [3]. Meeting both usually means you avoid retaking the competency exam.
The federal standard behind that first condition is set in regulation. An approved nurse aide training and competency evaluation program must run at least 75 clock hours, including a minimum of 16 hours of supervised practical training [4]. States are free to require more, and many do – so a program that met the federal floor in a low-hour state may fall short of the receiving state’s own requirement. This is one of the more common reasons a reciprocity application is denied.
Reciprocity is also not universal. Some states decline to accept transfers from particular states whose training requirements they consider insufficient. Tennessee, for example, accepts reciprocity from every state except Florida; a CNA moving from Florida to Tennessee must retrain and retest [5]. Check the receiving state’s registry rules specifically rather than assuming reciprocity is automatic.
A typical reciprocity application asks for:
- A completed reciprocity or endorsement application form for the receiving state
- Government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license
- Your Social Security number
- Proof of your current registry listing in the state you are leaving
- Documentation of your CNA training program and competency evaluation
- Proof of recent paid employment as a nurse aide, often a pay stub or employer letter
- A criminal background check, which most states require before registry placement
Before sending your application, ask the receiving state’s registry whether documents should come from you directly or be transmitted by your current state’s registry. Some states require registry-to-registry verification and will not accept applicant-supplied copies.
Keep your current registry listing active
Timing matters more than most CNAs expect. Federal regulation requires a state to remove an individual from its nurse aide registry after 24 consecutive months without performing any nursing or nursing-related services for pay [1]. If your listing has lapsed under that rule, you are no longer in good standing, and reciprocity is generally off the table – you would need to complete a new competency evaluation, and in some cases retrain entirely.
If you are planning a move and expect a gap between jobs, this is worth tracking. Working even a small number of paid nurse aide hours within the 24-month window preserves your active status. Confirm your current standing with your existing registry before you apply anywhere else.
Steps for transferring your CNA registry listing
Whichever state you are moving to, the sequence is broadly the same:
- Contact your current state’s nurse aide registry early and confirm in writing that your listing is active and in good standing.
- Contact the receiving state’s registry before you move and ask directly whether it accepts reciprocity from your state, and what its training-hour requirement is.
- Gather your Social Security number, proof of recent paid employment, documentation of your training program and competency evaluation, and be prepared for a criminal background check.
- If the receiving state does not grant reciprocity in your case, expect to sit its competency evaluation, which under federal rules covers both a written or oral knowledge test and a skills demonstration [4].
- Confirm whether the receiving state imposes additional conditions, such as extra training hours or continuing education, before adding you to its registry.
Build in time for this. Registry processing runs on the receiving state’s timeline, not yours, and starting work as a nurse aide in a Medicare or Medicaid certified facility before you are listed is not permitted [1]. Beginning the process several weeks before you relocate is the single most useful thing you can do.
Pay expectations may shift with the move as well. Nursing assistant wages vary substantially between states, and BLS publishes state-level estimates for the occupation (SOC 31-1131) that are worth checking against your destination before you commit [6]. For a fuller picture of the role and its requirements, see the guide to becoming a CNA.
References
- U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Registry of nurse aides, 42 CFR § 483.156.” Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, Part 483, Subpart D. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section-483.156
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing. “Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC): Implementation status and participating states.” NCSBN, accessed August 2026. The NLC covers RN and LPN/VN licenses and does not extend to nurse aides. https://www.nursecompact.com/
- U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Requirements that must be met by states and state agencies: Nurse aide training and competency evaluation, 42 CFR Part 483, Subpart D.” Code of Federal Regulations. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D
- U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program, 42 CFR § 483.152.” Code of Federal Regulations – establishes the 75 clock hour minimum and 16 hours of supervised practical training. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section-483.152
- Tennessee Department of Health. “Nurse aide information: Reciprocity requirements.” Division of Licensure and Regulation, accessed August 2026. https://www.tn.gov/hfc/division-of-licensure-and-regulation/nurse-aide-information.html
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: 31-1131 Nursing Assistants.” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, released May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes311131.htm
- Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA ‘87), Pub. L. No. 100-203 – the federal statute establishing state nurse aide training, competency evaluation, and registry requirements. https://www.congress.gov/bill/100th-congress/house-bill/3545
- U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Nurse aide training and competency evaluation program requirements: Competency evaluation, 42 CFR § 483.154.” Code of Federal Regulations. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-D/section-483.154