Compact status
Nurse Licensure Compact member
AL · Internationally educated nurses
Alabama RN license requirements
A researched starting point for applying to Alabama Board of Nursing, including education review, English rules, identification requirements, background checks, and the NCLEX sequence.
Credential evaluation
A complete education report is required before applying. The Board names TruMerit (formerly CGFNS), ERES, and Josef Silny & Associates as accepted services.
English requirement
Required when nursing courses and textbooks were not taught in English. The Board lists IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, MET, and OET and publishes minimum scores.
SSN requirement
An application may be processed without an SSN, but the Board will not issue the license until it receives a copy of a valid Social Security card. Multistate licensure also requires a valid U.S. SSN.
Background check
Applicants must satisfy the Board’s good-moral-character and criminal-background requirements; the multistate pathway requires state and federal fingerprint-based checks.
Education review
The foreign program must be approved in its country and substantially meet Alabama program-content criteria. The applicant must make up identified educational deficiencies.
Application sequence
How to apply in Alabama
- 1
Order the complete education report and have it sent to the Board.
- 2
Submit the Alabama licensure-by-examination application and supporting legal-presence material.
- 3
Submit English results when required and resolve any education deficiency.
- 4
Register with Pearson VUE; test after Alabama declares eligibility and Pearson issues the ATT.
- 5
Provide the Social Security card before license issuance.
Documents to prepare
- Complete education report
- English score report if applicable
- Citizenship/legal-presence evidence
- Social Security card before issuance
- Name or disciplinary records when applicable
Verify before paying
- • The foreign-graduate page and general examination FAQ describe the SSN timing differently; the FAQ expressly says processing may begin without one.
- • Confirm the currently required background-check method in the live application instructions.
Apply through the official board
This guide helps you compare requirements; it is not the application. Check the current instructions from Alabama Board of Nursing before ordering reports or submitting documents.
Official sources reviewed
Research checked 2026-07-22. Requirements can change.
General educational information only. The state board is the authority on licensure eligibility; immigration authorization is a separate process.