Compact status
Nurse Licensure Compact member
OH · Internationally educated nurses
Ohio RN license requirements
A researched starting point for applying to Ohio Board of Nursing, including education review, English rules, identification requirements, background checks, and the NCLEX sequence.
Credential evaluation
An applicant educated outside the United States must arrange a course-by-course credentials evaluation from a Board-accepted service; use the current foreign-educated applicant instructions in the eLicense application to select the report and recipient.
English requirement
The Board's international-applicant materials require evidence of English proficiency unless the stated education/language exception applies. Accepted test, score, and exemption details must be confirmed in the current application instructions.
SSN requirement
Ohio eLicense asks for an SSN. Ohio law provides a process for applicants who do not have one; use the Board/eLicense instructions rather than entering an invented number.
Background check
Complete both Ohio BCI and FBI criminal-record checks using the Board's nursing-applicant reason codes; results must be sent directly to the Board.
Education review
The Board determines whether the evaluated program is comparable to an Ohio-approved prelicensure program. Do not assume that a favorable private evaluation guarantees eligibility.
Application sequence
How to apply in Ohio
- 1
Create an Ohio eLicense account and submit RN licensure by examination.
- 2
Order the required international credentials evaluation and English results, if applicable, for direct delivery.
- 3
Complete BCI/FBI checks and register separately with Pearson VUE.
- 4
The Board makes the candidate eligible; Pearson VUE then issues the ATT.
Documents to prepare
- Credentials evaluation
- English score or exemption evidence
- BCI and FBI results
- Identity and lawful-presence responses
- Name-change documents when applicable
Verify before paying
- • The public Board pages route detailed international requirements into eLicense/checklists; verify the current accepted evaluator and English thresholds before ordering a report.
- • A multistate license requires Ohio to be the applicant's primary state of residence and requires all NLC uniform licensure requirements, including a valid SSN.
Apply through the official board
This guide helps you compare requirements; it is not the application. Check the current instructions from Ohio 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.