How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in New Hampshire

Checked against New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: 2 years
State fee: $66 non-refundable LNA application fee, which includes the mandatory $28 Professionals' Health Program (PHP) fee.
Certified by: New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC)

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Who can apply

New Hampshire licenses nursing assistants as Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs). No one may practice as a nursing assistant without a license.
You must complete a Board-approved nursing assistant education program, or fundamentals of nursing from a Board-approved nursing program, or its equivalent.
You must pass the written and clinical competency tests.
You must complete a state (NH State Police) and FBI criminal background check with fingerprints.

Step by step

Complete a Board-approved LNA education program (at least 100 hours).
Pass the written and clinical skills competency tests and get the final report of your results.
Complete the criminal background check: schedule and pay for fingerprinting through the NH Department of Safety portal (out of state: FD-258 card).
Apply online for LNA License by Competency Examination in the OPLC online licensing portal and pay the $66 fee.
Upload your education program certificate and the final written and clinical test report.
OPLC reviews your application and emails you; check your license status online.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: New Hampshire's nursing assistant rules (Nur 702.01) require at least 100 clock hours: 40 hours of theory and 60 hours of clinical experience, including 16 hours of listed topics before any direct patient contact. That is 25 hours above the federal 75-hour minimum. The Board of Nursing approves programs. Note: Nur 700 expired on April 14, 2024; the Board's readoption proposal (November 2025) keeps the same 100-hour rule.

Exam: You must pass a written (or oral) test and a clinical skills test; OPLC requires the final report of both results with your application. Under the Board's rules the state competency evaluation is graded pass or fail, and the skills part covers at least 5 nursing-related activities evaluated by a New Hampshire registered nurse. (The rules' 'grade of 70 or greater' applies to your training program's own theory exams, not the state test.) OPLC's pages do not name a testing vendor or state exam fees, retake limits or a deadline after training.

Practice for the CNA written exam free — physical care skills, safety & infection control, and the nurse aide role →

What it costs in New Hampshire

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

OPLC LNA application fee (includes $28 PHP fee)$66
State and FBI criminal background check (NH Department of Safety)$50
Written and clinical competency tests$
LNA education program tuition$

Estimated total in New Hampshire$116Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

FBI and state criminal background check: $50 (NH Department of Safety, per OPLC instructions). Local police may charge an extra fingerprinting fee.
Competency test fee: not stated by OPLC.
Training tuition varies by program. Federal rule: if a nursing home employs you or has offered you a job when you start training, you cannot be charged for the training or its books.

Pay in New Hampshire

Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in New Hampshire after taxes.

Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in New Hampshire by household size.

How long it takes

OPLC says to allow 10 to 14 business days for the initial review of an application and its first email to you.

What other sites get wrong about New Hampshire

Myth: The New Hampshire LNA application fee is $35.

Fact: OPLC lists the LNA application fee as $66, which includes the mandatory $28 Professionals' Health Program fee. source

Myth: The New Hampshire background check processing fee is $48.25.

Fact: OPLC's background check instructions state the FBI criminal background check fee is $50.00. source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Licenses issued since July 15, 2023 expire two years from the issue date. Renew online ($66). Under Board rule Nur 401.05(d) you must affirm ONE of the following: at least 200 hours of nursing assistant work (paid or unpaid, or qualifying care of a family member under a licensed nurse) in the 2 years before you apply; at least 24 contact hours of continuing education in the 2 years before you apply; or completion of a board-approved nursing assistant education program within the 2 years before you apply. (Older rule Nur 403.02 also lists 12 contact hours of continuing education per year, which passing a state nursing assistant exam can satisfy.) An expired license cannot be renewed in the portal: use the paper reinstatement application if it expired less than 1 year ago, or apply again online if more than 1 year.

Online options: OPLC does not state that any part of LNA training or testing may be done online. Applications and renewals are filed online.

Good to know in New Hampshire

Transferring from another state: Apply for LNA License by Endorsement (reciprocity) online with the $66 fee, a criminal background check, and verification of your active out-of-state nursing assistant license. Under Board rule Nur 302.05(c) you also need at least 200 hours of nursing assistant work in the 2 years before you apply, plus either 24 contact hours of continuing education in those 2 years or a competency evaluation passed in those 2 years. A temporary license application is also available for out-of-state licensees.

Other routes: People with comparable education from the past 5 years can file a Pre-Approval Application for Nursing Assistant Competency Testing; approval is valid for 120 days. RN/LPN programs with an approved LNA pathway and an alternate-experience route (for military members with an enlisted occupational code, and nationally registered EMTs or paramedics) are also listed by OPLC.

Training cost reimbursement: OPLC links a New Hampshire Nursing Assistant Reimbursement form for students and graduates.

Temporary license while your background check is pending: Under RSA 326-B:24 III, an LNA applicant who has passed the competency exam and is waiting only on the criminal history record check gets a temporary license, if they passed a criminal history check through a Board-approved nursing assistant education program within the prior 12 months. A temporary license lasts until the Board decides on your permanent license or 180 days, whichever is less, and you must work under the supervision of a New Hampshire-licensed RN.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) before you apply.