How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in Vermont

Checked against Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: All LNA licenses expire November 30 of even-numbered years. A first license issued 90 days or less before that date runs through the next full two-year period. One issued 91 or more days before it must be renewed at the upcoming renewal.
State fee: $25 LNA application fee to OPR (non-refundable). The renewal fee is $65 (OPR fee chart updated 7/1/2025).
Certified by: Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State)

Take the free CNA practice test →

Who can apply

Vermont calls the credential a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) license, issued by the Board of Nursing through the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR).
You must have completed, within two years of applying, a nursing assistant education program approved by the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL), or an equivalent program in another U.S. state. RN or LPN students who have completed equivalent studies also qualify.
You must complete a federal (FBI) fingerprint criminal background check.
You must pass a competency exam approved by DAIL.

Step by step

Complete a DAIL-approved nursing assistant training program (at least 75 hours).
Apply for an LNA license by examination in OPR's Online Services System and pay the $25 non-refundable application fee.
If you trained outside Vermont, have your school email a Verification of Education form to OPR. OPR already has records for Vermont programs.
After OPR approves your education, it sends you an authorization to take the written and skills exams.
Register with Excel Testing, upload your OPR authorization letter to your Excel portal, pay the $200 exam fee and pass both parts.
Get fingerprinted using the Fingerprint Authorization Certificate OPR emails you, and upload your fingerprint receipt to your online account.
OPR issues your LNA license after the background check results arrive. With passing exam results and a fingerprint receipt you can ask for a one-time 90-day provisional license while you wait.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: DAIL's Division of Licensing and Protection says an approved nurse aide training program must be at least 75 clock hours. That includes at least 59 hours of curriculum instruction and 16 hours of supervised practical training with a live person in a lab or other setting. This equals the 75-hour federal minimum. DAIL approves the programs and publishes the list.

Exam: Excel Testing is the testing vendor linked from OPR's LNA page. The exam has a written test and a skills test, both given the same day. The written test has 60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes and you need 70% to pass. An oral version is available if you ask in advance. The skills test has four randomly chosen skills in 30 minutes. The written and skills tests cost $200 together. If you fail one part you retake only that part, and retakes cost extra. Board rule 10-2 says that after three failed attempts you must repeat an approved training program. You must apply within two years of finishing training. OPR's February 2026 instructions call the authorization one for the 'NNAAP' written and skills exams, but the vendor OPR links to for LNA testing is Excel Testing.

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

What it costs in Vermont

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

Nursing assistant training tuition$
OPR LNA application fee$25
Excel Testing written + skills exam$200
Fingerprinting (Vermont Identification Center or police agency)$

Estimated total in Vermont$225Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Excel Testing exam: $200 for the written and skills tests together. There is an extra fee to retest.
Fingerprinting: you are printed at a Vermont Identification Center or a local police agency. OPR does not state the fee.
Training tuition varies by program. Under the federal rule (42 CFR 483.152(c)), a nursing home cannot charge you for training if it employs you, or has offered you a job, when training starts. If a nursing home hires you within 12 months after you finish, you are reimbursed for training costs.

Help while you start out in Vermont

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

How long it takes

OPR asks first-time applicants to allow at least 5 full business days for application processing. Once the Vermont Crime Information Center receives your fingerprints, background check results can take 6-12 weeks.

What other sites get wrong about Vermont

Myth: Vermont LNA students pay a $20 application fee to the Vermont Board of Nursing.

Fact: OPR's fee chart (updated 7/1/2025) lists the Licensed Nursing Assistant application fee as $25 and the renewal fee as $65. source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Renew online every two years by November 30 of even-numbered years. The fee is $65, and the renewal application opens six weeks before your license expires. You must show, through a job description or other employer verification, at least 50 days (400 hours) of work as a nursing assistant, or in a similar role, in the two years before renewal. If you do not meet that work requirement and your license has been lapsed fewer than five years, you must pass the LNA skills and written exams to renew (if you fail, you must repeat a nursing assistant education program and the exams, under 26 V.S.A. § 1645). If it has been lapsed five years or more, you must repeat the education program and pass both exams. Expired licensees also need a new fingerprint background check.

Good to know in Vermont

Transferring from another state: If you have been licensed in another state for fewer than three years, apply by endorsement. Your original state and your most recent state must send verification, and you need at least 50 days (400 hours) of nursing assistant work in the last two years. If you have held the license in good standing for three or more years, you can use Fast Track Endorsement, which needs only verification from your most recent state. All first-time applicants need the FBI fingerprint check.

Provisional license: Under 3 V.S.A. § 130, OPR can issue a one-time 90-day provisional license while you wait for background check results. You must upload proof that your fingerprints and authorization form were sent to the Vermont Crime Information Center. It cannot be extended.

Military medics: Active-duty service members, and veterans honorably discharged within the past two years, who trained as Armed Forces medics and hold NREMT certification can apply by endorsement. They upload military ID or a DD214, their technical school training records and their NREMT certification.

Nursing students: RN or LPN students can apply for LNA licensure if their nursing school sends OPR a Verification of Education form showing studies equivalent to an LNA program.

Late renewal and reinstatement: Late renewal applications are subject to penalty fees, which may be waived in some cases (for example, if you did not practice in Vermont while lapsed); request a waiver in the online licensing system. A license expired more than two years requires reinstatement, including a new federal criminal background check (Board Rules 4-9 and 4-10).

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State) before you apply.