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

Who can apply

• Washington's credential is the Nursing Assistant Certified (NAC). Since July 1, 2026, WABON, not the Department of Health, regulates nursing assistants (Senate Bill 5051). Applications still go through the DOH HELMS online system.
• You must complete an approved Washington nursing assistant training program, or other qualifying training such as an approved out-of-state program, nursing school progress, or military training.
• You must pass both parts of the competency evaluation: an in-person skills test and an online written (or oral) knowledge test.
• You must answer the personal data questions on the application and upload court documents and statements for any 'yes' answers.

Step by step

1. Complete a WABON-approved NAC training program (traditional 108 hours, or a 36-hour Home Care Aide or Medical Assistant bridge).
2. Apply for the NAC credential in the HELMS online portal and pay the $85 application fee. You get a pending credential number by email.
3. Take the in-person skills test, usually through your training program. Non-routine candidates schedule it by emailing nac.exam@doh.wa.gov.
4. After you pass the skills test, register with Credentia and pass the online (or oral) knowledge test ($55).
5. Credentia sends results to WABON. Once your training and both exams are confirmed, WABON issues your NAC.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: WAC 246-841A-440 (amended effective July 1, 2026) requires a traditional program to have at least 108 hours: 35 hours of classroom theory, 33 hours of skills lab and 40 hours of clinical training. Facility orientation does not count toward the clinical hours. Before this change the rule required 138 hours (66 theory, 32 lab, 40 clinical). The current minimum is 33 hours above the 75-hour federal minimum. Bridge programs for certified Home Care Aides and Medical Assistants require 36 hours total, including 6 clinical hours. WABON approves programs.

Exam: The NAC exam has two parts: an in-person skills test and an online knowledge test given through Credentia (NNAAP). You must pass the skills test before you register for the knowledge test. WABON lists the knowledge test at $55. Each training program sets its own skills test fee. You can take an oral version, in English or Spanish, instead of the written test. Credentia's Washington FAQ says you get four attempts to pass both parts, with no time limit. After four failures you must retrain. Under WAC 246-841A-430, training programs must allow four skills test attempts. Candidates taking the OBRA re-activation route get only one retest attempt.

What it costs in Washington

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What other sites get wrong about Washington

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Renew every year by your birthday through the HELMS portal. The fee is $95, or $145 if you renew up to one year late. If your credential has been expired for more than one year, you file a reactivation application ($197). WABON says NACs have no continuing education requirement. If your NAC has been expired for more than three years and you hold no active license in another state, you must complete a new training program and retest. Separately, Credentia's FAQ says that to stay active on the federal OBRA registry you must never go more than 24 months without paid caregiving work.

Online options: Under WAC 246-841A-440, classroom theory can be taught live online or in an approved hybrid or asynchronous online format if WABON has approved the program for it. Skills lab and clinical training are in person. The knowledge test is taken online through Credentia, and the skills test is in person.

Good to know in Washington

Transferring from another state: If you hold an active CNA credential in another state, apply by endorsement in HELMS. You provide your caregiver employment history and send WABON's verification form to every state where you have been certified.

Nursing Assistant Registered (NAR): The NAR needs no training and lets you start work right away ($85, renewed every year). An NAR hired by a nursing home must apply within three days of hire and has four months to finish approved training and testing for the NAC.

Other routes: Nursing students (many qualify after their first quarter), people with out-of-state or out-of-country training who never certified, and military-trained nursing assistants can apply for an authorization to test. Depending on the route, you submit transcripts, a CPR card, or a DD214 and JST/CCAF transcript.

Medication Assistant Endorsement: NACs with 1,000 hours of nursing home work in the past year can complete a 100-hour medication assistant program, pass a written exam and add the endorsement ($25).

Sources

• WABON - Nursing Assistant (NA) License
• WABON - Nursing Assistant Certification (NAC) Program Information
• WABON - Nurse License Fees
• WABON - Renew or Reactivate a License
• WABON - Board to Assume Regulatory Authority for Nursing Assistants Beginning July 1, 2026
• WAC 246-841A - Nursing assistants (full chapter)
• WSR 26-13-119 - Rule filing amending WAC 246-841A (effective 7/1/26)
• Credentia - Washington FAQ (NNAAP handbook)
• 42 CFR 483.152 - Requirements for approval of a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (Cornell LII)