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

Checked against Wyoming State Board of Nursing (WSBN); training programs approved by the Wyoming Department of Health, Healthcare Licensing and Surveys · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: All certificates expire December 31 of even-numbered years. If you are certified in an even year, you must renew by December 31 of that same year.
State fee: $60 CNA certification by examination plus a $60 DCI background check fee, both paid to WSBN (Chapter 5, effective 05/26/2026). Card payments add a 2.4% processing fee (minimum $1).
Certified by: Wyoming State Board of Nursing (WSBN); training programs approved by the Wyoming Department of Health, Healthcare Licensing and Surveys

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Who can apply

You must complete a state-approved CNA training and competency evaluation program. The Wyoming Department of Health oversees CNA training programs.
You must submit the application and fees, plus two fingerprint cards for a state and FBI background check (DCI).
You must pass the NATCEP or a similar national exam.
Your application must include proof of lawful presence, such as your Social Security card plus another document listed on the application. WSBN says there are no automatic disqualifiers for criminal history. Each case is reviewed.

Step by step

Complete a Wyoming Department of Health-approved CNA training program.
Create a Nurse Portal account and submit the CNA by Examination application with the $60 fee and the $60 DCI background check fee.
Mail or drop off two fingerprint cards (printed on cardstock) to WSBN.
Pay Headmaster's testing fees in TMU (wy.tmutest.com) and schedule your knowledge and skills tests.
Pass both parts. You have up to five attempts within two years after graduation.
WSBN issues your CNA certificate. Wyoming issues no paper licenses, so you verify through the WSBN CNA lookup.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: WSBN and the Wyoming Department of Health do not publish a state hour minimum above the federal rule. The Department of Health links to 42 CFR 483 Subpart D, which requires at least 75 clock hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training. Each program lists its classroom and supervised practical hours on the Department of Health's program application (HLS/CNA-101). The Department of Health publishes the approved program list (HLS/CNA-107).

Exam: D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) gives Wyoming's nurse aide exam: a multiple-choice knowledge test and a skills test. Headmaster's Wyoming handbook (version 2, updated August 2024) says the knowledge test has 60 questions and you need 76% to pass. The skills test includes randomly selected tasks. Fees are $32 for the knowledge test (or retake), $42 for the audio knowledge test and $95 for the skills test (or retake). WSBN Chapter 2 limits you to five attempts within the two years after graduation. WSBN says virtual (remote) knowledge testing is available.

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

What it costs in Wyoming

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

CNA training program tuition$
WSBN CNA certification by examination$60
WSBN DCI background check$60
Fingerprinting by local law enforcement (if charged)$
Headmaster knowledge test$32
Headmaster skills test$95
Temporary permit (Graduate Nurse Aide)(optional)$25

Estimated total in Wyoming$247Plus 2 items with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Headmaster exam fees: knowledge $32 (audio $42) and skills $95, so $127 for both parts the first time.
Fingerprinting: two fingerprint cards. WSBN says most local police agencies can take them, and some charge a fee.
Optional temporary permit (Graduate Nurse Aide), valid up to 120 days: $25.
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.

Pay in Wyoming

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

How long it takes

WSBN says the whole process averages 45-60 days from when it receives your complete application, and DCI generally takes 15-30 days to process your background check after WSBN receives your fingerprint cards.

What other sites get wrong about Wyoming

Myth: Wyoming CNA graduates sit for the Prometric exam.

Fact: WSBN says Wyoming nurse aide testing is done through D&S Diversified Technologies (Headmaster) at wy.tmutest.com, which also offers virtual knowledge testing. source

Myth: Out-of-state CNAs moving to Wyoming must show work in the past 24 months and 24 hours of in-service education.

Fact: WSBN Chapter 2 (effective 12/17/2025) requires endorsement applicants to show competency in the past two years by one of these: 400 hours of CNA work, 40 hours of continuing education, or passing the NATCEP. source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Renew online through the Nurse Portal by December 31 of every even-numbered year. Applications open by October 1. The renewal fee is normally $50, but WSBN Chapter 5 waives renewal fees from October 1 through December 31, 2026. Under WSBN Chapter 2, Section 14 (effective 12/17/2025), you must show one of these in the past two years: 400 hours of work as a CNA, 40 hours of continuing education, or passing the NATCEP again. Headmaster's August 2024 handbook lists older options (400 hours; or 200 hours plus 15 CE hours; or 30 CE hours; or the exam), but the Board's current rule controls.

Online options: WSBN says virtual knowledge testing is available for CNA candidates through Headmaster. The skills test is in person. The Board's pages do not say whether training can be done online.

Good to know in Wyoming

Transferring from another state: Apply by endorsement in the Nurse Portal. You need proof of an approved training and competency program, verification of your active certificate from another state (WSBN CNA Verification Form) and of your first certification by exam, fingerprint cards and fees ($60 plus $60 DCI), and proof of competency under Chapter 2, Section 14.

Temporary permit: WSBN can issue a one-time Graduate Nurse Aide temporary permit for up to 120 days ($25) with your initial or endorsement application. You are not eligible if you have criminal history in the last 5 years, and the Board can revoke it at any time.

Nursing home registry: The Wyoming Department of Health keeps a separate CNA registry for certified nursing homes and swing beds. It lists only fully certified CNAs, not temporary permit holders. You request placement on form HLS/CNA-109.

Advanced roles: CNA II and Medication Aide-Certified (MA-C) are added certifications ($5 each) after Board-approved courses.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Wyoming State Board of Nursing (WSBN); training programs approved by the Wyoming Department of Health, Healthcare Licensing and Surveys before you apply.