Step 9: Get your California RN license
The last step is your license from the California Board of Registered Nursing. You apply, complete fingerprints, and pass the NCLEX. Then the BRN issues your license.
What to do
- Create a BreEZe account. The BRN recommends applying online.
- Start the "RN Initial Exam Application." Attach any documents the instructions ask for. The BRN says attaching as much as you can helps reduce follow-up letters.
- Pay the application fee by credit card.
- Your school sends your transcript. California Board-approved programs send transcripts to the BRN electronically when you finish.
- Complete Live Scan fingerprints. Apply first. After you submit, the BRN emails you a Live Scan form and instructions. Live Scan must be done at a vendor in California.
- Track your application in BreEZe or on the BRN’s Application Status and Details page.
If you need testing accommodations, the BRN application lets you attach a request form. If you’ve had discipline on another healthcare license, the instructions explain what to send.
How long it takes
- California exam applications: 10–12 weeks, per the BRN’s posted processing times (updated Sept 24, 2026). The BRN notes these are general guidelines and can vary.
- Live Scan results: the BRN says results typically arrive within a couple of weeks, often within 72 hours in BreEZe.
- Interim permit (optional): issued within 24–48 hours after your exam application is approved, if you requested and paid for one.
Typical costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| RN exam application, California graduate | $300 |
| Interim permit (optional) | $100 |
| Live Scan fingerprinting | DOJ and FBI government fees (the DOJ’s posted schedule lists $32 state + $17 federal for licenses; it is dated 2012 and subject to change), plus the Live Scan site’s rolling fee, which varies by location. |
| Manual fingerprint card processing (only if you can’t do Live Scan in California) | $49 |
The BRN says application fees are not refundable or transferable.
Your SEAPHE tool
- Schools A–Z: your program page links the BRN sources we use.
You’re done. Welcome to nursing. Back to the overview.
Sources
- BRN, Licensure by Examination, https://www.rn.ca.gov/applicants/lic-exam.shtml (Checked Oct 13, 2026)
- BRN, Applicant Fingerprint Information, https://www.rn.ca.gov/applicants/fpinstruct.shtml (Checked Oct 13, 2026)
- BRN, Fees, https://www.rn.ca.gov/consumers/fees.shtml (Checked Oct 13, 2026)
- BRN, Processing Times, https://www.rn.ca.gov/times.shtml (Checked Oct 13, 2026; page updated 9/24/2026)
- California DOJ, Live Scan locations, https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations (linked from the BRN page)