Healthcare Resource
Virginia RN License 2026: VABN Endorsement, Fees & Timeline
In brief
How to get your Virginia RN license in 2026. Virginia Board of Nursing endorsement, SIRCON portal, NLC compact rules, IdentoGO fingerprinting, and 4-8 week timeline.
Steps at a glance
Confirm compact privilege or endorsement need
Virginia is an NLC compact state. If you hold a compact RN license from another compact state and Virginia is not your primary state of residence, you may practice in VA under your home-state compact privilege. If Virginia will become your primary state of residence, you must obtain a Virginia RN license through endorsement.
Submit your endorsement application via SIRCON or VAHP
Virginia uses the SIRCON online licensing portal (accessed through the Department of Health Professions at dhp.virginia.gov). Create an account, select "Registered Nurse, Endorsement," complete the application, and pay the endorsement fee (~$130; verify the current amount at dhp.virginia.gov).
Authorize Nursys electronic license verification
Virginia participates in Nursys. Authorize Nursys to release your current license record to the Virginia Board of Nursing (VABN) within your SIRCON application. If your state is not on Nursys, request paper verification from your state board and mail it to VABN in Richmond. Paper verification adds 2-3 weeks.
Complete IdentoGO fingerprinting for background check
Virginia requires electronic fingerprinting through IdentoGO. Schedule your appointment at identogo.com using the Virginia Board of Nursing service code. Pay the fingerprinting fee (~$40-50) and attend your appointment. Fingerprint results transmit electronically to VABN and the Virginia State Police.
Monitor your application on the SIRCON portal
Track your application status on SIRCON / dhp.virginia.gov. Complete applications with Nursys verification and cleared fingerprinting typically process in 4-8 weeks. Your license number appears in the public VABN verification lookup at dhp.virginia.gov when issued.
Plan for CE at renewal
Virginia RN licenses renew every two years. Renewal requires 30 contact hours of continuing education, including mandatory topic hours in specific areas designated by VABN (verify current mandatory topics at dhp.virginia.gov before renewing). Retain all CE certificates for a minimum of 4 years.
In this article
Virginia is a major East Coast healthcare market, driven by the Washington D.C. metro area, the Hampton Roads corridor, and a growing Richmond healthcare hub. Major systems including Inova Health System, HCA Healthcare Virginia, VCU Health, Sentara Healthcare, and the large Department of Defense and VA medical network operate statewide. The Virginia Board of Nursing (VABN), part of the Virginia Department of Health Professions, administers RN licensure at dhp.virginia.gov.
Is Virginia an NLC compact state?
Yes. Virginia is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member. Virginia-licensed RNs with Virginia as their primary state of residence hold multistate compact licenses valid in all other NLC compact states. Nurses residing in other compact states may work in Virginia using their home-state compact privilege without a separate Virginia endorsement.
Endorsement fees (2026)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Endorsement application (SIRCON) | ~$130 |
| IdentoGO fingerprinting (background check) | ~$40-50 |
| Nursys electronic verification (if applicable) | $30 |
| Estimated total | ~$200-$210 |
Continuing education for renewal
Virginia RN licenses renew every two years. Renewal requires 30 contact hours of continuing education. VABN designates mandatory topic areas within those 30 hours each renewal cycle (verify the current required topics at dhp.virginia.gov before renewing, the mandatory topics are updated by board regulation). CE must come from providers approved by a recognized nursing CE accreditor (ANCC, ACEN, or equivalent).
Timeline expectations
Complete endorsement applications with Nursys electronic verification and cleared IdentoGO fingerprinting typically process in 4-8 weeks. Virginia does not issue temporary permits for nurses pending endorsement. Applications requiring paper license verification from non-Nursys states add 2-3 weeks. Plan your submission timing to make sure your Virginia license is active before your target start date at a Virginia facility.
What we see at Ava Health
Virginia generates strong nursing demand in our pipeline, particularly in the Northern Virginia / DC metro area (Inova Fairfax, HCA Reston), the Hampton Roads corridor (Sentara, Riverside), and the Richmond market (VCU Health, Bon Secours). Military-adjacent markets (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Quantico corridor) drive unique demand for nurses with DOD or VA facility experience. Virginia's NLC compact membership makes it a clean destination for nurses from other compact states seeking East Coast assignments.
Related: Travel Nurse Salary Guide, North Carolina RN License Guide, Georgia RN License Guide, Nurse Practitioner Salary Guide.
Sources and related links
These external links also appear in the article.
- dhp.virginia.gov (dhp.virginia.gov)
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