CNA requirements and how to get a CNA license
The core CNA requirements are the same everywhere: complete a state-approved nurse aide training program of at least 75 hours, or qualify through a route your state allows, then pass the written or oral exam and the skills test and get listed on the state registry. Who may skip training, which background checks apply and how long you have to test are state rules.
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CNA requirements under federal law
Federal rules for nursing facilities set the minimum requirements for CNA candidates nationwide. A training program must have at least 75 clock hours with 16 hours of supervised practical training, and the competency evaluation must offer a written or oral exam plus a skills demonstration. You get at least three attempts, and once you pass, the registry entry must follow within 30 days.
A facility may use you as a nurse aide for no more than 4 months full time unless you have completed training and passed the evaluation, and it must check the registry before you start.
Source: eCFR — 42 CFR 483.152, nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs. Checked 18 October 2026.
How to get your CNA license: eligibility routes
States describe the ways in as eligibility routes. Most candidates take the training route: finish a state-approved program, then apply to the state’s test vendor. Some states add routes for nursing students, people trained as nurses elsewhere, and people whose certification has lapsed. Florida also allows a challenger route without any training.
Your route decides what you upload with your application, how long your eligibility lasts and whether you must take both parts of the exam. Check it before you pay any fees.
Source: Prometric — Florida Certified Nursing Assistant Candidate Information Bulletin (Rev. 11012025). Checked 18 October 2026.
Requirements for CNA candidates in Virginia
Virginia’s training route requires a Virginia-approved nurse aide education program, which must be at least 140 clock hours long. Credentia’s eligibility page allows 24 months from course completion to test, while its results page names twelve months for passing both exams, so confirm your deadline with Credentia. Nursing students currently enrolled in an approved nursing education program can apply with a letter from the program director confirming at least one clinical course with 40 hours of direct client care.
You may not have any rulings against you from another state registry or licensing board. Three failed attempts within the two-year period mean another approved training program before you reapply. And until your name appears on the Virginia Nurse Aide Registry, you may not use the title Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), even with a passing score report.
Source: Credentia Virginia — Eligibility Criteria. Checked 18 October 2026.
Requirements for CNA candidates in Florida
Florida’s Prometric bulletin lists five routes: completed a state-approved training program, currently enrolled in one, challenger, other nursing training, and lapsed certification. The challenger route is for candidates who believe they can pass without training; Florida law requires a high school diploma or equivalent, or an age of at least 18, to qualify that way. After three failed attempts, an approved training program becomes mandatory.
Every initial applicant in Florida submits fingerprints electronically through a Livescan provider to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the application cannot be approved until that step is complete. Florida law requires initial applications to be reviewed within 30 days.
Source: Florida Board of Nursing — Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Checked 18 October 2026.
Registry history and background
The registry records more than your passing date. It must include documented findings of abuse, neglect or misappropriation of resident property, entered within 10 working days of the finding, and employers see those findings when they check you. That is why states such as Virginia ask whether any other registry or board has ruled against you.
Source: eCFR — 42 CFR 483.156, registry of nurse aides. Checked 18 October 2026.
How to get a CNA license, step by step
Putting the requirements together, how to get a CNA license looks like this in practice:
- Find your route on your state’s board or test vendor site.
- Complete a state-approved program, unless your route allows otherwise.
- Apply to the state test vendor with the required documents and fees; complete any background screening.
- Pass the written or oral exam and the skills evaluation within your route’s time limit.
- Confirm your listing on the state registry before you start work as a CNA.
Source: Credentia Virginia — Exam Results. Checked 18 October 2026.
CNA requirements: questions people ask
What are the CNA requirements?
A state-approved training program of at least 75 hours (or another route your state allows), a passed written or oral exam and skills test, and a listing on the state registry. Source: 42 CFR 483.152 and 483.154, checked 18 October 2026.
Can I get a CNA license without taking classes?
In some states. Florida allows a challenger route for candidates with a high school diploma or equivalent or who are at least 18. Source: Florida Statutes 464.203, checked 18 October 2026.
Do nursing students meet the requirements for CNA testing?
In Virginia, yes, if enrolled in an approved nursing education program and have completed at least one clinical course with 40 hours of direct client care. Source: Credentia Virginia, checked 18 October 2026.
Is a background check one of the CNA requirements?
In Florida, yes: electronic fingerprinting through a Livescan provider is required before approval. Other states set their own rules. Source: Florida Board of Nursing, checked 18 October 2026.
When can I call myself a CNA?
Only once you are listed on the state registry. Virginia states that a passing score report alone is not enough. Source: Credentia Virginia, checked 18 October 2026.
