Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) · rules checked October 22, 2026
Initial certification is valid 24 months. Renewal requires documenting at least one day - 8 hours - of paid employment providing nursing or nursing-related services in the prior 2 years, in any setting. Employing facilities and/or the individual submit the update information to the registry. If you are currently employed at renewal you are renewed for 24 months; if not currently employed, renewal runs 24 months from your last day employed as a nursing assistant (OLTC rules).
If you have never worked for pay since certifying, use your certification date.
| Credential | Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) |
|---|---|
| Registry | Arkansas Nurse Aide Registry (Office of Long Term Care, Arkansas Department of Human Services) · (888) 401-0465 |
| Training required | 91 hours |
| Exam | Headmaster — $125 (written $30 · skills $95) |
| How renewal works | Stays active through paid work inside the window — no calendar expiry while you keep working. Renewal fee: $0. |
| Keep-active work rule | Initial certification is valid 24 months. Renewal requires documenting at least one day - 8 hours - of paid employment providing nursing or nursing-related services in the prior 2 years, in any setting. Employing facilities and/or the individual submit the update information to the registry. If you are currently employed at renewal you are renewed for 24 months; if not currently employed, renewal runs 24 months from your last day employed as a nursing assistant (OLTC rules). |
| Continuing education | No continuing education required for registry renewal. |
| Who reports your work | You or your employer |
Retest-only: if you cannot document paid aide work in the previous 24 months, you must successfully complete a new competency evaluation (Headmaster knowledge + skills) to become recertified - no new full training program is required on this route.
A certification expired longer than 24 months cannot be renewed; you must retest to recertify. Rule amendments in the OLTC rule packet also add 16 hours of clinical training alongside retesting for certifications expired over 24 months. Failing the exam 3 times / exhausting attempts requires a new training program.
Training is 91 hours in current summaries (about 75 hours classroom/lab + 16 clinical) - some older sources round it to 90. Headmaster audio knowledge test is $40 instead of $30. DHS may pay the test fee if you are employed by, or have a commitment letter from, a Medicaid-certified nursing facility.
Application fee: $25 · typical processing: About 2-4 weeks for registry verification (secondary-source estimate).. Active certification in another U.S. state/territory, in good standing with no substantiated findings, and no prior Arkansas certification on the reciprocity route. Submit Reciprocity Form 9110AR through TMU/OLTC with photo ID, Social Security card, and proof of training. $25 processing fee is cited by secondary sources (LegalClarity / CNA Guide reciprocity table); the state charges no general registry fee. Work-history requirement: Proof of at least 90-91 hours of original nurse aide training.. If your out-of-state certification is lapsed or inactive, reciprocity is denied and you must take the Arkansas competency exam instead.
The table below is computed for an active aide in good standing, trained to the origin state's standard hours. Your own hours or status can change your row — run the transfer checker with your real facts.
| Certified in | Verdict for Arkansas | Fee | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Alaska | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Arizona | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Arkansas | Same state — no transfer needed | ||
| California | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Colorado | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Connecticut | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Delaware | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| District of Columbia | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Florida | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Georgia | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Hawaii | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Idaho | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Illinois | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Indiana | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Iowa | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Kansas | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Kentucky | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Louisiana | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Maine | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Maryland | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Massachusetts | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Michigan | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Minnesota | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Mississippi | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Missouri | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Montana | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Nebraska | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Nevada | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| New Hampshire | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| New Jersey | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| New Mexico | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| New York | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| North Carolina | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| North Dakota | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Ohio | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Oklahoma | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Oregon | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Pennsylvania | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Rhode Island | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| South Carolina | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| South Dakota | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Tennessee | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Texas | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Utah | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Vermont | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Virginia | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Washington | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| West Virginia | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Wisconsin | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
| Wyoming | Accepted — with conditions | $25 | Arkansas accepts active certifications with a $25 application fee, a work-history requirement, a possible exam, decided on your file. |
The kit carries Arkansas's full recovery path — the forms, the order to file them, the phone scripts — plus transfer checklists for every destination. See the kit →
