Nursing Assistant (Nursing Assistant Registry) · rules checked October 22, 2026
Work at least 8 hours as a paid nursing assistant every 24 months. A 24-month lapse of paid employment results in expired registry status. You must mail MDH the Nursing Assistant Registry Update form with a copy of a recent pay stub at least once every 24 months; if you do not work at a nursing home, certified home health agency, hospice or assisted living facility, attach a copy of your job description.
If you have never worked for pay since certifying, use your certification date.
| Credential | Nursing Assistant (Nursing Assistant Registry) |
|---|---|
| Registry | Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry (Minnesota Department of Health) · 651-215-8705 |
| Training required | 75 hours |
| Exam | Headmaster (D&SDT-Headmaster) — $270 (written $100 · skills $170) |
| 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 | Work at least 8 hours as a paid nursing assistant every 24 months. A 24-month lapse of paid employment results in expired registry status. You must mail MDH the Nursing Assistant Registry Update form with a copy of a recent pay stub at least once every 24 months; if you do not work at a nursing home, certified home health agency, hospice or assisted living facility, attach a copy of your job description. |
| Continuing education | No continuing education or in-service documentation is submitted to the registry to renew. In-service training is an employer/facility obligation, not a registry renewal requirement (MDH). |
| Who reports your work | You do — nobody files it for you |
Changing soon: Candidate exam prices vary by test site: regional sites advertise $225-$270 full packages ($100 knowledge / $170 skills is the widely listed TMU price), while MDH in-facility pricing lists different facility-side rates. Confirm the price in TMU when scheduling.
First: if you worked 8+ paid hours in the past 24 months but never reported them, file the Registry Update form with a pay stub — that restores active status without testing. Otherwise: After 24 consecutive months without paid nursing assistant work, you must pass both the knowledge and skills competency exams again (retest/challenge route) to get back on the registry. No new training program is required unless you exhaust your attempts (4 knowledge / 3 skills in the 24-month testing cycle), in which case you must retrain first. (Published Minnesota exam prices vary by test site, roughly $225-$270 for the pair of tests.)
After 24 consecutive months without paid nursing assistant work, you must pass both the knowledge and skills competency exams again (retest/challenge route) to get back on the registry. No new training program is required unless you exhaust your attempts (4 knowledge / 3 skills in the 24-month testing cycle), in which case you must retrain first.
No waiver exists to extend a certificate beyond 24 months without qualifying work. If your certificate expires, getting back on can take up to 30 business days, during which you may not be able to work. Students (LPN/RN) who never work as a paid nursing assistant keep a certificate valid only 24 months from issue.
Minnesota has a published process to petition for removal of a single, neglect-only registry finding after at least 1 year. Abuse and misappropriation findings cannot be removed. Details — free, and with no strings — on the registry findings page.
Application fee: $0 · typical processing: Processing time not published by MDH. Must be in good standing on another state's nursing assistant registry and have worked a minimum of 8 hours as a nursing assistant in that state in the past 24 months. Complete the Interstate Endorsement forms and email them to MDH. There is no processing fee. Work-history requirement: At least 8 hours as a nursing assistant in the home state in the past 24 months. You must be on the Minnesota registry before you can work as a nursing assistant in Minnesota.
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 Minnesota | Fee | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Alaska | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Arizona | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Arkansas | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| California | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Colorado | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Connecticut | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Delaware | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| District of Columbia | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Florida | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Georgia | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Hawaii | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Idaho | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Illinois | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Indiana | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Iowa | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Kansas | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Kentucky | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Louisiana | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Maine | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Maryland | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Massachusetts | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Michigan | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Minnesota | Same state — no transfer needed | ||
| Mississippi | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Missouri | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Montana | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Nebraska | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Nevada | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| New Hampshire | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| New Jersey | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| New Mexico | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| New York | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| North Carolina | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| North Dakota | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Ohio | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Oklahoma | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Oregon | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Pennsylvania | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Rhode Island | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| South Carolina | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| South Dakota | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Tennessee | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Texas | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Utah | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Vermont | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Virginia | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Washington | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| West Virginia | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Wisconsin | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
| Wyoming | Accepted — with conditions | $0 | Minnesota accepts active certifications with a work-history requirement. |
The kit carries Minnesota's full recovery path — the forms, the order to file them, the phone scripts — plus transfer checklists for every destination. See the kit →
