Certified Nurse Aide · rules checked October 22, 2026
You must provide verification of at least 8 hours of paid work in a licensed or certified health care facility during the past 24 months. Private duty, sitter and companion services, and private physicians' offices do not count. Proof is a pay stub or payroll printout naming the facility, you, a date, and the hours worked, or a notarized facility attestation form. Credentia emails a renewal reminder about 120 days before expiration (secondary).
If you have never worked for pay since certifying, use your certification date.
| Credential | Certified Nurse Aide |
|---|---|
| Registry | Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry · 888-204-6249 |
| Training required | 75 hours |
| Exam | Credentia — $122 (written $35 · skills $87) |
| 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 | You must provide verification of at least 8 hours of paid work in a licensed or certified health care facility during the past 24 months. Private duty, sitter and companion services, and private physicians' offices do not count. Proof is a pay stub or payroll printout naming the facility, you, a date, and the hours worked, or a notarized facility attestation form. Credentia emails a renewal reminder about 120 days before expiration (secondary). |
| Continuing education | No continuing-education requirement for renewal. |
| Who reports your work | You do — nobody files it for you |
Changing soon: Vendor switch: as of June 1, 2026 Credentia is Tennessee's Nurse Aide Registry and testing vendor (HFC notice) — older Tennessee material naming Headmaster/TMU is outdated.
Portal, forms, the steps in order, the exact fee, and the trap that lapses Tennessee aides — our guide How to renew your CNA license in Tennessee walks the renewal end to end.
An expired certification is reinstated, not simply renewed, and needs more documentation: proof of 8 hours worked for each year beginning the year prior to the expiration year and continuing through the current year (HFC).
If continuous employment performing CNA duties in a certified facility cannot be documented for that reinstatement look-back, you must retrain and retest to be reactivated (HFC).
Tennessee keeps a separate Tennessee Abuse Registry in addition to the Nurse Aide Registry — check both. Renewals, demographic changes, and testing all moved to Credentia on June 1, 2026, so older Headmaster/TMU instructions for Tennessee are stale.
Application fee: Not published — confirm with the registry · typical processing: Typically no longer than one week after receipt of all required information (HFC).. Must hold active certification in the transferring state with no abuse or other derogatory information. Tennessee accepts reciprocity from all states EXCEPT Florida — a Florida-only aide must retrain and retest in Tennessee. Apply online through Credentia (select Tennessee). One secondary fee table (Nursa) lists a $20 Tennessee reciprocity fee, but no fee was stated on the HFC or Credentia pages retrieved, so the fee is left null rather than guessed. If you were ever previously certified in Tennessee, contact the registry about reinstatement before filing a reciprocity application. You may hold certification in several states, but each renews separately.
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 Tennessee | Fee | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Alaska | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Arizona | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Arkansas | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| California | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Colorado | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Connecticut | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Delaware | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| District of Columbia | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Florida | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Georgia | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Hawaii | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Idaho | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Illinois | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Indiana | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Iowa | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Kansas | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Kentucky | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Louisiana | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Maine | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Maryland | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Massachusetts | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Michigan | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Minnesota | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Mississippi | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Missouri | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Montana | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Nebraska | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Nevada | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| New Hampshire | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| New Jersey | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| New Mexico | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| New York | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| North Carolina | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| North Dakota | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Ohio | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Oklahoma | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Oregon | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Pennsylvania | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Rhode Island | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| South Carolina | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| South Dakota | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Tennessee | Same state — no transfer needed | ||
| Texas | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Utah | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Vermont | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Virginia | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Washington | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| West Virginia | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Wisconsin | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
| Wyoming | Accepted as-is | Not published — confirm with the registry | Tennessee endorses an active, good-standing certification with no application fee and no retest. Application and background check still apply. |
The kit carries Tennessee's full recovery path — the forms, the order to file them, the phone scripts — plus transfer checklists for every destination. See the kit →
