Returning to Nursing in New Hampshire

Size your exact situation with the reinstatement calculator, which uses the same board data.

Reinstating usually means catching up on continuing education. Earn it cheaply: free CE in New Hampshire.

1. 1Stop practicing immediately if you haven't already.
2. 2Pull your CE records together: every certificate, every approved provider.
3. 3Submit the reinstatement application through the board portal.
4. 4Pay reinstatement fee + any back renewal fees.
5. 5Expect a fingerprint background check (most states require one at reinstatement).
6. 6Plan for 2–8 weeks of processing before you can return to work.

Start at the source: New Hampshire Board of Nursing or the online renewal portal.

How much does it cost to reinstate a lapsed RN license in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire RN reinstatement fee is $116 ($88 license fee plus a $28 Professionals Health Program fee; New Hampshire charges the same fee for licensure, renewal, and reinstatement per Plc 1002.33 and 1001.08), plus any back renewal fees the board assesses. A refresher course, where required, adds tuition on top (typically $500 to $2,500 nationally). Confirm the current total with the New Hampshire Board of Nursing before applying.

Do I need a refresher course to reinstate my New Hampshire nursing license?

The trigger is practice hours, not lapse length: RNs who have not been active in nursing practice for at least 400 hours in the 4 years immediately before applying must complete a board approved re entry program before an active license is granted. Practice under another state's license counts toward the hours. Separately, a license expired one year or more requires a full initial application with a criminal background check; under one year uses the reinstatement application. The re entry program is a refresher course of at least 120 hours, 40 theory and 80 clinical, completed in no more than 6 months, through a structured in person course or a board approved online course with a locally arranged clinical site. You must apply for licensure and hold a temporary New Hampshire license before starting; the temporary license only allows practice under the supervision of the re entry course instructor.

Will I have to retake the NCLEX to get my New Hampshire license back?

The board publishes no NCLEX retake or jurisprudence exam requirement for re entry or reinstatement; the published pathway is the 120 hour re entry program. Confirm your case with the board.

Is there a grace period after my New Hampshire license expires?

New Hampshire's published rule: No grace period. The renewal application, fee and supporting documents have to be filed on or before the expiration date; miss it and the license expires that night, and RSA 310:8(III) says the holder of an expired license is not authorized to practice until it has been reinstated. Two consequences worth knowing. First, once the license has expired you can no longer renew it, you have to apply to REINSTATE it, and the window for that closes when the license lapses one year after expiration. Second, Nur 401.01(g) lets the board fine a nurse who practices on a lapsed license up to $50 for every calendar month, or part of a month, that it continues.. A grace or late window is not permission to practice; check your status with the board before working.

How long does New Hampshire license reinstatement take?

Short lapses usually process in 2 to 8 weeks once the application is complete. If a refresher course is involved, plan around the course length, often 3 to 9 months end to end. The New Hampshire Board of Nursing publishes processing updates on its portal.