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California CNA License Lookup

Use the California Department of Public Health’s L & C Verification Search for CNA certificates. Its limited status display makes a missing result different from proof that someone was never certified.

Official records

Official lookup and verification

Open California CNA registry CDPH certificate searchCNA applications and corrections Official CDPH program resources

Portal owner: California Department of Public Health

Covers: CNA, HHA and CHT certificates, plus a separate nursing-home-administrator category

Official links manually checked October 1, 2026Public search; no payment step on the search form

A missing record needs follow-up

CDPH limits the status categories displayed in its public registry. Do not describe an empty search as proof that the person has never held a CNA certificate.

Before you search

Best preparation

  • Choose the CNA certificate type
  • Use the certificate number or the name fields on the official CDPH site

Search options documented

  • Certificate/license type and number
  • Last name and first name
  • Last name starting with

Know the limits

  • For CNA, HHA and CHT, the registry lists only active, denied, suspended and revoked statuses
  • A person can appear more than once for different certificates
  • The nursing-home-administrator status explanation is not a CNA status definition

Portal-specific walkthrough

How to complete the California CNA search

  1. Open the CDPH certificate search

    Use cvl.cdph.ca.gov and choose the CNA certificate category. DCA and the California nursing boards are different systems. Beginning in the correct registry prevents an RN result or an HHA certificate from being mistaken for the CNA record you need.

  2. Narrow the match using available details

    Enter the certificate number when available. If you are working with a name, compare the candidate record with your expected credential and identifier. Keep your search notes specific enough to distinguish an uncertain name match from a confirmed certificate match.

  3. Read the CNA entry independently

    Look at the certificate type as well as the displayed status. Where the same person has another certificate, keep the results separate. A matching HHA entry is not a substitute for confirming the CNA certificate requested by an employer or another registry.

  4. Escalate a blank or unclear result

    The public search omits some status categories. Treat no match as an unresolved search until CDPH can clarify it. Note the search date and criteria, check for a spelling or certificate-type error, then use the official program contact for an unresolved record.

  5. Choose the right process for the next task

    If moving between states, consult the receiving registry’s reciprocity instructions. If checking a potential disciplinary matter, use CDPH’s investigation resources. Preserve the distinction between a public certificate result, an application for reciprocity and a finding in a misconduct matter.

Read the source record

What the result can tell you

Fields or record details documented in this workflow

  • Matched certificate identity and type
  • Displayed certification status
  • Database update timestamp on the search page
No matching certificate
A failed search is not a positive determination of status. Confirm the identity and category before asking CDPH to explain a missing or historical entry.
Suspended, denied or revoked
Do not treat these labels as an active certificate. Refer questions about the action or its effect to CDPH and review the available official documentation.
Misconduct finding versus certificate status
CDPH explains that certain substantiated findings may be added to the registry. A certificate status and a finding answer related but different questions; ask the agency for clarification when either is unclear.

This guide explains published terms; only the responsible regulator can determine the legal effect of a specific record.

No record found?

Work through this checklist before drawing a conclusion

  1. Confirm the CNA type, then retry the certificate number without extra name constraints.
  2. Try the exact first and last name, including a former name when relevant, before widening the search. Avoid concluding that two similar names identify the same person.
  3. Check whether you are trying to establish historical status rather than a currently displayed category; ask CDPH for that clarification.
  4. Use the accuracy-inquiry contact linked from the CDPH search. Send identifying details only through the appropriate official channel, not to this independent website.

A missing search result is not, by itself, proof that a person has never held a California credential.

Public lookup vs. formal verification

Choose the process the receiving organization requires

CNA reciprocity is handled through state nurse-aide programs. CDPH’s incoming reciprocity instructions accept evidence from an online registry and describe CDPH 931 when the source state lacks an online registry. For a move out of California, follow the receiving state’s instructions rather than assuming the California incoming process applies.

Moving into California

Check the current official instructions and any fee before submitting

Read the current application package and evidence requirements. Registry verification is only one part of that application.

Open official service

California certificate questions

Check the current official instructions and any fee before submitting

Use CDPH’s CNA program for certificate corrections and questions about information another registry needs.

Open official service

Public orders and cases

CNA findings belong with CDPH, not BRN

CDPH investigates CNA misconduct and may act against a certificate or place substantiated findings on the registry. Use its investigation guidance for the relevant process. An RN-board complaint search will not answer the same question about CNA certification.

CDPH CNA misconduct and investigation guidance

Official agency

California Department of Public Health — CNA Program

Official website
Email
cna@cdph.ca.gov

Questions from this workflow

California CNA lookup questions

Can I find a California CNA in the RN lookup?

Use the CDPH certificate search. CNA certification is separate from the professional nursing licenses displayed through DCA.

Does a blank result mean the CNA certificate is revoked?

No. A blank search does not establish a specific status. Recheck the search details and contact CDPH about an unresolved match.

Does California always require CDPH 931 for reciprocity?

The current application instructions distinguish online registry evidence from the verification form used when the source state has no online registry. Read those instructions for your application rather than relying on an older form alone.

Evidence

The evidence behind this page

Open any source to inspect the current official record or agency guidance for yourself.

  1. 1
    BRN license verification instructions

    California Board of Registered Nursing · checked Oct 1, 2026

    Supports: Primary-source DCA routing; Linked discipline documents; e-Notify

  2. 2
    CDPH L & C Verification Search

    California Department of Public Health · checked Oct 1, 2026

    Supports: CNA certificate search; Name and certificate-number fields; Limited displayed statuses; Accuracy inquiries

  3. 3
    CDPH Certified Nurse Assistant program

    California Department of Public Health · checked Oct 1, 2026

    Supports: CNA program owner; Certificate correction and application resources

  4. 4
    CDPH CNA reciprocity application package

    California Department of Public Health · checked Oct 1, 2026

    Supports: Registry evidence for reciprocity; CDPH 931 when no online registry is available

  5. 5
    CDPH reporting misconduct or abuse

    California Department of Public Health · checked Oct 1, 2026

    Supports: CNA investigation authority; Discipline and registry findings