Professional licensing and long-term-care quality split the work
Delaware nursing license lookup
Delaware nurse licenses are regulated through the Division of Professional Regulation, while CNA registry matters belong to the Division of Health Care Quality.
Nursing board plus a separate nurse-aide registry · NLC active
State profile
Delaware nursing regulation at a glance
- RN regulator
- Delaware Board of Nursing
- LPN regulator
- Delaware Board of Nursing
- APRN authority
- Delaware Board of Nursing
- Nurse aide record
- Delaware Division of Health Care Quality — CNA Registry
- NLC position
- Delaware participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact
- Sources checked
- 2026-08-13
The state-specific issue
Delaware’s aide registry is outside the Board of Nursing
The Delaware Board of Nursing is the right authority for RN, LPN and APRN records. The Division of Health Care Quality maintains the CNA registry used in facility-care settings. The agencies sit in different parts of state government, so a broad “Delaware nursing lookup” search can easily land on the wrong program.
Official record directory
Choose the credential before opening a portal
The correct link depends on what is being verified. The routes below identify the record owner and explain the most important state-specific boundary before sending you away from this site.
Registered Nurse
Record owner: Delaware Board of Nursing
Nursys is the efficient public check for Delaware RN and LPN records. Use the Board’s DPR page when an application, disciplinary document or correction needs Delaware-specific context.
Open the official record ↗Licensed Practical Nurse
Record owner: Delaware Board of Nursing
Practical-nurse records use the licensed-nurse route, but the LPN line has its own number, status, expiration and compact authority. Match that line directly.
Open the official record ↗Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
Record owner: Delaware Board of Nursing
Confirm Delaware APRN recognition and any prescribing authority separately from the RN record; the NLC applies to RN and LPN/VN licenses, not APRN authority.
Open the official record ↗Certified Nursing Assistant
Record owner: Delaware Division of Health Care Quality — CNA Registry
For CNA status, use the DHCQ registry page. A Board of Nursing result does not establish Delaware nurse-aide eligibility.
Open the official record ↗Basic licensing information
First license, endorsement and renewal are separate paths
Applying for a first Delaware nurse license
First-time RN and practical-nurse applicants begin with the regulator shown above and follow its licensure-by-examination instructions. The board determines acceptable nursing education, application documentation, background review and authorization for the applicable NCLEX. Passing the examination is one requirement; the board must still issue the license before a public lookup can establish state authority.
Applying by endorsement
A nurse who already holds a U.S. license generally uses the board’s endorsement path rather than applying as a first-time examination candidate. Endorsement does not transfer or copy a license: Delaware evaluates the application and issues its own authority when requirements are met. Follow the receiving board’s instructions for license verification; a free public result may not satisfy the required transmission.
For an RN or LPN whose primary state of residence is another active compact state, first determine whether the existing home-state license is actually multistate. If it is, a separate Delaware license may not be the correct route for practice under compact privilege. A permanent move changes the home-state analysis.
Renewing or restoring a license
Renewal, late renewal and reinstatement are different administrative actions. Use the official Delaware Board of Nursing site to confirm the current cycle, continuing-competence requirements, fee and late-status rules for the exact credential. Do not use an old fee table or another state’s renewal date. After submitting, verify the public record again rather than assuming payment immediately changed the displayed status.
Using the public record
Search carefully, then read every field
Nursys is the efficient public check for Delaware RN and LPN records. Use the Board’s DPR page when an application, disciplinary document or correction needs Delaware-specific context.
- Prefer a license or certificate number when the official portal accepts one; use a name to discover candidates, not as the only identity match.
- Confirm the jurisdiction, profession and credential line before interpreting status or expiration.
- Read single-state or multistate authority from the individual record. State compact membership is not individual proof.
- Open linked orders and later documents in date order instead of relying on a short discipline flag.
- Record the official source and access date if the check must be reproducible.
A public lookup is a point-in-time view. It does not create ongoing monitoring, complete a background investigation or automatically meet a receiving board’s formal-verification rule.
Advanced practice
An RN result is not the complete APRN check
Confirm Delaware APRN recognition and any prescribing authority separately from the RN record; the NLC applies to RN and LPN/VN licenses, not APRN authority.
Confirm the advanced-practice role and population focus displayed or documented by the regulator, then follow the state’s separate instructions for prescribing or controlled-substance authority when those facts matter. The RN license may be a prerequisite, but it is not a substitute for the advanced-practice record.
Nurse aide registry
CNA and nurse-aide status needs its own search
For CNA status, use the DHCQ registry page. A Board of Nursing result does not establish Delaware nurse-aide eligibility.
Nurse aide registries can publish eligibility and state-specific findings that do not appear on a professional nurse-license line. Match the aide record directly and use the registry owner—not the RN search—to resolve a missing entry or disputed notation.
NLC active
Delaware participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact
Delaware participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact. Eligible residents may receive a multistate RN or LPN/VN license, while an individual Nursys record—not state membership alone—shows whether a nurse actually holds multistate authority.
Credentials covered: Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/VN). The compact does not turn CNA certification or state APRN authority into a portable credential.
Official contacts
Who can correct a Delaware source record
Only the agency that owns the record can correct it or determine its legal effect. Check the public result first, retain the search details, and contact the credential-specific regulator with the license or certificate number when available.
- Phone
- 302.744.4500
- Service hours
- See the official agency website for current service hours
- Physical address
- 861 Silver Lake Boulevard, Suite 203, Dover, DE 19904
Common questions
Questions about Delaware nursing records
Where do I verify a Delaware RN or LPN license?
Use the credential route above. The public portal can show the state record; Nursys may provide a national participating-board view. Confirm which source your task requires.
Does an active license prove compact authority?
No. The individual record must show multistate authority, and compact eligibility depends on the primary state of residence and continuing qualification. An active single-state license remains single-state.
Can I use the public result for endorsement?
Not automatically. The receiving board may require Nursys Nurse License Verification or another direct process. Follow its instructions before paying or submitting a screenshot.
Why can’t I find a CNA in the nursing-license search?
CNA and nurse-aide status uses the registry identified above. It may be maintained by a different agency even when the person also holds a nurse license.
Evidence
The evidence behind this page
Open any source to inspect the current official record or agency guidance for yourself.
- 1Delaware nursing regulatory body contact profile
National Council of State Boards of Nursing · checked Aug 13, 2026
Supports: responsible nursing regulatory body; board website; public contact details
- 2Nursys QuickConfirm license verification
National Council of State Boards of Nursing · checked Aug 13, 2026
Supports: RN and LPN/VN public license lookup; discipline and compact record routing
- 3Nurse Licensure Compact implementation map
Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators · checked Aug 13, 2026
Supports: Delaware compact enactment and implementation status; RN and LPN/VN compact scope
- 4Delaware official nurse aide registry resource
Delaware Division of Health Care Quality — CNA Registry · checked Aug 13, 2026
Supports: nurse aide regulator; official registry or verification starting point
