Minn. Stats. 144A

MINNESOTA RULES 6400.5000 - 6400.6970

Application for Minnesota Licensure as a Nursing Home Administrator

Online initial application form is available on the Board website at Online Initial Application.

Requirements For Initial Licensure

Bachelor's Degree
Minnesota requires a bachelor's degree for licensure whether you apply for initial license in Minnesota or already have a license in another state and may have practiced for many years. The only exception is for persons who hold current certification as a nursing home administrator from the American College of Health Care Administrators.

Academic Course Requirements
Minnesota requires applicants for initial licensure, and those who are licensed in other states but do not meet the experience or certification requirements (see Application for Minnesota Licensure as a Nursing Home Administrator), to complete accredited post-secondary academic courses in the following subjects:

- Organizational management
- Managerial accounting
- Gerontology
- Health care and Medical needs
- Nursing facility services
- Human resources
- Information uses
- Regulatory management

For a more complete description of the academic course requirements and of the evidence required to prove that courses you may already have taken satisfy the requirements or that experience you have meets requirements to decrease the duration of the practicum requirement see Minn. Rules 6400.6500, 6400.6570, 6400.6600 and 6400.6650.

For information about post-secondary academic institutions in Minnesota and Wisconsin that offer courses to meet the board's requirements for licensure, see BENHA Accredited College Programs.


400 Hour Practicum
The practicum experience must be completed for academic credit at an accredited post-secondary institution. A reduction or waiver of the 400 hour requirement can be obtained by providing evidence of documented health care experience. The practicum must be coordinated through a faculty member providing a signed learning agreement coordinated with the preceptor and student. Specific requirements are found in Minn. Rules 6400.6600.

Minnesota State Rules Exam
Minnesota requires all applicants to pass a 1 hour 20 minute, 34 item, multiple choice open book exam testing candidate ability to research and interpret Minnesota Statutes and Rules pertaining to operation of a Minnesota nursing home. Additional information on the state examination is found at link at left. Applicant must have an active application on file with the board to be eligible to take the state exam.


NAB Exam
Minnesota , like all 50 states and DC, requires its licensees to successfully complete the examination developed by the National Association of Boards of Examiners for Long Term Care Administrators - the NAB exam. It is a 150 item multiple choice test covering Domains of Practice in the areas of:

- resident care and quality of life
- human resources
- finance
- physical environment and atmosphere
- leadership and management

See Domains of Practice.

FYI: The NAB exam fee is paid online to NAB/PES, not to the state licensing board.

Detailed information regarding RENEWALS and Continuing Education Requirements.

Application fee - $150

National exam fee - $350  

Prospective applicant for a review of education and experience advisory to the license application - $50, to be applied to the fee for application for licensure if the latter is submitted within one year of the request for review of education and experience.

State examination fee - $75

Initial license fee - $200

Annual renewal fee - $200, if issued between July 1 and December 31, $100 if issued between January 1 and June 30.

Licensing surcharge to be assessed

The Minnesota Legislature passed legislation requiring a 10% surcharge of no less than $5 and no more than $150 on each business, commercial, professional or occupational license. The funding from this surcharge will go to MN.IT Services (formerly Office of Enterprise Technology (OET)), which is establishing an electronic licensing system for the state. The surcharge will be in place through June 30, 2015. See Minn. Stat. § 16E.22.

Board meets four times a year; national exams are given by appointment; state exams are given every other month.

See Minn. Stat. § 144A, .18-.29.