Nursing home administrator license requirements in Arkansas.

Board

Arkansas Department of Human Services, Office of Long Term Care Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Education floor

A bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree in Health Care Administration (HCA) or Long Term Care Administration (LTCA) that includes an internship needs no further experience; the same degrees without an internship, or a bachelor's in nursing, business, or any other field paired with 15 semester hours across accounting, management, personnel, writing, and resident care, need 3 months of internship or nursing-home experience; an associate degree in HCA/LTCA (or an RN with an associate degree or diploma) with the same core coursework needs 6 months; an associate degree in another field with the core coursework needs 1 year. Applicants meeting none of these tiers must instead complete the state's separate Administrator-in-Training Program (Section II.D-E, 016.25.19 Ark. Code R. 004). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Administrator-in-Training hours

0 to 2,080 hours depending on your degree or experience

• 0 hours: No additional internship or nursing-home experience required (Section II.D.1.a).
• 520 hours: 3 months of internship or nursing-home experience required; Arkansas states this as months, shown here as an approximate full-time-equivalent hour count (Section II.D.1.b-d).
• 1,040 hours: 6 months of internship or nursing-home experience required; Arkansas states this as months, shown here as an approximate full-time-equivalent hour count (Section II.D.1.e).
• 2,080 hours: 1 year of internship or nursing-home experience required; Arkansas states this as months, shown here as an approximate full-time-equivalent hour count (Section II.D.1.f).

Board source · checked 2026-07-29

National NAB exams

Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) Arkansas requires a two-part exam: the national NAB examination (Domains of Practice, passing scaled score 113) plus Arkansas's own state examination (passing score 70) (Section III.C). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Separate state exam

Required A score of 70 is required on Arkansas's own state examination on Arkansas nursing-home rules, in addition to the national NAB examination (Section III.C). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Initial license fee

$100 One-time license fee of $100; half is refunded if the application is not approved, the applicant fails the examinations, or for other reasons the Office deems appropriate (Arkansas DHS Office of Long Term Care fee report to the Arkansas Legislature; Section III.B, 016.25.19 Ark. Code R. 004). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Renewal fee

$100 Annual renewal fee of $100, due by July 1 each year; a late charge applies to renewals postmarked July 2 or later, and licenses not renewed by September 1 expire (Arkansas DHS Office of Long Term Care fee report; Section III.E, 016.25.19 Ark. Code R. 004). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Continuing education

20 hours per annual cycle 20 clock hours of continuing education each licensure year, or 6 semester hours of accredited college coursework covering the NAB Domains of Practice, or an approved course of study (Section III.D). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Reciprocity / endorsement

by exam only A reciprocity applicant must meet the same standards required of new applicants and be in good standing in every state where licensed; reciprocity waives retaking the NAB/national examination but the applicant must still pass Arkansas's own state licensure examination (Section III.F). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Statutes and rules: Arkansas Code 20-10-203(b) and 20-10-403; 016.25.19 Ark. Code R. 004 (Rules for Licensure of Nursing Home Administrators in Arkansas). Figures change on the board's own schedule. Confirm against the board before you apply or pay.

1. Get your checklist. The requirements wizard resolves Arkansas's requirements for your exact degree.
2. Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns Arkansas's hour target into a finish date.
3. Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads Arkansas's endorsement rule.