Nursing home administrator license requirements in California.

Board

Nursing Home Administrator Program (NHAP), California Department of Public Health Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Education floor

60+ college semester hours California offers five ways into licensure. A master's degree in nursing home administration or a related health administration field (with an internship of at least 480 hours) qualifies directly for the state and national exams. The other four routes require completion of California's own 1,000-hour Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program and are open to a baccalaureate holder, a current RN with 10 years of full-time work experience (the most recent 5 in a supervisory or director-of-nursing role), 10 years of full-time work in a skilled nursing or intermediate care facility (most recent 5 as a department manager) paired with 60+ semester units of college coursework, or 10 years of full-time acute-hospital administration experience (most recent 5 supervisory) paired with 60+ semester units. The RN and experience-based AIT routes, not a four-year degree, set the actual floor. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Administrator-in-Training hours

480 to 1,000 hours depending on your degree or experience

• 480 hours: Master's-degree route bypasses California's standard AIT program: the master's curriculum must have included at least a 480-hour internship or residency in a skilled nursing or intermediate care facility, directly qualifying the applicant for the state and national examinations.
• 1,000 hours: Baccalaureate-degree applicants complete California's standard 1,000-hour AIT program under an NHAP-certified preceptor.
• 1,000 hours: Without a bachelor's degree, an applicant can qualify for the same 1,000-hour AIT program through a current RN license plus 10 years of full-time work experience, or through 10 years of full-time work in a skilled nursing/intermediate care facility or in acute-hospital administration, each paired with at least 60 semester units (90 quarter units) of college coursework.

Board source · checked 2026-07-29

National NAB exams

Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) California requires a passing grade on the online national examination administered by NAB. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Separate state exam

Required California also requires its own two-hour written state examination, administered by NHAP at least four times a year, in addition to the national NAB examination. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Initial license fee

$1,384 Standard AIT-pathway total, effective July 1, 2026: $448 AIT Program application (CDPH 502) plus $936 NHA Licensing Exam application after AIT completion (CDPH 503), which covers both the state written exam and access to the national NAB exam. Applicants qualifying via the master's-degree or reciprocity pathway instead pay the $936 NHA State Examination fee directly with no separate AIT fee (or $2,193 for a one-time Provisional License). Live Scan fingerprinting adds a $49 base fee plus a vendor rolling fee. The national NAB exam fee is paid separately to NAB. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Renewal fee

$830 Active or inactive renewal, timely filing (CDPH 512), effective July 1, 2026. Delinquent renewal costs $1,022. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Continuing education

40 hours per biennial cycle 40 hours of continuing education per biennial cycle; at least 10 hours must be in patient care or aging. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Reciprocity / endorsement

endorsement available California lets an out-of-state-licensed administrator apply to sit California's state exam through a reciprocity pathway if their original licensure met California's education requirements as of the date they were first licensed (a historical table keyed to license date, from no requirement before 7/1/1973 up to a baccalaureate degree from 7/1/1980 forward); the national NAB exam does not have to be retaken if the applicant's score is still valid. Well-qualified reciprocity applicants with 5 years of recent experience may also apply for a one-time, 12-month Provisional License while completing full licensure. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Statutes and rules: California Health and Safety Code Sections 1416 et seq. (Nursing Home Administrators). 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 California's requirements for your exact degree.
2. Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns California's hour target into a finish date.
3. Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads California's endorsement rule.