Nursing home administrator license requirements in Texas.

Board

Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Nursing Facility Administrators Program Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Education floor

A bachelor's degree A baccalaureate degree in any subject plus 12 semester credit hours in long-term care administration covering the NAB four domains qualifies (26 TAC 555.12(a)(1)); a bachelor's specifically in health, health services, or health care administration, or nursing, with 3 years of management experience, also qualifies with a shorter internship (555.12(a)(2)). Texas has no associate-degree or no-degree pathway. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Administrator-in-Training hours

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

• 1,000 hours: Baccalaureate in any subject plus 12 semester hours covering the NAB four domains, plus a 1,000-hour internship (26 TAC 555.12(a)(1)).
• 500 hours: Bachelor's in a health administration field or nursing, with NAB four-domain coursework, plus 3 years of management experience and a 500-hour internship (26 TAC 555.12(a)(2)).
• 500 hours: Bachelor's with NAB four-domain coursework plus 1 year of experience as assistant administrator of record or administrator of record in another state, plus a 500-hour internship (26 TAC 555.12(a)(3)).
• 500 hours: Master's in a health administration field or nursing, with NAB four-domain coursework, plus 1 year of management experience and a 500-hour internship (26 TAC 555.12(a)(4)).

Board source · checked 2026-07-29

National NAB exams

Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) Texas requires the state examination and the NAB CORE and Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Line-of-Service examinations (26 TAC 555.12(a), 555.18). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Separate state exam

Required Texas requires its own state examination in addition to the national NAB CORE and Line-of-Service exams (26 TAC 555.12(a), 555.18). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Initial license fee

$350 HHSC administrative fees: $100 application fee plus $250 initial license fee (26 TAC 555.3(a)). Separate third-party exam fees apply: the NAB examination is $425 (or $300 CORE-only plus $175 Line-of-Service-only), and the Texas state examination is $190, both paid to NAB's testing designee, not to HHSC (26 TAC 555.3(b)). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Renewal fee

$250 $250 every two years when renewed on or before the expiration date; late renewal costs $375 (within 90 days after expiration) or $500 (91 to 365 days after expiration) (26 TAC 555.3(a)(4)-(5)). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Continuing education

40 hours per biennial cycle 40 hours of continuing education per biennial cycle, including an HHSC infection-control/PPE course and at least 6 hours of ethics (26 TAC 555.35). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Reciprocity / endorsement

by exam only An applicant with an out-of-state NFA license may apply under 26 TAC 555.11(c) and 555.12(a)(6), but must still meet one of Texas's own education/internship pathways and pass the required Texas state and NAB examinations; Texas has no exam-waiver endorsement. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Statutes and rules: Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2701; 26 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 555 (Nursing Facility 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 Texas's requirements for your exact degree.
2. Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns Texas's hour target into a finish date.
3. Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads Texas's endorsement rule.