Nursing home administrator license requirements in Utah.

Board

Health Care Administrators Board, Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) Board source · checked 2025-11-13

Education floor

Highschool Utah's degree-based pathway requires a baccalaureate degree plus a 1,000-hour AIT preceptorship (up to 500 of those hours can come from a bachelor's-associated internship or practicum). A separate no-degree pathway instead requires 8,000 hours of qualifying employment in a licensed health facility (at least 4,000 in a supervisory role), which can include up to 500 hours of AIT preceptorship credit; this experience-based route states no minimum degree, making it the state's actual education floor. Board source · checked 2021-12-02

Administrator-in-Training hours

1,000 to 8,000 hours depending on your degree or experience

• 1,000 hours: Standard pathway: baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university plus a minimum 1,000-hour AIT preceptorship. Up to 500 of those hours may come from an internship, practicum, or outside-study program associated with the bachelor's degree in health facility or health care administration (R156-15-302b).
• 8,000 hours: No-degree experience pathway: at least 8,000 hours of qualifying employment in a licensed health facility, of which at least 4,000 hours must be in a supervisory role. Up to 500 of the 8,000 hours may be credited from an approved AIT preceptorship (R156-15-302c).

Board source · checked 2021-12-02

National NAB exams

Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) Utah requires NAB's two-part exam: the National Core of Knowledge Examination (CORE) and the National Nursing Home Administrator Line of Service Examination (NHA), each with a minimum scaled score of 113 per rule R156-15-302d (verified 2021-12-02). Board source · checked 2025-06-13

Separate state exam

Not required Utah relies solely on the national NAB two-part examination; no separate Utah state law exam is administered. Board source · checked 2025-06-13

Initial license fee

$120 Application fee, Division of Professional Licensing fee schedule, fiscal year July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Board source · checked 2025-11-03

Renewal fee

$83 Biennial renewal fee, same fiscal-year 2025-2026 fee schedule; matches the figure separately published on DOPL's renewal page. Board source · checked 2025-11-03

Continuing education

40 hours per biennial cycle 40 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every two-year renewal cycle, prorated for a licensee who first becomes licensed mid-cycle (R156-15-309). Board source · checked 2025-06-19

Reciprocity / endorsement

endorsement available Utah grants a license by endorsement to a health facility administrator licensed in good standing in another state who passes the NAB exam requirement and meets one of: 3 years employed as a health facility administrator in another state, 2 consecutive years at the same out-of-state facility, or holds NAB's Health Services Executive (HSE) qualification (R156-15-308). Board source · checked 2021-12-02

Statutes and rules: Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 15 (Health Facility Administrator Act); Utah Administrative Code R156-15. 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 Utah's requirements for your exact degree.
2. Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns Utah's hour target into a finish date.
3. Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads Utah's endorsement rule.