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Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing

Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing Website

We welcome you to the Texas Board of Nursing (BON or Board) website. The BON has been serving the public for more than 100 years since its establishment in 1909 by the Legislature to regulate the safe practice of nursing in Texas. The Board: protects the public from unsafe nursing practice, provides approval for more than 200 nursing education programs, issues licenses to more than 27,000 nurses per year by examination to new graduates and by endorsement to licensees from other states seeking a Texas license, as well as providing nursing practice and education guidance to more than 350,000 currently licensed nurses practicing in the State of Texas. We welcome your feedback as we fulfill our mission to protect and promote the welfare of the people of Texas by ensuring that each person holding a license as a nurse in the State of Texas is competent to practice safely.

BON Responsibilities and Services

Licensing: The BON issues licenses to graduates of approved nursing education programs seeking licensure by exam and to nurses licensed in other states seeking Texas licensure by endorsement. All nurses are required to renew their licenses on a biennial basis with evidence of required continuing nursing education. The BON licenses qualified registered nurses to enter practice as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse midwives.

School Approval: The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) approves schools of nursing which prepare nurses for initial entry into nursing practice.

Enforcement: The BON enforces the Nursing Practice Act and Rules and Regulations by setting minimum standards for nursing practice and nursing education, conducting investigations of complaints against nurses, and adjudicating complaints.

Information: The BON provides a variety of information to customers including verbal, written and electronic information. The BON's website contains information including the Nursing Practice Act, BON Rules and Guidelines, BON Position Statements, the agency's physical location, disciplinary, and licensure information. Publications and the Texas Board of Nursing Bulletin (Newsletters) of the BON are available upon request for a minimal fee.

New Website Features

The BON website development team has added helpful tabs at the top of the page to assist stakeholder groups in quickly locating information specific to their needs. The new stakeholder tabs are:



For more information on these and other topics, use the search field at the top right corner of the page. Should you have further questions or are in need of clarification, please feel free to contact the Board.