Business and Professions Code section 2736
(a)
An applicant for licensure as a registered nurse shall comply with each of the following:(1)
Have completed general preliminary education requirements as shall be determined by the board.(2)
Have successfully completed the courses of instruction prescribed by the board for licensure, in a program in this state approved by the board for training registered nurses, or have successfully completed courses of instruction in a school of nursing outside of this state that, in the opinion of the board at the time the application is filed with the board, are equivalent to the minimum requirements of the board for licensure established for an approved program in this state.(3)
Not be subject to denial of licensure under Section 480.(4)
(A)The board shall require an applicant for licensure as a registered nurse to undergo a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history background check.(B)
The board shall submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information for individuals specified in subparagraph (A) who are subject to a state and national criminal history background check, pursuant to subdivision (u) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code. The Department of Justice shall provide a state- and federal-level response pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 11105.(b)
An applicant who has received their training from a school of nursing in a country outside the United States and who has complied with subdivision (a), or has completed training equivalent to that required by subdivision (a), shall qualify for licensure by successfully passing the examination prescribed by the board.
Source:
Section 2736, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=2736. (updated Sep. 18, 2026; accessed Sep. 28, 2026).
