Kentucky · guide
Nurse practitioner licensing in Kentucky
Read from the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Last verified 2026-09-15.
The sequence
| Step | What it involves |
|---|---|
| RN license | Held by compact privilege where the nurse compact reaches the state, otherwise filed separately. |
| APRN license or recognition | Filed with the Kentucky Board of Nursing, including national certification evidence. |
| Prescriptive authority | Separate grant in most states, with its own application and its own renewal date. |
| Collaborative or supervisory agreement | Executed with a named physician and filed or held on record before the first prescription. |
| Controlled substance registration | State registration where required, then the DEA registration tied to the practice address. |
What the numbers say
- An APRN needs a collaborative agreement for prescriptive authority for the first 4 years or 6,000 hours.
- Current national certification must be evidenced at licensure and at renewal.
Source: the Kentucky Board of Nursing. Last verified 2026-09-15. Where a national summary and a board disagree, we publish the board.