California Board of Registered Nursing

What California Board of Registered Nursing does

The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) is a state governmental regulatory agency established under the Nursing Practice Act (California Business and Professions Code) and operating under the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. It serves as the sole authority for licensing and regulating registered nurses and certified advanced practice nurses (NP, CNM, CRNA, CNS) practicing in California, with a mission to protect public health, safety, and welfare through licensure, nursing education program approval, enforcement of practice standards, and prescription drug monitoring.

The BRN's operational platform is the DCA BreEZe Online Services system, which handles license applications, renewals, verification requests, CE provider approvals, and complaint submissions. It also co-administers the CURES (Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System) with the Department of Justice for monitoring Schedule II-V controlled substance prescriptions, and integrates with NCSBN's national Nursys e-Notify system for interstate license verification and employer subscription alerts. Supporting products include the BRN School Survey Interactive Dashboard, NCLEX pass rate reporting, accreditation/attrition data (in collaboration with UCSF), faculty approval processing, and a confidential Intervention Program for impaired nurses.

The BRN's revenue model is statutory rather than market-based, funded through licensing and renewal fees, CE provider approval fees, and the CURES annual fee (recently increased from $9 to $15 for licenses expiring on and after July 1, 2025). Customer segments include consumers and patients (license verification, complaint filing), nursing license applicants, licensed RNs (biennial renewal, CE compliance), nursing education institutions, and continuing education providers. The current Executive Officer is Loretta Melby, RN, MSN, overseeing operations from Sacramento under Governor Gavin Newsom's administration.

Name

California Board of Registered Nursing

Legal name

California Board of Registered Nursing

Website

https://rn.ca.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The California Board of Registered Nursing is a state government regulatory agency that licenses and regulates registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in California under the Nursing Practice Act, operating under the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Professional Regulation

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards (HLAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Compliance, Licensing & Enforcement (Public Health) (HLAJAMAE), Provider Credentialing & Enrollment (Payer Contracting Ops) (HLACACAM)

Keywords

• Nursing license regulation
• Registered nurse licensing
• Nursing education oversight
• Prescription drug monitoring
• Continuing education approval

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Renewal Fees: Fees collected from license applications, renewals, and certificate requests. Application and renewal fees fund the Board's regulatory operations.
2. CE Provider Approval Fees: Fees for approving continuing education providers and courses for registered nurses
3. CURES Fee: Annual fee assessed to licensees authorized to prescribe controlled substances for operating and maintaining the CURES system. Fee increased from $9 to $15 annually for licenses expiring on and after July 1, 2025. Most licensees see a $30 fee due to biennial renewal cycle.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) is the state governmental agency responsible for licensing and regulating registered nurses and certified advanced practice nurses throughout California. It issues licenses and renewals, approves pre-licensure nursing programs and continuing education providers, enforces the Nursing Practice Act through complaint investigations, and administers the CURES prescription drug monitoring fee for controlled substance prescribers. It also operates the confidential Intervention Program for nurses impaired by chemical dependency or mental illness.

Product overview

The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) operates as a regulatory agency rather than a commercial product company. Its primary offerings consist of licensing and regulatory services for registered nurses, including the DCA BreEZe Online Services portal for license applications and renewals, license verification through the DCA License Search, and complaint filing systems. Supporting services include NCLEX pass rate reporting for California nursing programs, accreditation and attrition data, faculty approval processing, continuing education provider approval, and the confidential Intervention Program for nurses with substance abuse or mental health concerns. The BRN also provides public record request services and career information resources for aspiring nurses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DCA BreEZe Online Services Statewide online portal providing license applications, biennial renewals, license verification requests, and continuing education provider applications for California registered nurses.
• License Verification Service Public-facing primary source license lookup providing RN license status, certification details, and disciplinary documents sourced directly from the BreEZe licensing system.
• Complaint Filing Service Online and mail-based system for filing complaints against California RN licensees for alleged violations of the Nursing Practice Act, processed by the Board's Enforcement Program in partnership with the DCA Division of Investigation.
• Continuing Education Provider Approval Approval and renewal process for organizations and individuals offering continuing education courses for California RN license renewal, including provider qualification review, course content standards, and renewal procedures.
• Intervention Program Confidential rehabilitation program for California nurses whose practice may be impaired due to chemical dependency or mental illness, providing intervention as an alternative to formal disciplinary action.
• Public Record Requests

Quantifiable outcome

• CURES fee increase from $9 to $15 annually to fund continued opioid addiction prevention efforts
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)coreTechnology or IntegrationNCSBN provides the Nursys e-Notify system that allows employers to subscribe to direct nurse licensure status alerts and reports. The BRN participates in this national license monitoring network enabling interstate license verification and discipline sharing.
• Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)coreTechnology or IntegrationDCA provides the BreEZe Online Services platform for license management, the License Search website for primary source verification, and administrative oversight of the Board. BRN has an intradepartmental contract with DCA for these services.
• Department of Justice (DOJ)coreTechnology or IntegrationDOJ operates and maintains the CURES (Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System) for monitoring prescription drug abuse. The $15 annual CURES fee funds DOJ's operational costs for this system. Currently contracted with Bamboo Health as prescription data processing vendor.
• Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCAI administers healthcare workforce programs including loan repayments, scholarships, and grants for nurses. The BRN directs applicants to HCAI resources and shares licensure data with HCAI for workforce planning purposes.
• Department of Consumer Affairs Division of InvestigationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDCA's Division of Investigation conducts complaint investigations on behalf of the BRN, working alongside Board nursing consultants to investigate alleged violations of the Nursing Practice Act.
• UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual collaboration with UCSF to collect pre-licensure nursing program data including attrition rates, completion rates, and accreditation status through the Annual School Survey.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission: Washington state's regulatory commission for nursing practice, operating with similar statutory authority and functions. Comparable as a regional peer in the Pacific Northwest, though serving a smaller nurse population than California.
• Oregon State Board of Nursing: Regional state nursing regulatory body in the Pacific Northwest with similar licensing and enforcement functions. Comparable in scope but serves a smaller jurisdiction than California, providing a regional perspective on nursing regulation.

Others

• California Board of Pharmacy: California's regulatory body for pharmacists and pharmacy practice, operating under the same Department of Consumer Affairs. Related healthcare regulator with comparable structure, technology platform (BreEZe), and regulatory approach, though focused on pharmacy rather than nursing.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): Umbrella organization that supports state nursing boards through the Nursys e-Notify system and national licensing standards. Not a direct competitor but a critical enabling partner that provides shared infrastructure for interstate license monitoring.
• Medical Board of California: California's regulatory body for physicians and surgeons, operating under the same Department of Consumer Affairs. Related healthcare regulator in the same state with comparable structural and operational model, though focused on physicians rather than nurses.

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing: Pennsylvania's state regulatory authority for registered nursing, with similar licensing, renewal, and enforcement functions. Comparable as a state nursing regulatory body serving a mid-to-large population.
• Florida Board of Nursing: Florida's state regulatory body for nursing licensure and practice, operating under similar statutory framework with comparable licensing, renewal, and enforcement functions. Directly comparable as a state nursing regulatory authority serving a large population.
• Texas Board of Nursing: State regulatory agency for registered nurses in Texas with similar statutory authority to license, regulate, and enforce nursing practice standards. Comparable in scale and scope to the California BRN, serving as a direct functional equivalent in another large state.
• California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians: California's regulatory body for vocational nurses and psychiatric technicians, operating under the same Department of Consumer Affairs. Directly comparable in structure, regulatory authority, and operational model, though focused on LVNs rather than RNs.
• New York State Board for Nursing: New York's state regulatory body for registered nursing practice, operating under the Office of the Professions. Comparable in regulatory scope and the size of the nursing workforce it oversees, with similar licensing and enforcement functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/califbrn
• Facebookfacebook.com/ca.brn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thebrn
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_ca_brn

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Board of Registered Nursing