Arizona State Board of Nursing

What Arizona State Board of Nursing does

The Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN) is a state government regulatory agency headquartered at 1740 W Adams Street, Suite 2000, Phoenix, Arizona. Its statutory mission is to protect public welfare by ensuring that each person holding a nursing license or certificate in Arizona is competent to practice safely. The Board regulates approximately 188,000 active nursing credentials across nine categories, including Registered Nurses (121,597), Licensed Practical Nurses (11,345), Nurse Practitioners (20,363), Certified Nursing Assistants (24,502), Licensed Nursing Assistants (8,096), Clinical Nurse Specialists (119), Certified Nurse Midwives (381), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (1,741), Certified Medication Assistants (206), and Licensed Health Aides (623). It also oversees 335 nursing education programs and administers an Alternative to Discipline program for licensee rehabilitation.

AZBN's core technology platform is the Nurse Portal (azbn.boardsofnursing.org), which supports online applications, renewals, status tracking, document uploads, and electronic fingerprinting registration for all credential types. Verification is delivered through the AZBN Verification Portal for CNA/LNA/CMA/LHA credentials and through Nursys.com for RN/LPN/APRN credentials, with data updated daily. The agency integrates with Arizona DPS for criminal background checks, Pearson VUE for NCLEX exam administration, TruMerit/ERES/Josef Silny for international credential evaluation, and the Arizona Prescription Monitoring Program for APRN prescribing oversight.

The agency's revenue model is fee-based and non-commercial: it collects licensing and certification fees ($50-$300 for initial applications; $50-$160 for renewals on multi-year cycles), background check fees (up to $50), verification/records fees, and late penalties. All fees are non-refundable, and a $2.00 or 2.2% credit/debit card processing fee took effect September 11, 2025. A separate $25 million annual grant program (ARS 36-1803) is funded through AHCCCS to expand preceptor training and clinical placements at healthcare institutions. The Board is governed by Executive Director Joey Ridenour, RN, MN, FAAN, and operates through a structure of standing committees including Scope of Practice, Education, and Advanced Practice.

Name

Arizona State Board of Nursing

Legal name

Arizona State Board of Nursing

Website

https://azbn.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arizona State Board of Nursing is a state government regulatory agency that licenses, certifies, and oversees approximately 188,000 nursing professionals and 335 education programs in Arizona. It operates the Nurse Portal for digital licensing and verification services across all credential categories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Nursing Licensure and Regulation

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards (HLAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Healthcare Compliance & Enforcement Authorities (HLAJACAB)

Keywords

• Nursing regulation
• Nurse licensing
• Healthcare credentials
• Nursing practice oversight
• Professional licensure

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Certification Fees: Government regulatory fees charged for initial licensing, certification, renewal, and endorsement of nursing professionals including RN, LPN, APRN, CNA, LNA, CMA, LHA, and School Nurse credentials
2. Background Check Fees: Fees collected for state and federal criminal background checks through fingerprinting services
3. Verification Fees: Fees for license verification services, transcript requests, and record copying
4. Late Fees and Penalties: Late renewal fees and civil penalties for regulatory non-compliance

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Arizona State Board of Nursing is the Arizona state government regulatory agency that protects public health, safety, and welfare by licensing and regulating nursing professionals and related healthcare support roles, enforcing standards of practice, investigating complaints, and administering discipline. It issues and renews credentials for Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA), Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNA), Certified Medication Assistants (CMA), Licensed Health Assistants (LHA), and School Nurses, and participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact for multistate practice.

Product overview

The Arizona State Board of Nursing operates the Nurse Portal as its primary online platform for nursing licensure and certification services. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of credentials including RN/LPN Licensure (with multistate compact capabilities), Advanced Practice (APRN) Certification (NP, CNM, CNS, CRNA), CNA/LNA Certification, Certified Medication Assistant, and Licensed Health Aide credentials. Supporting services include license verification through Nursys and the AZBN Verification Portal, the ARS 36-1803 Grant program for nursing workforce development ($25M annually for three years), and the Alternative to Discipline program for nurse monitoring. The board also provides electronic fingerprinting registration through Arizona DPS and processes controlled substance monitoring for APRN prescribing authority.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Registered Nurse (RN) Licensure Initial and renewal licensure for Registered Nurses practicing in Arizona, including multistate recognition through the Nurse Licensure Compact.
• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Licensure Initial and renewal licensure for Licensed Practical Nurses practicing in Arizona.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Licensure Credentialing for APRNs, including national certification review and prescriptive authority recognition in Arizona.
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Certification State certification for nursing assistants who have completed an Arizona-approved training program and competency evaluation.
• Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) Licensure Arizona-issued license for nursing assistants meeting state competency and training requirements.
• Certified Medication Assistant (CMA) Certification Certification allowing qualified assistive personnel to administer medications in approved Arizona healthcare settings.
• Licensed Health Assistant (LHA) Licensure Arizona-issued license for health assistants performing delegated nursing tasks in approved settings such as schools.
• School Nurse Credential Specialty credential authorizing nurses to practice in Arizona school health programs.
• ARS 36-1803 Preceptor Grant Program Reimbursement grants to Arizona-licensed healthcare and educational institutions that precept Advanced Practice Registered Nurse students, supporting workforce pipeline expansion.
• Nurse Portal Online Services Online portal where applicants and licensees can apply, renew, and verify Arizona nursing credentials and check application status.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processes applications within 150 business days without investigation or 270 days with investigation per R4-19-102

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abrazo Health (Central, Scottsdale, Arrowhead, West Campus)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing preceptor training programs including Extern Pre-licensure RN, Super-Preceptor, New Grad RN Residency, and Urban-Rural RN upskilling partnership programs
• Banner Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Preceptor Specialty Skill RN Training programs to expand clinical placement capacity
• Dignity HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Super Preceptor, Preceptor for NG RNs/LPNs, and Preceptor upskilling programs for nurse students and new graduate nurses
• Honor HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Adjunct Faculty clinical training for student nurses, APRN student preceptors, and Urban-Rural Upskilling/Specialty Partnership programs
• Northern Arizona HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Super-Preceptor programs to expand preceptor training capacity
• Phoenix Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Preceptor for APRN Students and Super-Preceptor programs
• Cobre ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Preceptor upskilling and Super Preceptor programs including capstone students and RNs
• TMC Healthcare (Tucson Medical Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Clinical Training Student Nurse, New Grad, SNE, Super Preceptor, and Specialty Skill Training programs
• LifepointcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Preceptor New Grad RN Residency and Preceptor New to Specialty programs for experienced nurses
• Kingman Regional Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Preceptor Clinical Training for Student Nurses to expand rural healthcare workforce
• La Paz Regional HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Preceptor Clinical Training for Student Nurses
• White Mountain Regional Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Generic Preceptor programs to expand rural clinical training capacity
• The CORE Institute Specialty HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing specialty training preceptor programs
• San Carlos Apache Tribe HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2022Year 3 grantee under ARS 36-1803 Grant providing Preceptor for APRN Students to address tribal healthcare workforce needs
• NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization providing NCLEX examination administration, Nurse Licensure Compact framework, and regulatory standards for state nursing boards
• Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZ DPS)coreTechnology or IntegrationState agency providing electronic fingerprinting services and criminal background check processing integrated with AZBN application system
• NursyscoreTechnology or IntegrationNational nursing licensure and disciplinary database providing primary source verification for RN/LPN/APRN licenses across participating states

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Oregon State Board of Nursing: State nursing regulator in Oregon with the same compact participation, Nursys integration, and online portal model as AZBN; a comparable regional peer in the Pacific/Mountain West.
• Nevada State Board of Nursing: State nursing regulatory body for Nevada, an NLC compact neighbor that competes with Arizona for nurse primary state of residency. Comparable scope, online licensing infrastructure, and education program oversight.

Direct peers

• Florida Board of Nursing: Florida state nursing regulator with parallel licensing, discipline, and compact functions. Operates its own online portal and educates a large licensed population, making it a structural and operational peer to AZBN.
• Texas Board of Nursing: State nursing regulatory authority performing identical functions — licensure, renewal, education program approval, Nursys integration, and Nurse Licensure Compact administration for RNs/LPNs/APRNs in Texas. Most direct functional peer to AZBN.
• New York State Office of the Professions — Nursing: Issues RN and LPN licensure in New York with equivalent education program approval and primary source verification obligations; a like-for-like state regulatory peer despite different scale.
• California Board of Registered Nursing: State regulatory body issuing RN, NP, CNS, CNM, and CRNA credentials in California, with equivalent Nursys-based primary source verification and education program oversight. Closest direct equivalent to AZBN in scope of practice authority.

Others

• Arizona Medical Board: State-level licensing and discipline authority for physicians in Arizona, operating a comparable Nurse Portal-style online licensing infrastructure under the same state regulatory model. Adjacent peer for benchmarking digital licensing modernization.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): Umbrella body that administers NCLEX and the Nurse Licensure Compact framework, operates Nursys, and sets regulatory standards adopted by AZBN. Functions as AZBN's national infrastructure and standards-setting counterpart.
• Arizona State Board of Pharmacy: State regulator for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, operating similar online credentialing, PMP integration, and renewal processes. Adjacent healthcare licensing peer under the same Arizona regulatory apparatus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLwzZJblTEqS6DpQ4XrInX-Q2AHypfMlX-
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arizona-state-board-of-nursing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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