AANP classifies Vermont as a full practice state. Do you need a collaborating or supervising physician? Not necessarily a physician, but a collaborative provider agreement is required until the transition to practice is complete. The practice authority section below quotes the full Vermont rule. Vermont is a Nurse Licensure Compact member, which simplifies the RN layer of your credential. Applications, fees, and timelines run through the Vermont State Board of Nursing.
Practice authority in Vermont
The AANP classifies Vermont as a full practice authority (FPA) state, one of 27 states + DC (AANP State Practice Environment, 2026). AANP applies that classification where state practice and licensure laws permit NPs to evaluate patients; diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests; and initiate and manage treatments, including prescribing medications and controlled substances, under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing.
AANP's classification describes the state's practice environment, not every license holder's first day, and states in the same tier set different conditions: several full practice states require a period of collaborative or supervised practice, or a prescribing mentorship, before a newly licensed NP practices or prescribes on their own. The Vermont rule quoted below is the one that applies here.
The Vermont entry in the practice-authority dataset NP Hiring publishes reads: "Vermont NPs have independent practice authority once they complete the transition to practice. Until they have 24 months and 2,400 hours of licensed active advanced nursing practice in their role and population focus, they must have a collaborative provider agreement with a Vermont licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse and may not engage in solo practice." The Vermont State Board of Nursing holds the current rule text and the forms that go with it.
Because the Vermont rule ties part of the requirement to time or hours, keep a dated record of your practice hours, settings and any collaborating or supervising providers from your first day; you may need to document them later. In a job search, read each posting against the Vermont rule rather than the AANP tier. When an offer depends on an agreement with a collaborating or supervising physician or another provider, ask who fills that role, whether the arrangement will be in place before your start date, and what happens to it if you change roles.
The Nurse Licensure Compact and your VT license
Vermont participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The compact applies to the RN license that underpins your APRN credential: if Vermont is your primary state of residence, you can hold a multistate RN license that is recognized across compact member states without separate RN endorsements.
Your APRN license itself is still issued state-by-state. Compact RN privileges do not substitute for VT APRN licensure, and practicing as an NP in another state still requires that state's APRN credential. Where the compact pays off is mobility: travel and telehealth roles, and any future multi-state practice, start from a simpler RN foundation. Verify your compact eligibility and primary-state-of-residence rules with the Vermont State Board of Nursing. Compact status verified against the live NCSBN roster on August 11, 2026; membership shifts as legislatures act, so re-check the roster before relying on it.
How to apply for Vermont APRN licensure
The sequence below is the standard VT path. Details such as required forms, fees, fingerprinting, and processing times are set by the Vermont State Board of Nursing and change periodically, so treat the board's current checklist as the source of truth.
- Verify your RN license foundation. Hold an active, unencumbered RN license. Because Vermont is a compact state, a multistate RN license (with Vermont as your primary state of residence) or a VT single-state RN license both work as the foundation.
- Complete an accredited graduate program. Earn an MSN or DNP from an accredited nurse practitioner program with the clinical hours your certification track requires.
- Pass national board certification. Certify with the body that matches your role: AANPCB or ANCC for NPs, NBCRNA for CRNAs, AMCB for certified nurse midwives. Most states require current national certification for APRN licensure; the Vermont State Board of Nursing's checklist confirms whether Vermont does.
- Apply for APRN licensure with the Vermont State Board of Nursing. Submit the APRN application with transcripts, any required certification verification, and the fees on the board's current checklist. The board's own checklist is authoritative. Forms, fees, and processing times change, so work directly from the board site.
- Confirm the practice requirements that apply to you. Read the Vermont practice rule against your own experience and practice setting, confirm with the Vermont State Board of Nursing which of its requirements apply to you, and complete any agreement, notice or application that the rule or the board requires before you begin practicing.
- Register for federal identifiers. Obtain an NPI number, and register with the DEA if you will prescribe controlled substances. Some states also require a separate state controlled-substance registration; the board checklist will say whether Vermont does.
Vermont licensing facts, with sources
Each entry below is quoted from the source named beside it, as read on the date shown. Boards revise fees, renewal rules and processing times, so confirm each one with the Vermont State Board of Nursing before you rely on it.
| Topic | What the source states | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to apply | Apply online through the Office of Professional Regulation's Online Services System (https://secure.professionals.vermont.gov), reached from https://sos.vermont.gov/opr/online-services/. OPR no longer accepts paper applications. You need an active Vermont RN license or a multistate RN license from another compact state. | Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation, Nursing Applications and Renewals | September 28, 2026 |
| Initial application fee | APRN license application: $115 (26 V.S.A. § 1577(3)(A), listed as "Initial endorsement of advanced practice registered nurses"). The RN license fee is separate and not included. | Vermont Statutes Online, 26 V.S.A. chapter 28 (Nursing), § 1577 Fees, Vermont General Assembly | September 28, 2026 |
| Processing time | First-time applicants should allow a minimum of 5 full business days for processing. Processing times may vary depending on volume. | Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation, Nursing Applications and Renewals | September 28, 2026 |
| Renewal cycle | Every 2 years. All APRN licenses expire on March 31 of odd-numbered years. An initial license issued within 90 days of that date runs through the next full two-year period. | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, OPR Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees and Dates, 90 Day Initial Licensing Policy (updated 7/1/2025) | September 28, 2026 |
| Continuing education for renewal | No general continuing education contact hours are required to renew a Vermont APRN license. Renewal requires current certification by a national APRN specialty certifying organization and, if you are still in transition to practice, a current collaborative provider agreement. An APRN who holds a DEA registration, has a DEA application pending, or dispenses controlled substances must complete at least 2 hours of continuing education each licensing period on these topics: the abuse and diversion, safe use, and storage and disposal of controlled substances; use of the Vermont Prescription Monitoring System; risk assessment for abuse or addiction; pharmacological and nonpharmacological alternatives to opioids for managing pain; medication tapering and cessation; and relevant state and federal law on prescribing opioids. Proof of this education is uploaded with the renewal application. | Vermont General Assembly, 2016 Acts and Resolves No. 173, Sec. 9 (Continuing Education) and Sec. 19(c), as enacted; Vermont Office of Professional Regulation notice on required controlled substance continuing education (December 28, 2020); 26 V.S.A. § 1614 as amended by 2026 Act No. 119, Sec. 14; Vermont Board of Nursing Administrative Rules 4-8 (effective May 11, 2023) | September 29, 2026 |
Renewing your Vermont license
Renewal cycles, continuing-education requirements, and fees are set by the Vermont State Board of Nursing, and boards revise them. The licensing facts above name the source of each figure and the date it was checked; for anything not listed there, work from the board's own pages. Two evergreen rules: keep your national certification current (state renewal typically requires it), and check the board's renewal checklist well before your expiration date so a missing CE item does not lapse your license. For where every state publishes its CE rules and how renewal and certification fit together, see Nurse Practitioner Continuing Education (CE/CEU) Requirements by State.
What NPs earn in Vermont
The national median for nurse practitioners is $132,300 (BLS OEWS, Nurse Practitioners (29-1171), median annual wage, May 2025), and employment is projected to grow 41% (BLS Employment Projections, Nurse Practitioners (2025 to 2035)). NP Hiring publishes a Vermont median only when at least 5 postings with disclosed pay from at least 3 employers support it, with no single employer above 40% of them. The Vermont job market snapshot further down this page reports what is currently posted for VT, and it links the live VT listings and the Vermont salary guide only when those pages have something to show.
Frequently asked questions
Does Vermont have full practice authority for NPs?
By AANP's classification, yes. AANP classifies Vermont as a full practice state, one of 27 states + DC (AANP State Practice Environment, 2026). Vermont NPs have independent practice authority once they complete the transition to practice. Until they have 24 months and 2,400 hours of licensed active advanced nursing practice in their role and population focus, they must have a collaborative provider agreement with a Vermont licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse and may not engage in solo practice. The Vermont State Board of Nursing publishes the current rule.
Is Vermont part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes, Vermont is a Nurse Licensure Compact member (verified against the live NCSBN roster, August 11, 2026). The compact covers the RN license underpinning your APRN credential (a multistate RN license works across member states), but APRN licensure itself is still issued individually by each state, including Vermont.
What do I need to apply for APRN licensure in Vermont?
An active RN license, an MSN or DNP from an accredited program, national certification where the board requires it (AANPCB or ANCC for NPs; NBCRNA for CRNAs, AMCB for CNMs), and the application on the Vermont State Board of Nursing's current checklist. Fees, forms, and processing times are set by the board and change. The licensing facts on this page name the source of each figure and the date it was checked, so confirm them on the board site before you apply.
Do I need a collaborating or supervising physician in Vermont?
Not necessarily a physician, but a collaborative provider agreement is required until the transition to practice is complete. Vermont NPs have independent practice authority once they complete the transition to practice. Until they have 24 months and 2,400 hours of licensed active advanced nursing practice in their role and population focus, they must have a collaborative provider agreement with a Vermont licensed physician or advanced practice registered nurse and may not engage in solo practice. The Vermont State Board of Nursing publishes the current rule.
How much do NPs make in Vermont?
The national median for nurse practitioners is $132,300 (BLS OEWS, Nurse Practitioners (29-1171), median annual wage, May 2025). NP Hiring publishes a Vermont median only when at least 5 postings with disclosed pay from at least 3 employers support it, with no single employer above 40% of them. The Vermont job market snapshot on this page reports the current VT figure whenever that gate is met.