AANP classifies Virginia as a restricted practice state. Do you need a collaborating or supervising physician? Generally, yes. The practice authority section below quotes the full Virginia rule. Virginia is a Nurse Licensure Compact member, which simplifies the RN layer of your credential. Applications, fees, and timelines run through the Virginia Board of Nursing.
Practice authority in Virginia
The AANP classifies Virginia as a restricted practice state (AANP State Practice Environment). AANP applies that classification where state practice and licensure laws restrict the ability of NPs to engage in at least one element of NP practice, for example through supervision, delegation or team management by another health provider.
States in the same tier set different conditions: some limit the requirement to certain elements of practice, such as prescribing controlled substances, and some offer a route out of it after a set amount of experience. The Virginia rule quoted below is the one that applies here.
The Virginia entry in the practice-authority dataset NP Hiring publishes reads: "Virginia NPs must maintain a practice agreement documenting collaboration and consultation with a patient care team physician. An NP with the equivalent of at least three years of full-time clinical experience can apply for a license designation to practice without a practice agreement." The Virginia Board of Nursing holds the current rule text and the forms that go with it.
Because the Virginia 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 Virginia 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 VA license
Virginia participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The compact applies to the RN license that underpins your APRN credential: if Virginia 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 VA 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 Virginia 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 Virginia APRN licensure
The sequence below is the standard VA path. Details such as required forms, fees, fingerprinting, and processing times are set by the Virginia 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 Virginia is a compact state, a multistate RN license (with Virginia as your primary state of residence) or a VA 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 Virginia Board of Nursing's checklist confirms whether Virginia does.
- Apply for APRN licensure with the Virginia 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 Virginia practice rule against your own experience and practice setting, confirm with the Virginia 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 Virginia does.
Virginia 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 Virginia Board of Nursing before you rely on it.
| Topic | What the source states | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to apply | Apply online through the Virginia Department of Health Professions license application portal (https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply/) for an initial APRN license, by examination or by endorsement (for applicants already licensed as an APRN in another state). The applicant must already hold a current Virginia RN license or a multistate RN privilege from a compact state. The professional certifying organization sends verification of certification directly to the board. Applicants by examination have their school send the official graduate transcript directly to the board. Applicants by endorsement instead have the other state send verification of their APRN license, and should not send transcripts unless board staff ask. Adding a specialty or prescriptive authority to an existing Virginia APRN license requires a paper application, requested from the board by email or by mail. | Virginia Board of Nursing, Checklist Instructions: Application for Licensure, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), revised 7/1/2023 | September 29, 2026 |
| Initial application fee | APRN license application: $125 | Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC90-30-50, Fees (Regulations Governing the Licensure of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) | September 29, 2026 |
| Processing time | Within 30 business days (6 weeks) from the date the board receives the application and fee, for applications that are complete, fully documented and meet the minimum requirements of the regulations | Virginia Board of Nursing, Check Application Status | September 28, 2026 |
| Renewal cycle | Every 2 years, at the same time as the holder's Virginia RN license. An APRN whose RN authority is a multistate privilege from another compact state renews by the last day of the birth month: in even-numbered years if born in an even-numbered year, and in odd-numbered years if born in an odd-numbered year. The license lapses automatically if it is not renewed by the expiration date. | Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC90-30-100, Renewal of licensure | September 28, 2026 |
| Continuing education for renewal | Current national professional certification in the specialty area, from a certifying agency designated in 18VAC90-30-90. An NP first licensed before May 8, 2002 may instead complete at least 40 hours of continuing education in the specialty area. An NP with prescriptive authority must also complete 8 hours of continuing education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics each biennium. | Virginia Board of Nursing, FAQ: How do I renew my license or registration? (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse renewal attestation) | September 28, 2026 |
Renewing your Virginia license
Renewal cycles, continuing-education requirements, and fees are set by the Virginia 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 Virginia
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 Virginia 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 Virginia job market snapshot further down this page reports what is currently posted for VA, and it links the live VA listings and the Virginia salary guide only when those pages have something to show.
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia have full practice authority for NPs?
Not by AANP's classification. AANP classifies Virginia as a restricted practice state rather than a full practice state. Virginia NPs must maintain a practice agreement documenting collaboration and consultation with a patient care team physician. An NP with the equivalent of at least three years of full-time clinical experience can apply for a license designation to practice without a practice agreement. The Virginia Board of Nursing publishes the current rule.
Is Virginia part of the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes, Virginia 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 Virginia.
What do I need to apply for APRN licensure in Virginia?
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 Virginia 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 Virginia?
Generally, yes. Virginia NPs must maintain a practice agreement documenting collaboration and consultation with a patient care team physician. An NP with the equivalent of at least three years of full-time clinical experience can apply for a license designation to practice without a practice agreement. The Virginia Board of Nursing publishes the current rule.
How much do NPs make in Virginia?
The national median for nurse practitioners is $132,300 (BLS OEWS, Nurse Practitioners (29-1171), median annual wage, May 2025). NP Hiring publishes a Virginia 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 Virginia job market snapshot on this page reports the current VA figure whenever that gate is met.