A calm atlas of every state board
Two states, two sets of rules. See them side by side.
Get your Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) license, in your state. The national NAB CORE of Knowledge and Nursing Home Administrator exams are the same everywhere, but the Administrator-in-Training (AIT) hours, fees, and renewal rules are set by your state board and they contradict each other constantly. This atlas puts any two verified states on one page. Every rule dated and sourced. We sell no course.
How do the requirements to become a nursing home administrator differ by state?
Every board sets its own hours, exam, and fees.
The exams are national, but each state board sets its own Administrator-in-Training hour requirement, its own education floor, whether a state exam sits on top of the national ones, its license fees, and its continuing-education renewal cycle. That is why two board websites can look like they describe different credentials.
The exact side-by-side a candidate deciding between two states cannot find on either board site.
| Requirement | FloridaFL | VirginiaVA |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator-in-Training hoursthese differ | 650 to 2,000 hrslowest tier needs a health-care degree | 320 to 2,000 hrslowest tier needs a health-care degree |
| Education floorthese differ | Bachelor's degreebaccalaureate required | 60+ college hoursa bachelor's or master's cuts AIT hours |
| State exam on top of the national onesthese differ | Yesstate Laws and Rules exam | Nonational NAB exam only |
| Initial license feethese differ | $755exam, licensure, and fees | $315plus a $215 AIT-program fee |
| Continuing education per renewalthese differ | 38 hrs / 2 yrbiennial | 20 hrs / 1 yrannual |
| Reciprocity for an out-of-state license | By endorsementtwo years of active practice | By endorsementcurrent unrestricted license |
Nobody publishes this comparison. The board sites answer one state at a time, the national association just points you to a phone number, and the question banks sell a national product that cannot know your state. So we are drawing the atlas: neutral, dated, and free, from a publisher with no course to sell you.
Editorial standard, Nursing Home Admin Prep
Every jurisdiction gets one row, with the numbers people search for most. A state appears here only once its facts are confirmed against its own board and dated, so the atlas starts small and grows verified state by verified state rather than shipping 51 thin templates.
| Jurisdiction | Board | AIT hours | State exam | CE / cycle | Reciprocity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Florida Board of Nursing Home Administrators (Florida Department of Health) | 650 to 2,000 hrs | Yes | 38 hrs / 2 yr | endorsement available |
| Virginia | Virginia Board of Long-Term Care Administrators (Department of Health Professions) | 320 to 2,000 hrs | No | 20 hrs / 1 yr | endorsement available |
State requirements wizard
Pick your state and your current education level. It returns a dated checklist for exactly that jurisdiction: required Administrator-in-Training hours resolved for your degree, which exams you sit, the license fee, and the renewal cycle to plan for later. A chat answer cannot pin this to your board and date it.
Free, no signup, no email. Runs entirely in your browser.
Administrator-in-Training hours tracker
Enter your state, your degree tier, and how many AIT hours you log a week. It turns your board's hour requirement into a projected completion date and a simple hours-done, hours-remaining readout. Your progress stays in your own browser.
Free, ungated.
Reciprocity checker
Hold a license in one state and want to work in another? Pick the two and it reads the target state's endorsement rule from the atlas: whether your national exam transfers, whether a state exam is still required, and the fees and continuing education to expect.
Free, ungated.
Studying for the exam itself? Take the free 30-question practice test, or read how the national exams work.
Questions candidates actually ask
Do I take one national exam or two?
Two. Nearly every state requires the NAB CORE of Knowledge examination plus the Nursing Home Administrator Line-of-Service examination. The CORE covers knowledge common to all long-term-care administrators; the Line-of-Service exam is specific to nursing home administration. Some states then add a state law or jurisprudence exam on top, which is one of the things the atlas flags per state.
Why do two state board websites seem to contradict each other?
Because they are describing two different state rules, not one national one. Administrator-in-Training hours, the education floor, whether a state exam is required, fees, and continuing education are all set state by state. Neither board is wrong; they simply govern different jurisdictions. The comparison plate exists to hold both sets of rules on one page so the difference is obvious.
How many Administrator-in-Training hours will I need?
It depends entirely on your state, and often on your degree. Many states set the Administrator-in-Training requirement around 1,000 hours, some reach 2,000, and several reduce the hours if you hold a qualifying bachelor's or master's degree. The requirements wizard resolves the exact number for your state and education level and shows the date it was checked.
Can I use my license in another state later?
Usually through endorsement, not automatically. Most states let an administrator licensed elsewhere apply by endorsement if their qualifications match, but many still require the target state's own exam or continuing education first. A few grant reciprocity only by re-examination. The reciprocity checker reads the target state's rule so you know before you move.