Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

DSPS has updated this webpage to provide information related to all areas of credentialing impacted by 2025 Wisconsin Act 17. Please refer to the section(s) below.

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As of August 3, 2026

• We will no longer accept applications for APNP.
• Application for APRN is open (will not be issued until on or after 9/1)
• Applications for Independent Practice for current WI APNP's (will not be issued until on or after 9/1)
• Applications for current Nurse Midwives to Attend Births Out of Hospital Setting (will not be issued until on or after 9/1)
  

Information for Those Who Have an Open APNP Application

Continue submitting any outstanding application requirements. Once all required documents have been received and your application is complete, your APRN credential will be issued on or after September 1, 2026.​​

Information for Those Who Have an Open Nurse Midwife Application

Continue submitting any outstanding application requirements. If your application is complete before September 1, 2026, you will first receive your Nurse Midwife credential. On September 1, 2026, your credential will automatically transition to an APRN with the Certified Nurse Midwife specialty (APRN-CNM).   

How to Apply for an APRN Credential

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for an APRN license, you must:

• Hold a Wisconsin RN License, a RN multi-state license through the nurse licensure compact or apply for a Wisconsin RN license at the same time.
• Maintain the malpractice liability insurance required by Wisconsin law.
• Complete an application and pay the applicable fees.

And meet one of the two following criteria:

1)       You have completed an accredited graduate-level or postgraduate-level education program preparing the person to practice as an APRN in one of four recognized roles and hold a current national certification approved by the board;

OR

2)       You were licensed as a Wisconsin Registered Nurse as of January 1, 2026, were practicing in a recognized role, AND:

1. Have completed a master's or doctoral degree in Nursing that is substantially equivalent to a master's or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the board
2. Have current certification by a national certifying body approved by the board in the recognized role or specialized designation
3. Have experience in clinical practice of at least 3,840 hours approved by the board as a registered nurse in a designated recognized role.

Please note when applying under Critera #2, you are ineligible for prescriptive authority without satisfying additional requirements.​

Certification of Master's or Doctoral Degree

Have your school fill out Form 2367 and submit it directly to DSPS. Documents can be uploaded on LicensE via the Third-Party Portal. This document cannot be accepted directly from applicants.​

Clinical Pharmacology / Therapeutics Hours

You must complete and submit proof of at least 45 contact hours in clinical pharmacology/therapeutics.

Continuing education certificates must include the title of course, number of pharmacology hours per course, and date of completion.

A transcript that contains a 3-credit pharmacology/therapeutics college/university course is also acceptable.

Proof of contact hours in pharmacology must be completed within 5 years preceding the date of APRN application.

Please note when applying under Critera #2 above, you are ineligible for prescriptive authority without satisfying the Clinical Pharamcology course requirements.​

Specialization and Verification of Certification by National Certifying Bodies

As an APRN, you must declare at least one of four specialties:

• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
• Certified Nurse Midwife
• Nurse Practitioner
• Clinical Nurse Specialist

Your selection(s) will be displayed as part of your license information in the LicensE Public Lookup.

Have your national certifying body send verification of Current Certification by a National Certifying Body as a Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Certified RN Anesthetist or Clinical Nurse Specialist directly to DSPS.

This is required and cannot be accepted directly from applicants. Documents can be uploaded on LicensE via the Third-Party Portal. They will need your application number (beginning with PAR-)

We can also accept certifications by email (DSPSCREDNursing@wisconsin.gov),

Questions and clarifications about your application should be submitted as support tickets in LicensE. Email addresses provided for document submission are not monitored for support purposes. After a document is emailed, you can submit a support ticket to alert our staff.   ​

How to Apply for Enhanced Practice Eligibility – For Those with a Current WI APNP

For existing APNP / APRNs, to apply for an enhanced practice eligibility (Independent Practice or Attending Births Outside of Hospital Setting) you must submit an amendment with the required information and pay a fee. See the sections below for details. ​

Qualifying for Independent Practice

To be eligible for independent practice you must demonstrate a total of 7,680 clinical hours. Wis. Stat.§ 441.09(3m)(b).  Of this total:

•  At least 3,840* of these clinical hours must be clinical hours of advanced practice registered nursing practice in person's recognized role,  while working with a physician or dentist who was immediately available for consultation and accepted responsibility for the actions of the advanced practice registered nurse during those 3,840 hours of practice. Please note: any hours in excess of 3,840 in this category can be applied towards the 7,680 total clinical hours up to the total amount.

• Up to 3,840** of these clinical hours may be hours of professional nursing in a clinical setting, including hours completed as a requirement for nursing school (but not a graduate or post-graduate level education program).

Timeline Restrictions for Clinical hours

*At least 24 months must have elapsed since the applicant began practicing advanced practice registered nursing in that recognized role.  

**At least 24 months must have elapsed since the applicant first began completing the clinical hours required by a nursing program.

Note: Hours may be submitted from lawful advanced practice registered nursing completed outside Wisconsin. Applicant must submit satisfactory evidence of this experience to the board to determine eligibility

Complete and submit a copy of Form 2158 APRN Independent Practice Requirements Verification for each institution you wish to verify your experience hours.

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Qualifying to Attend Births Out of a Hospital as a Nurse Midwife

Prior to attending births outside of a hospital setting, you are required to submit a birth plan to the Board of Nursing for Review. This will be submitted as part of your amendment application in LicensE.

The birth plan must detail a proactive plan for ensuring appropriate care or care transitions conforming with professional standards for patients with higher acuity or emergency care needs that exceed the APRNs scope of practice. Your plan should be tailorable for each patient's unique circumstances. A Plan shall include (a) Fields for the name of the hospital or clinical facility where the patient and newborn, will be transferred in the event of an emergency; (b) the designated method and protocol for emergency medical transport; and (c) The protocol for the transfer of prenatal and intrapartum medical records and current medical conditions.​

Prescriptive Authority

A person who is certified to issue prescription orders under current law (you currently hold a Wisconsin APNP credential) will automatically be granted an APRN license with a notation of prescriptive authority eligible.​

How to Apply in LicensE

After logging in to LicensE, select Apply for a License and choose:

• Category: Health
• License Type: Advanced Practice Registered Nurse

Application Methods:           

• Licensure by Examination: For applicants who are seeking an APRN license in Wisconsin for the first time.
• Alternate Education Method: For applicants who held an active license as a Wisconsin RN as of 01/01/2026 and meets all requirements detailed under Criteria #2 of the Eligibility section above
• Renewal After 5 Years: For applicants who previously held an APNP license that expired more than 5 years ago and now seek licensure as an APRN in Wisconsin. 

Please Note: You are not required to provide all documents before initial application submission. You do not need to upload documents to every available category. 

On September 1, 2026

Currently Credentialed Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers

All active Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers will maintain their same credential number (example XXXX – 33), only their profession name will change to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

Currently Credentialed Nurse Midwives

All active Nurse Midwives will transition to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses with a specialty of Certified Nurse Midwife. This change will require a new APRN credential number to be issued to you. You will receive an email once this process takes place providing you with your new APRN - CNM credential number. The email will be sent in the early hours of September 1, 2026. You will also be able to access your new credential number by logging into your LicensE portal or Public Look-up.

Currently Hold Both an APNP and Nurse Midwife

All active Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioners will maintain their same credential number (example XXXX – 33), the profession name will change to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with a Specialty of Nurse Midwife.​

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