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How to look up and verify a nursing license in Delaware

Verifying a nursing license in Delaware (DE) takes two trusted sources: Nursys and the state board. Here is how, and what the result tells you.

How do I verify a nursing license in Delaware?

Look the license up on Nursys QuickConfirm, the national verification system, and confirm details with the Delaware Board of Nursing. Because Delaware is a compact state, a Delaware license can be single-state or multistate — Nursys shows which, and that difference decides whether you can practice in other states.

Last reviewed 2026-06-17

What Nursys shows

Nursys QuickConfirm reports the license type (single-state or multistate), current status, and expiration for participating boards. It is the fastest way to confirm whether a license carries compact privilege.

Checking with the Delaware Board of Nursing

For anything Nursys does not show — or to confirm official requirements — go to the Delaware Board of Nursing. The board is the authority on Delaware licensure; we do not make licensure determinations.

Could a Delaware license be multistate?

Only if it was issued or upgraded on or after January 19, 2018 — the date the Delaware Board of Nursing began issuing multistate licenses to Delaware residents. A license issued before then was single-state when granted, so a nurse holding an older Delaware license who has never upgraded will still verify as single-state no matter how long they have been licensed here.

Beyond Nursys, Delaware publishes its own primary-source lookup: Delaware DELPROS search & verify. Where the two disagree, the issuing board controls.

What trips people up in Delaware: Free lookup with a discipline column — where history exists it reads "Yes" and the Board Orders themselves are downloadable, not just flagged. Delaware does not issue written verifications for RNs and LPNs at all; that route is Nursys only, like Maine. APRNs go through a separate verification process instead — the second jurisdiction in this cohort, after D.C., where RN and LPN traffic rides shared national infrastructure and advanced practice is handled apart from it.

The compact statute in Delaware: Delaware keeps the compact out of the nursing chapter entirely: ch. 19 is Nursing, ch. 19A is the Nurse Multistate Licensure Compact, and ch. 19B is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Compact. The APRN chapter is worth reading carefully — its heading in the code is qualified “[Effective upon …]”, so Delaware has enacted APRN compact law that is contingent rather than in force. That is primary-source confirmation of the general point: a state having APRN compact language on its books does not mean an APRN multistate license exists there.

RN, LPN/LVN, and APRN

Verification works the same for RN and LPN/VN licenses. APRN authority is separate and verified per state — see APRN and the compact.

What your result means

Nursys and the Delaware Board of Nursing tell you what a license is. They do not tell you what it lets you do in another state — that is a compact question.

Covered by Nursys for participating boards.

2. What does the verification show?

Pick a result and two jurisdictions to see what it means.

This explains what a verification result means for practicing across state lines. It does not verify a license and does not decide eligibility — the board of nursing does both, and this tool points you at the right one.

Verifying a CNA in Delaware is a different system

Nursys carries RN and LPN/VN licenses only. A nurse aide searched there returns nothing, and that empty result means the wrong system rather than a missing record. Delaware nurse aide certifications are held by Delaware Office of Long-Term Care.

A CNA certification also carries no compact privilege — the Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/VN only. Compare every state’s CNA registry. Operator from the Texas HHS — List of States' Nurse Aide Registries, revised 2024-04.

What usually comes next

Next-step checklist

  • Look the license up on Nursys QuickConfirm (nursys.com).
  • Note whether it reads single-state or multistate.
  • Confirm anything unclear with the Delaware Board of Nursing.
  • If it is multistate, use the checker to see where you can practice.

Frequently asked questions

Use Nursys QuickConfirm, which shows license status, type, and expiration for Delaware, or check directly with the Delaware Board of Nursing. We do not store or look up individual license records.