CA-ON — nursing

Eligibility and education

• An Ontario RN applicant must have completed a baccalaureate nursing degree approved or recognized in any jurisdiction.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Nursing Education · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/nursing-education, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWKXC144
• An Ontario RPN applicant must have completed a practical nursing diploma approved or recognized in any jurisdiction.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Nursing Education · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/nursing-education, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWKYY2CD
• An Ontario NP applicant must have completed an approved Ontario university NP program.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Nursing Education · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/nursing-education, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWM0F3E5
• A nursing diploma that allows practice as an RN in the applicant's home country does not meet CNO's nursing education requirement for RN applicants.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Nursing Education · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/nursing-education, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWM2126F

Examinations

• An Ontario RN applicant must pass the NCLEX-RN registration examination.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Registration Examination · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/registration-examination, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWM3H3E4
• An Ontario RPN applicant must pass the REx-PN registration examination.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Registration Examination · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/registration-examination, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWM52D8B
• RN and RPN registration examinations have no limit on the number of attempts until the applicant passes.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Registration Examination · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/registration-examination, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWM6KB62
• An Ontario NP applicant may attempt the NP registration examination up to three times.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Registration Examination · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/registration-examination, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWM833B9

Application fees

• The CNO general class (RPN or RN) application fee is CAD 433.00 for 2026.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWM9M463
• The CNO jurisprudence examination fee for all applicants other than the Non-Practising Class is CAD 40.00 for 2026.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMB4EBC
• The CNO initial registration fee for all applicants other than the emergency class is CAD 69.00 for 2026.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMCM869
• The CNO annual renewal fee for RNs, RPNs and NPs in the General, Extended and Temporary classes is CAD 368.00 for 2026.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWME6741
• All CNO fees are subject to Ontario's 13% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).[College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMFQ15A

Background checks

• CNO requires all applicants to provide a recent police criminal record check.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Character, Conduct and Health · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMH8F50
• A CNO police criminal record check is valid for six months.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Character, Conduct and Health · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMJRBBC
• Applicants must answer Declaration of Registration Requirements questions about past or current offences and findings.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Character, Conduct and Health · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMM9827

Timelines

• CNO completes the initial application review and acknowledgement in up to 15 days.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Timelines for registration processes · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/timelines-for-registration-processes, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMNT825
• After CNO receives a passed registration exam result, it updates the application in up to 5 days.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Timelines for registration processes · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/timelines-for-registration-processes, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMQB042
• After an applicant finishes the jurisprudence exam, CNO receives the result and updates the application in up to 24 hours.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Timelines for registration processes · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/timelines-for-registration-processes, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMRWD8E
• After receiving the police criminal record check result, CNO updates or requests further information in up to 5 days.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Timelines for registration processes · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/timelines-for-registration-processes, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMTD072

Renewal and continuing education

• All nurses registered with CNO must renew their registration annually.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Annual Membership Renewal · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/annual-membership-renewal, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMW1408
• INL registrants with CNO as host jurisdiction are exempt from participating in CNO's Quality Assurance program, except RNs, RPNs and NPs whose home jurisdiction is Quebec and LPNs whose home jurisdiction is the Yukon.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Interjurisdictional Nurse Licensure · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/interjurisdictional-nurse-licensure, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMXQ7D8

Reciprocity and mobility

• Interjurisdictional nurse licensure (INL) lets a nurse hold equivalent registration in a home and one or more host Canadian jurisdictions.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Interjurisdictional Nurse Licensure · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/interjurisdictional-nurse-licensure, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWMZFA3D
• A nurse must physically reside in Canada to be an INL registrant.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Interjurisdictional Nurse Licensure · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/interjurisdictional-nurse-licensure, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWN18081
• CNO provides a 25% rebate on the annual fee when initially registering, renewing or reinstating with CNO as the host jurisdiction.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Interjurisdictional Nurse Licensure · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/interjurisdictional-nurse-licensure, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWN3RE0E
• Applicants registered in another Canadian jurisdiction are not required to complete the Jurisprudence Examination at this time.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Interjurisdictional Nurse Licensure · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/interjurisdictional-nurse-licensure, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWN5V616

Regulator contact

• CNO's main call centre telephone number is 416 928-0900.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Contact Us · https://www.cno.org/what-is-cno/contact-us, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWN7JDCB
• CNO's toll-free telephone number in Canada is 1 800 387-5526.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Contact Us · https://www.cno.org/what-is-cno/contact-us, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWN9D893
• CNO is available by phone Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Contact Us · https://www.cno.org/what-is-cno/contact-us, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWNAYF94

Recent changes

• From July 1, 2026, the registration examination for Ontario NP applicants will be the Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Exam (CNPLE).[College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWNCFB90
• CNO specialty certificates will no longer be issued from July 1, 2026 as NP certification transitions to a single classification without specialties.[College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees, retrieved 2026-10-06]single official source, verified 2026-10-06clm_00001M47VWNDZDFE

Sources

• College of Nurses of Ontario · Nursing Education · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/nursing-education · retrieved 2026-10-06
• College of Nurses of Ontario · Registration Examination · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/registration-examination · retrieved 2026-10-06
• College of Nurses of Ontario · Application Fees · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/fees/application-membership-fees · retrieved 2026-10-06
• College of Nurses of Ontario · Character, Conduct and Health · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-requirements/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct/past-offences-and-findings--health-and-conduct · retrieved 2026-10-06
• College of Nurses of Ontario · Timelines for registration processes · https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/timelines-for-registration-processes · retrieved 2026-10-06
• College of Nurses of Ontario · Annual Membership Renewal · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/annual-membership-renewal · retrieved 2026-10-06
• College of Nurses of Ontario · Interjurisdictional Nurse Licensure · https://www.cno.org/maintain-your-membership/interjurisdictional-nurse-licensure · retrieved 2026-10-06
• College of Nurses of Ontario · Contact Us · https://www.cno.org/what-is-cno/contact-us · retrieved 2026-10-06

Claim ids

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