AIT Hours by State

Every state licensing board sets its own Administrator-in-Training (AIT) internship requirement for nursing home administrator licensure. The national NAB Core and NHA Line of Service exams are the same everywhere; the internship is not. Below is a verified starting point for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with the continuing education note and the board source for each. It is a planning aid, not a substitute for your board.

nhaexamprep.com · updated July 2026

CONFIRM WITH YOUR STATE BOARD

Requirements change, and your state board is the only authoritative source. Figures here were checked against NAB state pages and board materials (the nursing-home AIT block only, never the assisted-living / RCAL numbers). Where a state publishes no single AIT hour figure, it is shown as Varies — a real finding for credit- or experience-based states, not a missing value. Verify every number against the linked source before you plan your training.

How states express the requirement

A single number is usually a minimum (for example, 1,000 hours).
A range means the required hours depend on your education and experience (for example, 500–2,000 hours).
A term is set in months rather than clock hours; an approximate hour figure is shown where the board publishes one.
Varies means the board sets no single AIT hour figure; the requirement is credit- or experience-based. Confirm the path that applies to you.

Where to find a program and preceptor

Your board sets the rules, but it rarely finds you a preceptor. That happens through the people already working in long-term care, and the fastest way to reach them is your state trade associations. Each row below carries a "Find a program" line with the state long-term care associations: the state affiliate of the American Health Care Association (AHCA/NCAL), representing skilled nursing and post-acute providers, and, where one exists, the state LeadingAge partner, representing nonprofit aging-services providers. Both hold events, run education, and know the administrators who precept. They are membership organizations, not licensing boards, so use them to connect and network, and confirm your actual requirements with your board. Where a state has a single combined association or no separate LeadingAge partner, only what exists is shown. A handful of states go further and publish an approved-preceptor list or run a formal AIT program you apply to; where they do, a second linked line points straight to it. For the step-by-step, see How to Find an AIT Preceptor.

AIT requirement by state

Each state below also links to a full licensing guide covering that state's AIT requirement, exams, continuing education, and where to find approved programs. Or browse the state-by-state index.

State	AIT requirement	Continuing education	Source
Alabama Full Alabama licensing guide → AIT hours are tiered by education: 2,000 with an associate degree plus four years supervisory experience, 500 with a bachelor's in health care administration, 200 with a master's in health or hospital administration. Find a programAlabama Nursing Home Association (ANHA) · LeadingAge Southeast Approved preceptor listAlabama Board (ALBOENHA)	200–2,000 hrs	24 hours annual	NAB / board
Alaska Full Alaska licensing guide → Minimum 1,000 AIT hours, completed within two years of the program proposal (12 AAC 46.041). Alternatives: 12 months of health facility management experience or the NAB HSE credential. Find a programAlaska Hospital & Healthcare Association (AHHA)	1,000 hrs	—	NAB / board
Arizona Full Arizona licensing guide → Bachelor's; state exam required. CE 50 hours biennial. Find a programArizona Health Care Association (AzHCA) · Arizona LeadingAge	1,000 hrs	50 hours biennial	NAB / board
Arkansas Full Arkansas licensing guide → 640-hour AIT (72 classroom hours plus 568 facility hours over 16 weeks), run by the Arkansas Health Care Foundation. Required only when education and experience do not already qualify you for the exams. Find a programArkansas Health Care Association State AIT programArkansas Health Care Foundation	640 hrs	20 hours annual	NAB / board
California Full California licensing guide → Minimum 1,000 AIT hours (NHA). Bachelor's degree; biennial renewal. CE 40 hours biennial. Find a programCalifornia Association of Health Facilities (CAHF) · LeadingAge California	1,000 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Colorado Full Colorado licensing guide → High school minimum; annual renewal; state exam required. Confirm CE hours with the CO board. Find a programColorado Health Care Association & Center for Assisted Living (CHCA) · LeadingAge Colorado	500–1,000 hrs	—	NAB / board
Connecticut Full Connecticut licensing guide → No set AIT hour figure. Connecticut requires a DPH-approved long-term care administration course plus a supervised residency or internship, with reduced paths for master's degrees. Confirm with the CT Department of Public Health. Find a programConnecticut Association of Health Care Facilities (CAHCF/CCAL) · LeadingAge Connecticut & Rhode Island	Varies	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Delaware Full Delaware licensing guide → Delaware AITs are term-based, not hour-based: 6, 9, or 12 months depending on education, plus a Board-approved 100 or 120 hour course of study. The Board must approve the preceptor and program outline before you start. Confirm with the DE Board of Examiners of NHA. Find a programDelaware Health Care Facilities Association (DHCFA) · LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware	Varies	48 hours biennial	NAB / board
District of Columbia Full District of Columbia licensing guide → Six or twelve continuous months in an approved DC nursing home under a Board-certified preceptor, minimum 35 hours per week (17 DCMR 6202). The Board must approve the preceptor and program before you start; a mid-point Board interview is required. Find a programDistrict of Columbia Health Care Association (DCHCA) · LeadingAge DC Approved preceptor listDC Health	12 months	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Florida Full Florida licensing guide → Bachelor's; biennial renewal. CE 40 hours biennial. Find a programFlorida Health Care Association (FHCA) · LeadingAge Southeast Approved preceptor listFlorida Board of NHA	1,000–2,000 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Georgia Full Georgia licensing guide → High school minimum; biennial renewal. CE 40 hours biennial. Find a programGeorgia Health Care Association (GHCA) · LeadingAge Georgia	500–2,000 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Hawaii Full Hawaii licensing guide → One year of full-time AIT training under a licensed administrator (HAR 16-90-37), or one year of qualifying administrative experience; a qualifying master's degree can substitute. Register with the board before starting. Find a programHealthcare Association of Hawaii (HAH)	12 months	—	NAB / board
Idaho Full Idaho licensing guide → Minimum 1,000 AIT hours under a Board-certified preceptor (Idaho Code 54-1610), reported in 500-hour increments with at least 32 preceptor-contact hours per month. Qualifying master's degree paths can substitute. Find a programIdaho Health Care Association (IHCA) Approved preceptor listIdaho DOPL	1,000 hrs	12 hours biennial	NAB / board
Illinois Full Illinois licensing guide → NAB lists no set AIT hour figure for Illinois; a state exam is required. CE 36 hours biennial. Confirm the AIT/experience requirement with IDFPR. Find a programHealth Care Council of Illinois (HCCI) · LeadingAge Illinois	Varies	36 hours biennial	NAB / board
Indiana Full Indiana licensing guide → Biennial renewal; state exam required. CE 40 hours biennial. Find a programIndiana Health Care Association / Indiana Center for Assisted Living (IHCA/INCAL) · LeadingAge Indiana	728–1,040 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Iowa Full Iowa licensing guide → Bachelor's; biennial renewal. Iowa also recognizes the HSE credential. Find a programIowa Health Care Association · LeadingAge Iowa	720 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Kansas Full Kansas licensing guide → 480-clock-hour AIT completed through a Board-approved program (KHCA, KACE, or Wichita State). Bachelor's degree in any field required; state and NAB exams follow. Licensing runs through the KDADS Board of Adult Care Home Administrators. Find a programKansas Health Care Association · LeadingAge Kansas	480 hrs	50 hours biennial	NAB / board
Kentucky Full Kentucky licensing guide → AIT minimum 1,080 hours. Bachelor's; annual renewal. CE 30 hours biennial. Find a programKCARE (formerly Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities, KAHCF/KCAL) · LeadingAge Kentucky	1,080 hrs	30 hours biennial	NAB / board
Louisiana Full Louisiana licensing guide → Minimum six months of AIT training in a Louisiana Medicare/Medicaid nursing facility, with the full licensure process completed within 24 months of application approval. Bachelor's required; full or partial AIT waivers exist for qualifying degrees and experience. Find a programLouisiana Nursing Home Association · LeadingAge Southeast	6 months	18 hours annual	NAB / board
Maine Full Maine licensing guide → 1,040-hour AIT: full-time 40 hours per week for six months, or with prior Board approval part-time 20 hours per week for twelve months. Waivers possible for equivalent internships; graduates of NAB academically approved programs are deemed to have met it. Find a programMaine Health Care Association · LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire	1,040 hrs	24 hours annual	NAB / board
Maryland Full Maryland licensing guide → Bachelor's; biennial renewal; state exam required. CE 40 hours biennial. Find a programLifeSpan Network · LeadingAge Maryland	2,080 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Massachusetts Full Massachusetts licensing guide → Bachelor's; biennial renewal. Find a programMassachusetts Senior Care Association · LeadingAge Massachusetts	520–1,040 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Michigan Full Michigan licensing guide → NAB lists no set AIT hour figure for Michigan. Bachelor's; biennial renewal. CE 36 hours biennial. Confirm the AIT/experience requirement with Michigan LARA. Find a programHealth Care Association of Michigan (HCAM) · LeadingAge Michigan	Varies	36 hours biennial	NAB / board
Minnesota Full Minnesota licensing guide → AIT up to 1,000 hours (no stated minimum on NAB). Bachelor's; annual renewal; state exam required. CE 20 hours annual. Find a programCare Providers of Minnesota · LeadingAge Minnesota	1,000 hrs	20 hours annual	NAB / board
Mississippi Full Mississippi licensing guide → Full-time AIT benchmarked at 1,040 hours in the Board's rules, under a certified preceptor who meets with you at least 8 hours per week. Education tiers below a bachelor's require two years of supervisory nursing home experience first; Board approval required before starting. Find a programMississippi Health Care Association (MHCA) · LeadingAge Southeast Approved preceptor listMississippi State Board	1,040 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Missouri Full Missouri licensing guide → High school minimum; biennial renewal. CE 40 hours biennial. Find a programMissouri Health Care Association · LeadingAge Missouri Approved preceptor listMissouri Board of NHA	500–2,000 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Montana Full Montana licensing guide → Montana has no set AIT hour figure. It uses a points system: a minimum of 1,200 points from a combination of education, training, and health care management experience, plus the NAB exam and the Montana Jurisprudence Exam. Confirm with the Montana Board of Nursing Home Administrators. Find a programMontana Health Care Association (MHCA)	Varies	20 hours annual	NAB / board
Nebraska Full Nebraska licensing guide → At least 640 hours of AIT or mentoring under a certified preceptor, over no less than four calendar months at 20 or more hours per week. Bachelor's or higher plus core coursework uses the mentoring path; associate-degree applicants without nursing home experience use the full AIT. Find a programNebraska Health Care Association · LeadingAge Nebraska	640 hrs	50 hours biennial	NAB / board
Nevada Full Nevada licensing guide → Minimum 1,000 AIT hours (NHA). Bachelor's; biennial renewal; NAB CORE and NHA exams required, no separate state exam. Find a programNevada Health Care Association (NVHCA/NVCAL) Approved program listNevada BELTCA	1,000 hrs	30 hours biennial	NAB / board
New Hampshire Full New Hampshire licensing guide → No published AIT hour figure. RSA 151-A requires a bachelor's degree plus institutional-administration training or experience as set by Board rule (Nuh 300, updated 2025), with waivers possible. Confirm with the NH Board of Nursing Home Administrators at OPLC. Find a programNew Hampshire Health Care Association · LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire	Varies	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
New Jersey Full New Jersey licensing guide → 1,750 intern-program hours, no more than 50 credited per week, completed within two years. NJ DOH approves the program (form NH-8) with quarterly progress reports. Find a programHealth Care Association of New Jersey · LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware	1,750 hrs	60 hours triennial	NAB / board
New Mexico Full New Mexico licensing guide → Minimum 1,000 hours in a board-approved AIT or internship program, on-site and supervised with monthly written preceptor evaluations. Bachelor's in a board-approved course of study required. Find a programNew Mexico Health Care Association (NMHCA)	1,000 hrs	24 hours annual	NAB / board
New York Full New York licensing guide → Six months (26 weeks / 910 hours) or 12 months (52 weeks / 1,820 hours), designed by preceptor and intern. Requires advance Board approval. Find a programNY State Health Facilities Association (NYSHFA/NYSCAL) · LeadingAge New York	6 or 12 months (~910–1,820 hrs)	48 hours biennial	NAB / board
North Carolina Full North Carolina licensing guide → Minimum 12-week initial full-time component (40 hours per week, weekday business hours) plus additional individualized weeks set by the Board based on your education and experience. Board interview and approval required BEFORE starting; state exam within one year of completion. Find a programNorth Carolina Health Care Facilities Association (NCHCFA) · LeadingAge North Carolina Approved preceptor listNC Board (NCBENHA)	3 months (~480 hrs)	30 hours biennial	NAB / board
North Dakota Full North Dakota licensing guide → Board-approved AIT of 480 hours, set by Board policy. Bachelor's required (or associate degree plus five of the last six years licensed practice); alternatives include two years licensed practice, ACHCA certification, or the NAB HSE credential. Find a programNorth Dakota Long Term Care Association State AIT programND Board of Examiners	480 hrs	20 hours annual	NAB / board
Ohio Full Ohio licensing guide → Annual renewal. CE 40 hours (as of 1/1/26), reported annually. Find a programOhio Health Care Association (OHCA) · LeadingAge Ohio	500–1,500 hrs	40 hours (as of 1/1/26), reported annually	NAB / board
Oklahoma Full Oklahoma licensing guide → 560-hour AIT, or 700 hours if your degree is unrelated to the domains of practice. Bachelor's plus completion of Administrator University required; the AIT cannot start before AU starts and must finish within one year. Find a programCare Providers Oklahoma · LeadingAge Oklahoma State AIT programOSBELTCA Administrator University	560–700 hrs	24 hours annual	NAB / board
Oregon Full Oregon licensing guide → AIT minimum 960 hours. Bachelor's; annual renewal; state exam required. CE 20 hours annual. Find a programOregon Health Care Association (OHCA) · LeadingAge Oregon	960 hrs	20 hours annual	NAB / board
Pennsylvania Full Pennsylvania licensing guide → Biennial renewal. CE 48 hours biennial. Find a programPennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA) · LeadingAge PA	800–1,000 hrs	48 hours biennial	NAB / board
Rhode Island Full Rhode Island licensing guide → At least 350 hours of AIT field experience in a licensed nursing facility, completed within a twelve-month period (216-RICR-40-05-32). Bachelor's in health care administration, or any bachelor's plus 15 credit hours across five required content areas. Find a programRhode Island Health Care Association · LeadingAge Connecticut & Rhode Island	350 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
South Carolina Full South Carolina licensing guide → AIT internship of six months with a bachelor's in health care administration or a related health degree, or nine months with any other bachelor's (Regulation 93-80). Register with the Board first; the AIT permit is valid up to one year, and completing the AIT replaces the work-experience requirement. Find a programSouth Carolina Health Care Association (SCHCA) · LeadingAge South Carolina	6 months	20 hours annual	NAB / board
South Dakota Full South Dakota licensing guide → Minimum 240 AIT hours served within six consecutive months, or a completed practicum in a regionally accredited higher education program. NAB exam plus a state exam on South Dakota nursing facility rules. Find a programSouth Dakota Health Care Association · South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO)	240 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Tennessee Full Tennessee licensing guide → AIT minimum 400 hours. Associate degree; biennial renewal; state exam required. CE 18 hours annual. Find a programTennessee Health Care Association (THCA) · LeadingAge Tennessee	400 hrs	18 hours annual	NAB / board
Texas Full Texas licensing guide → Bachelor's; state exam required. CE 40 hours biennial. Find a programLeadingAge Texas	1,000 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Utah Full Utah licensing guide → Utah licenses Health Facility Administrators with no set AIT hour figure: the AIT preceptorship is individually approved by the Division with the Board (R156-15). Alternative paths include 8,000 hours of qualifying health facility experience or the NAB HSE credential. Confirm with Utah DOPL. Find a programUtah Health Care Association (UHCA)	Varies	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Vermont Full Vermont licensing guide → 1,000-hour AIT completed within two years under an approved preceptor with at least five years experience. The Director may waive or reduce hours for equivalent experience. Bachelor's, NAB exam, and a Vermont jurisprudence exam required. Find a programVermont Health Care Association	1,000 hrs	40 hours biennial	NAB / board
Virginia Full Virginia licensing guide → Bachelor's; annual renewal. CE 20 hours annual. Find a programVirginia Health Care Association (VHCA-VCAL) · LeadingAge Virginia Approved preceptor listVirginia DHP	320–2,000 hrs	20 hours annual	NAB / board
Washington Full Washington licensing guide → Bachelor's degree and background check required; license renews annually. Find a programWashington Health Care Association (WHCA) · LeadingAge Washington	1,500 hrs	36 hours biennial	NAB / board
West Virginia Full West Virginia licensing guide → 1,000-hour AIT program (CSR 21-1-4.3) under full-time supervision of a Board-approved WV preceptor licensed at least three years. AIT permit approval required before starting; the preceptor files quarterly reports. Find a programWest Virginia Health Care Association (WVHCA)	1,000 hrs	20 hours annual	NAB / board
Wisconsin Full Wisconsin licensing guide → NAB lists no set AIT hour figure for Wisconsin; a state exam is required. CE 24 hours biennial. Confirm the AIT/experience requirement with WI DSPS. Find a programWisconsin Health Care Association / Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living (WHCA/WiCAL) · LeadingAge Wisconsin	Varies	24 hours biennial	NAB / board
Wyoming Full Wyoming licensing guide → 500 AIT hours under a Board-approved preceptor, including 8 hours of direct preceptor training (in person or by videoconference). Waivable with two or more years as an administrator within the last five, or the NAB HSE credential. Find a programWyoming Long Term Care Association (WLTCA)	500 hrs	25 hours annual	NAB / board

Plan your AIT hours, free

Our interactive AIT Planner pulls your state's requirement into a live hours-allocation plan across all eleven rotations, with a five-phase checklist and a confidence self-assessment. No signup required; save to a free account to sync across devices.

Open the free AIT Planner

Common questions

Does NAB set one national AIT hour requirement?

No. NAB administers the national Core and NHA Line of Service exams, but the Administrator-in-Training internship is set by each state licensing board. Required hours range from a few hundred to over 2,000, and several states express the requirement as a term of months or as an experience-and-education equivalence rather than a single hour figure. Always confirm the current rule with your own board.

How many AIT hours does my state require?

Use the table on this page for a verified starting point per state, then confirm with the linked board source. States shown as Varies publish no single AIT hour figure because the requirement is credit- or experience-based; those entries are genuine findings, not gaps.

What is an AIT program?

An Administrator-in-Training program is a supervised internship under a licensed preceptor that most states require before you can sit for licensure as a nursing home administrator. It runs alongside exam preparation, and its length and structure are set by your state board.

Is this list a substitute for my state board?

No. Requirements change, and your state board is the only authoritative source. This page is a study and planning aid; verify every figure against the linked board page before making decisions about your training.