Idaho rebuilt its administrator licensing law in 2025 and its rules in 2025 and 2026. Here is what a nursing home administrator license takes now: a 1,000-hour Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program, the two NAB exams (Idaho no longer has a state exam), fees, continuing education and renewal, with the statute or rule behind each point.
| Who licenses | The Idaho Board of Long-Term Care Administrators, in the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) (Idaho Code 54-1604(1)); rules in IDAPA 24.41.01 since 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Age 18 or older, a bachelor’s degree or nursing home management experience in its place, a Board-approved course of study, the AIT and the NAB exams (54-1606(3); IDAPA 24.41.01.100) Routes ↓ |
| AIT requirement | 1,000 hours under a preceptor, finished within 2 years, working at least 32 hours a week in an Idaho-licensed nursing home (54-1612(1); IDAPA 24.41.01.100.05) AIT ↓ |
| National exams | NAB CORE and NHA Line of Service, both required (IDAPA 24.41.01.100.04.a), taken at Pearson VUE; NAB’s fee is $480 for the two together |
| State exam | None since 1 July 2025, when the rule rewrite deleted Idaho’s laws-and-rules exam; IDAPA 24.41.01.100.04.a names only the NAB exams Details ↓ |
| Continuing education | 12 hours in each 24-month renewal cycle, with no carryover (IDAPA 24.41.01.104.02) |
| Renewal | Every two years, on or before your birthday, with no grace period (54-1610(1); 67-2614(2), (9)); $400 |
| Official sources | dopl.idaho.gov/ltc (the Board) · IDAPA 24.41.01 · Idaho Code 54-16 · nabweb.org (national exams) |
Verified against the sources above, September 2026. IDAPA is the Idaho Administrative Code; DOPL is the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. The current statute and rules govern, so check anything you rely on with DOPL before you apply.
Your license comes from the Idaho Board of Long-Term Care Administrators, which Idaho Code 54-1604(1) establishes “in the division of occupational and professional licenses”. House Bill 28 (2025 Session Laws, chapter 98) created it, effective 1 July 2025. It repealed the old nursing home administrator chapter and the residential care administrator chapter, put both professions under one law, the Idaho Board of Long-Term Care Administrators Act (Title 54, Chapter 16), and merged the two boards. The new Board replaced the Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators, so older forms carry that name.
The Board licenses nursing home administrators and residential care facility administrators, and it registers AITs and administrator designees. This page covers the nursing home license. Its rules are IDAPA 24.41.01, Rules of the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators, effective 1 July 2026. They replaced IDAPA 24.09.01, the old nursing home administrator rules, and 24.19.01, both repealed.
| Website | DOPL Long-Term Care Administrators page |
|---|---|
| Apply and renew | Online, through eDOPL |
| Phone | (208) 334-3233 |
| OL-Licensing@dopl.idaho.gov |
Idaho Code 54-1606(3) and IDAPA 24.41.01.100 set the base for nursing home administrator applicants:
Neither the statute nor the rule reduces the AIT in part. You serve the full 1,000 hours, or an exemption removes the AIT altogether:
| Your background | AIT | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | The full 1,000-hour AIT | 54-1606(3); 54-1612(1) |
| No degree, but nursing home management experience | The full AIT, plus “two (2) years of satisfactory practical experience in management in a nursing home” for each year of post-high school education you lack | 54-1606(3)(b) |
| Master’s in health care administration related to long-term care | No AIT | 54-1612(3)(a) |
| Master’s with “an emphasis on health care”, plus 1 year of management in an inpatient health care facility | No AIT | 54-1612(3)(b) |
| NAB Health Services Executive (HSE) | Treated as having “met all educational and training requirements for licensure” | IDAPA 24.41.01.100.07 |
The exam requirement in rule 100.04 applies separately.
The AIT lives in Idaho Code 54-1612, and the rule adds the working details in IDAPA 24.41.01.100.05.
Older material, including the pre-2025 rule, cites 54-1610 for the AIT, from the chapter repealed in 2025. Under the current Act, 54-1610 covers renewal and continuing education, and the AIT is 54-1612.
Your preceptor is the licensed administrator who supervises you and signs your declaration. Under IDAPA 24.41.01.100.05.b, the declaration certifies that your preceptor has “licensure in good standing with the State of Idaho” and “two (2) or more years of consecutive employment as a nursing home administrator.” DOPL puts it simply: “AITs must have a registered preceptor.”
Preceptors no longer need a special certification. The old rule (24.09.01.400.05) asked for a “six (6) clock hour preceptor orientation course” and recertification every ten years, and the rewrite effective 1 July 2025 deleted both. DOPL’s legacy AIT application form (DOPL-08/22) still lists them, along with a $100 AIT fee and the old board name, so go by the current rule.
Other states: AIT Hours by State.
The AIT Planner spreads your hours across facility departments. That split is our planning aid, not an Idaho rule: Idaho organizes the AIT into four domains, so agree on the plan with your preceptor. No account needed.
Open the free AIT PlannerIdaho requires both exams from NAB, the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (IDAPA 24.41.01.100.04.a), and NAB’s Idaho page answers “Yes” for “NAB NHA & CORE National”. The figures below are from NAB’s Candidate Handbook (September 2026):
| CORE | 125 questions (100 scored, 25 pretest); 150 minutes in all, 130 of them for answering questions |
|---|---|
| NHA Line of Service | 75 questions (60 scored, 15 pretest); 90 minutes in all, 70 of them for answering questions |
| Passing score | A scaled score of 113 |
| Where | In person at Pearson VUE test centers; “Walk-in examinations are not available” |
| Test window | 90 days from your Authorization to Test |
| Attempts | From 1 January 2026, no more than 4 attempts at each exam per cycle (1 July to 30 June); each retake needs a new application |
| Fee | $480 for CORE and NHA together, from 1 February 2026 (it was $455). Taken alone, CORE is $320 and NHA is $190 |
More in NAB Exam Format and The Core Domains Explained.
No, not since 1 July 2025. The current rule asks only for the NAB CORE and NHA exams, “or other examination as approved by the Board” (IDAPA 24.41.01.100.04.a), and NAB’s Idaho page shows the NAB exams as required and lists no state exam.
If you remember an Idaho exam: until mid-2025, IDAPA 24.09.01 (100.03 in the 3-28-23 version) required “an examination pertaining to Idaho law and rules governing nursing homes”, with a 75% passing score, given as “a take-home examination” in the 2021 text. The zero-based rewrite of those rules, effective 1 July 2025, deleted it.
An old form still shows the test. DOPL’s NHA application-by-exam form dated 08/22 (DOPL-08/22) is still posted. It contains an “Open Book Test” of 50 questions drawn from the pre-2024 IDAPA 16.03.02 and from IDAPA 16.03.12, and warns that failing to submit it “will result in the license not being issued.” The form predates the rule change, uses the old board name and the old $200 license fee, and is not linked from the Board’s page; applications now go through eDOPL. If any part of your application asks for an open-book test, confirm with DOPL at (208) 334-3233 before you spend time on it.
Related rules. The statute says the exam “shall include an assessment of” knowledge of health and safety rules within the state (54-1607(2)); the current rule names no separate state exam for it. For universal licensure applicants, licensing authorities “shall not establish a jurisprudence examination” (Idaho Code 67-9409). The Headmaster exam that DOPL links is for residential care facility administrators, not nursing home administrators.
The NAB exams are national. Idaho’s old skilled nursing facility rule chapter, IDAPA 16.03.02, has been void since 1 July 2025 under Senate Bill 1015 (2025 Session Laws, chapter 122), and Idaho now licenses nursing facilities under statute, Idaho Code Title 39, Chapter 13. Three differences that matter on the job, each with the Idaho section:
| Topic | Federal rule (42 CFR 483) | Idaho rule | Idaho section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who must meet Part 483 | Part 483, Subpart B sets the requirements a facility must meet to participate in Medicare or Medicaid, so it binds only certified facilities (483.1) | A nursing facility “shall have and maintain CMS certification”, so every licensed Idaho nursing home works under Part 483 | Idaho Code 39-1303(3) |
| The administrator | The governing body appoints an administrator who is “Licensed by the State, where licensing is required” (483.70(d)(2)(i)), is responsible for management of the facility and reports to the governing body | The home operates “under the supervision of” an Idaho-licensed administrator or an authorized administrator designee. When the position is vacant, a designee may act for up to eight continuous weeks unless the Board grants an exception, and needs 1 year of skilled nursing facility management and a consultant administrator | Idaho Code 54-1603(1), (3); IDAPA 24.41.01.100.06 |
| A new administrator | Written notice to the State agency responsible for licensing the facility “at the time of change” in the administrator or director of nursing (483.70(j)(2)(iv)). It sets no 72-hour deadline | The facility must “notify the department within seventy-two (72) hours of any change in administrator” | Idaho Code 39-1303(7) |
Federal duties in every Idaho nursing home. Staffing: “sufficient” nursing staff, with licensed nurses on a 24-hour basis (483.35(a)), a registered nurse “for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week” (483.35(b)(1)) and a full-time RN director of nursing (483.35(b)(2)), each subject to the waivers in 483.35(e) and (f). CMS’s 2024 minimum staffing standards, which were never enforced, were repealed by an interim final rule published 3 December 2025 and effective 2 February 2026 (90 FR 55687). Reporting: the facility reports alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment “immediately, but not later than 2 hours” if it involves abuse or serious bodily injury, otherwise within 24 hours, to the administrator and to officials including the State Survey Agency (483.12(c)(1)). Each covered individual also reports a reasonable suspicion of a crime against a resident to the State Agency and one or more law enforcement entities, within 2 hours if there is serious bodily injury, otherwise within 24 hours (483.12(b)(5); section 1150B of the Social Security Act).
Start with DOPL’s preceptor list. The DOPL preceptor page links an approved preceptor list. It lists preceptors, not AIT programs: your AIT registration names your preceptor, and you train while working in an Idaho-licensed nursing home.
The Idaho Health Care Association. DOPL’s resources and forms page links the Idaho Health Care Association (IHCA). IHCA runs a course, “Preparing Administrators to Work in SNFs”, which it says “meets the requirements of” DOPL by combining “the already approved AIT training” with a didactic program; IHCA lists it at $350 plus a $125 NAB study guide subscription. IHCA’s page describes the AIT as “six (6) months”; the statute sets 1,000 hours, so plan on the hours.
ACHCA. The American College of Health Care Administrators lists no Idaho chapter; neighboring Oregon has one (D-11). Its Code of Ethics is incorporated by reference in IDAPA 24.41.01.002.
For approaching facilities and preceptors step by step, see How to Find an AIT Preceptor and an Approved Program.
Two sources set Idaho’s fees. IDAPA 24.41.01.400 lists maximums (“Not to Exceed”), inside the $400 statutory cap of Idaho Code 54-1605, and DOPL’s Board page (updated 22 July 2026) lists what it charges:
| Initial license, including the application | $600 (DOPL); the rule caps the application at $200 and the license at $400 |
|---|---|
| Renewal, every two years | $400 (DOPL; the rule’s cap is $400) |
| Renewal, one year | $200 (DOPL); the rule lists only a biennial renewal fee |
| Administrator in training | $300 on DOPL’s fee list; the rule caps it at $200 |
| Endorsement application | Up to $200 (rule 400) |
| NHA designee | $200 (DOPL) |
| Reinstatement | $100 on DOPL’s fee list; the rule points to Idaho Code 67-2614 |
| NAB CORE and NHA exams | $480 for the two together, from 1 February 2026 (NAB). Taken alone, CORE is $320 and NHA $190 |
Two lines disagree. DOPL lists $300 for the AIT, above the rule’s $200 cap, and $100 for reinstatement, where Idaho Code 67-2614(9) sets a reinstatement fee of “thirty-five dollars ($35.00) or other amount as specified in law or rule”. NAB’s Idaho page shows the older $200 license and $100 AIT fees. Check the current amount with DOPL before you pay.
You need, “in a twenty-four (24) month renewal cycle, twelve (12) job-related continuing education hours relevant to long-term care administration” (IDAPA 24.41.01.104.02), and you show that evidence when you renew (Idaho Code 54-1610(2)). Before 1 July 2025 the rule asked for 20 hours a year.
Renewal. Licenses renew “biennially” (Idaho Code 54-1610(1)), and you “must renew on or before the birthday of the licensee” (67-2614(2)). DOPL’s May 2025 notice explains the switch: if you were born in an odd year, your first renewal from 1 July 2025 ran 2 years; if you were born in an even year, your 2025 renewal ran 1 year and the 2-year cycle started in 2026.
Endorsement. The Board “may endorse” a long-term care administrator license from another state when you pay the fee and show you meet the Board’s qualifications (Idaho Code 54-1611). The endorsement application fee is up to $200 (rule 400).
Universal licensure. Idaho Code 67-9409 covers applicants with “current, valid, and unrestricted licensure in another state”. The licensing authority may require an exam but may not create a jurisprudence exam, and it may issue a limited license where Idaho’s scope of practice is broader.
Military. Service members, veterans and their spouses come under a procedure “intended to provide” licensure “within fifteen (15) business days”, “provided that the applicant is able to validate” their status and licensure. For the condensed military application, the authority “may not require” an exam or an application fee (Idaho Code 67-9406). Related sections cover military education, training and service (67-9404) and expedited applications (67-9405).
No temporary NHA license. The provisional permit in 54-1613 is for residential care facility administrators only. An Idaho nursing home administrator in good standing may be issued a residential care license on application and payment of fees (54-1613(2)).
Administrator designee. When the administrator position is vacant, a designee may serve under a signed agreement, but “shall not act for more than eight (8) continuous weeks unless an exception is granted by the board” (54-1603(3)). The designee needs “at least one (1) year of management experience in a skilled nursing facility” and an agreement with an Idaho-licensed administrator in good standing who serves “as a consultant” (IDAPA 24.41.01.100.06). DOPL’s designee fee is $200.
The laws, rules and pages cited above. Idaho has no state exam, but these are the rules you train and work under.
Citations verified against official sources, September 2026. Provided for reference, not legal advice; the current official text governs.
1,000 hours under a licensed preceptor, finished within two years (Idaho Code 54-1612(1)). You work at least 32 hours a week in an Idaho-licensed nursing home, spend at least 32 hours a month directly with your preceptor and report every 500 hours (IDAPA 24.41.01.100.05). Two master’s degree paths skip the AIT (54-1612(3)), and a NAB HSE meets the education and training requirements (100.07).
The NAB CORE and NHA Line of Service exams (IDAPA 24.41.01.100.04), taken at Pearson VUE test centers. NAB charges $480 for the two together; taken alone, CORE is $320 and NHA $190. Idaho has had no state exam since 1 July 2025.
No. Idaho used to require a take-home exam on Idaho law and rules; the rule rewrite effective 1 July 2025 deleted it, and IDAPA 24.41.01 names only the NAB exams. An old DOPL application form dated 08/22 still shows a 50-question open-book test, so if you are asked for it, confirm with DOPL.
12 job-related hours in each 24-month renewal cycle, with no carryover (IDAPA 24.41.01.104). You renew every two years, on or before your birthday, and there is no grace period (Idaho Code 67-2614).
DOPL’s preceptor page links an approved preceptor list; it lists preceptors, not AIT programs. Your preceptor needs an Idaho license in good standing and two or more consecutive years as a nursing home administrator (IDAPA 24.41.01.100.05.b). DOPL also links the Idaho Health Care Association.
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