Indiana Nursing Home Administrator License Requirements

How to become a licensed nursing home administrator in Indiana, where the license is called a Health Facility Administrator (HFA) license: the AIT internship, the NAB exams, the state jurisprudence exam, fees, CE and renewal, with section numbers.

nhaexamprep.com · updated September 2026

Indiana at a glance

Who licenses	The Indiana State Board of Health Facility Administrators (IC 25-19-1-2), administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA)
License name	Health Facility Administrator (HFA), Indiana’s name for the nursing home administrator license
AIT requirement	680, 880 or 1,040 hours, set by your education and long-term care experience, over 3 to 12 months (IC 25-19-1-18)
National exams	NAB Core of Knowledge (CORE) and NHA Line of Service; $480 for the two applied for together, paid to NAB
State exam	Required: the Indiana Jurisprudence Examination, taken after the NAB exams and proctored by IPLA; no fee for the first attempt, $100 to retake (IC 25-19-1-3(b)(3), 3.2) Details ↓
Continuing education	40 hours every two years, with no carryover and no required topics (IC 25-19-1-22)
Renewal	Every two years: licenses expire 31 August of even-numbered years; $100 (IPLA)
Official sources	in.gov/pla (IPLA and the Board) · IC 25-19-1 (Justia mirror) · nabweb.org (national exams)

Verified September 2026. IC is the Indiana Code and IAC the Indiana Administrative Code. Confirm with IPLA before you apply.

Who licenses Indiana administrators

Indiana licenses a Health Facility Administrator (HFA), and HFA is Indiana’s name for the nursing home administrator license. A separate Residential Care Administrator (RCA) license covers assisted living; this page is about the HFA.

The license comes from the Indiana State Board of Health Facility Administrators (IC 25-19-1-2), a five-member board. The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) does its administrative work and calls it the Health Facility Administrators Board. Applications and renewals go through IPLA’s MyLicense One portal. IPLA lists 1-800-457-8283 and pla10@pla.in.gov; its application forms and NAB’s Indiana summary also give (317) 234-3022.

The rules are now in the statute. Since 1 July 2023 the HFA requirements have been in the Indiana Code, IC 25-19-1 (P.L.149-2023), and the old Board rules, 840 IAC 1 and 840 IAC 2, became void on that date (IC 25-19-1-25 (2023)). IPLA’s page still lists “Title 840 Article 1”, and that entry is out of date.

Who can apply

IC 25-19-1-3(b) sets four conditions:

1. no disqualifying conviction under IC 25-1-1.1;
2. an administrator in training internship “described in section 18” (the AIT, below);
3. a pass on the state jurisprudence examination, at the score the Board sets;
4. a pass on the national examination.

Education is no longer a separate requirement. The 2023 text of section 3 required a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree plus a specialized course, or the course alone. P.L.17-2024 took that out, effective 1 July 2024. Your education now sets only the length of your AIT.

Other ways in. Students in a university program accredited by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) can serve a student internship before graduation (IC 25-19-1-19), and administrators licensed elsewhere can apply by endorsement (below).

The AIT requirement in Indiana

The Administrator-in-Training (AIT) internship is set by IC 25-19-1-18; IPLA’s licensing page gives the same hours. Since 1 July 2023:

Your background	Minimum AIT	IC 25-19-1
An associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, and at least 2 years of long-term care experience	680 hours	18(a)(5)(A)
The same degrees, with no long-term care experience	880 hours	18(a)(5)(B)
A high school diploma or GED	1,040 hours; the Board may waive up to 30 percent (312 hours) for experience as a long-term care facility department manager	18(a)(5)(C), 18(c)

Course credit. On every tier, up to 200 of the hours may be a 200-hour state-approved specialized course in long-term care management (18(a)(5)). The 30 percent waiver applies only to the 1,040-hour tier, and IPLA says it needs a “personal appearance at a board meeting for approval”.

A gap in the statute. The 680-hour tier needs “at least two (2) years” of long-term care experience and the 880-hour tier is for those who “do not have” it. The statute does not say which tier applies with less than two years, so confirm yours with IPLA.

How the AIT runs

• Approval first. You must “be approved by the board before starting an internship program”, and IPLA says you may not begin until you have written approval.
• 3 to 12 months. “Not less than three (3) months and not more than twelve (12) months”, with “at least twenty (20) hours per week and not more than ten (10) hours per day”.
• Every department and shift. Responsibilities “in each health facility department, with experience on every shift, including weekends”.
• Off site. Up to 20 percent of the internship may be served outside your preceptor’s facility (18(d)); an approved training center may go beyond that (18(e)).
• Other rules. You may not hold a position in the facility during your AIT hours (18(b)(2)). At the end, you and your preceptor each file an affidavit (18(a)(8); 20(c)(4)).

Older IPLA documents. IPLA’s AIT completion affidavit still cites the voided 840 IAC rules and says a “minimum of six (6) months”. Ask IPLA which forms to use.

Who can be your preceptor

Under IC 25-19-1-20, your preceptor:

• holds a current Indiana HFA license in good standing, with no Board discipline;
• has at least 2 years of active work as an HFA, or is a current CCRC chief executive, a current regional manager for a health facility, or an employee of an AIT school;
• has completed a “board approved educational program” and sends the certificate with your AIT application;
• applies and is approved for each AIT ($50); “The preceptor license is not renewable.”

A preceptor who is the administrator of a comprehensive care facility may supervise no more than 2 AITs at a time, with exceptions for approved training centers, accredited postsecondary programs and Board discretion. A preceptor whose only job is precepting may take up to 4, and “spends at least eight (8) hours per week with each administrator in training”. The preceptor acts “as a teacher rather than an employer” and keeps AIT records for 5 years.

Other states: AIT Hours by State.

The exams you must pass

The national examination (IC 25-19-1-3(b)(4)) means NAB’s Core of Knowledge (CORE) and NHA Line of Service exams. NAB’s Candidate Handbook (September 2026) describes testing at Pearson VUE test centers:

Core of Knowledge	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 on each
Fee	$480 for CORE and NHA applied for together, from 1 February 2026, paid to NAB. The same handbook lists $320 for CORE or $190 for NHA taken alone
Attempts	Since 1 January 2026, up to 4 attempts at each exam per cycle (1 July to 30 June)
If you fail	After a failed NAB or jurisprudence exam, IPLA’s FAQ says your application is denied. You mail a repeat exam application and fee within 90 days, with a new criminal background check each time

Only the NAB exams are at Pearson VUE; IPLA proctors the jurisprudence exam itself. More in NAB Exam Format and The Core Domains Explained.

The Indiana state exam

IC 25-19-1-3(b)(3) requires “a state jurisprudence examination described in section 3.2”. IPLA calls it the Indiana Jurisprudence Examination, or the “Law exam”, and gives it itself, not NAB or Pearson VUE.

When	After you pass NAB CORE and NHA: “you will receive a notice to take the Jurisprudence exam via email” (IPLA)
Who gives it	“IPLA proctors the HFA Jurisprudence Exam.”
Fee	“There is not an additional fee to take the Jurisprudence exam” (IPLA); a retake costs $100 (IC 25-19-1-5.1(b)(2))
Passing score	Set by the Board: the statute says only “as determined by the board” (IC 25-19-1-3(b)(3)). No number is published
Retakes	No more than three more attempts after the first, so four in all (IC 25-19-1-3.2(c)). After that the Board may require up to 100 hours of CE and a new AIT application (3.2(d))
Questions	IPLA’s current licensing page gives no question count; ask IPLA
Not published	IPLA’s licensing page and IC 25-19-1 give no time limit, no passing number, and no location or format (in person or online); ask IPLA when your notice arrives

What the state exam draws from

Topics in the statute. IC 25-19-1-3.2(a) lists environmental health and safety, local health and safety regulation, general administration, psychology of patient care, principles of medical care, pharmaceutical services, personal and social care, therapeutic and supportive care, departmental organization, and community interrelationships.

Study sources. IPLA’s licensing page names no study list, so ask IPLA which laws and rules the exam draws from. More in State NHA Exams Explained.

Where the Indiana rules differ from the federal rules

Five places where Indiana’s nursing facility rules, 410 IAC 16.2-3.1 (Comprehensive Care Facilities), set a number or add a requirement that 42 CFR Part 483 does not:

Topic	Federal rule (42 CFR 483)	Indiana rule	410 IAC
Administrator	An administrator “Licensed by the State, where licensing is required” (483.70(d)(2)(i)); Part 483 sets no one-facility limit	An individual “can only be employed as an administrator in one (1)” health facility or hospital-based long-term care unit “at a time”, and someone must be authorized in writing to act on the administrator’s behalf during an absence	16.2-3.1-13(e), (f)
Licensed nurse hours and director of nursing	Sufficient nursing staff on a 24-hour basis to meet residents’ needs (483.35(a)), with no hours-per-resident-day minimum. CMS repealed the 2024 minimum staffing standards, which were never enforced, by interim final rule published 3 December 2025 (90 FR 55687, effective 2 February 2026). A full-time registered nurse as director of nursing (483.35(b)(2)), with no added qualification	“.5 licensed nurse hour per resident per day, averaged over a one (1) week period”. The director of nursing is a full-time registered nurse who has completed a nursing management course with a clinical component or has 1 year of nursing supervision in the past 5 years. A facility that cannot recruit despite diligent efforts may request a waiver of the 8-hour registered nurse requirement or the registered nurse director of nursing requirement (3.1-17(f))	16.2-3.1-17(b)(1), (b)(4), (f)
Staff training hours	Nurse aides: “no less than 12 hours per year” of in-service training, including dementia management training with no set hours (483.95(g)); no annual hours for other staff	Nursing personnel: “at least twelve (12) hours of inservice per calendar year”; non-nursing staff: six hours. Staff with regular resident contact: at least six hours of dementia-specific training within six months of hire (30 days for Alzheimer’s and dementia special care unit staff), then three hours a year, on top of the inservice hours	16.2-3.1-14(l), (u)
Staff health checks	No TB screening or employee physical requirement (483.80)	TB screening at hire “and at least annually thereafter”, and a physical examination within one month before employment	16.2-3.1-14(t)
Hot water	No numeric water temperature standard (483.90)	Hot water for bathing and hand washing, controlled by automatic valves, kept between 100 and 120 °F at the point of use	16.2-3.1-19(r)

The federal nursing home rules (42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B) apply only to facilities certified for Medicare or Medicaid, so a certified Indiana home must meet both sets of rules. Some rules match, such as a registered nurse “for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week” (483.35(b)(1); 410 IAC 16.2-3.1-17(b)(3)). IDOH adopted a civil penalties rule amending 410 IAC 16.2 (LSA #26-14) on 11 March 2026; check IDOH’s rules page for any change to the sections cited here. Indiana: 410 IAC 16.2. Federal: eCFR, September 2026.

Figures worth knowing, with their conditions

• 410 IAC 16.2-3.1-13(d)(1)An administrator vacancy: the licensee notifies IDOH “within three (3) working days of a vacancy”
• 410 IAC 16.2-3.1-13(g)(1)Unusual occurrences that directly threaten residents’ welfare, safety or health, such as epidemic outbreaks, poisonings, fires and major accidents: the administrator informs IDOH by telephone immediately, “followed by written notice within twenty-four (24) hours”
• 42 CFR 483.12(c)(1), (b)(5)Federal abuse reporting in certified facilities, a separate duty: alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment, including injuries of unknown source and misappropriation of resident property, goes to the administrator and to other officials under State law, including the State Survey Agency and adult protective services where it has jurisdiction: “immediately, but not later than 2 hours” if it involves abuse or serious bodily injury, otherwise within 24 hours; each covered individual (owner, operator, employee, manager, agent or contractor) must also report a reasonable suspicion of a crime to the State Agency and at least one local law enforcement entity, within 2 hours if there is serious bodily injury, otherwise within 24 hours (Social Security Act section 1150B; 483.12(b)(5))

Where to find an AIT program or preceptor in Indiana

The Board will not match you. IPLA: “The Board cannot locate a preceptor for you”. You find one, and both of you apply before the AIT starts.

IHCA referrals. IPLA’s licensing page points applicants to the Indiana Health Care Association (IHCA) for referrals to qualified administrators.

The 200-hour course. IPLA names two specialized course providers: Hoosier Owners and Providers for the Elderly (HOPE) in Indianapolis, and Success Development, sponsored by IHCA, in Frankfort. IHCA’s course page (June 2026) lists a “state-approved six-week program” for $4,495; HOPE’s page lists a live-streamed virtual course.

Other help. The ACHCA Indiana chapter offers AIT questions and answers to its members. Approved training centers and NAB-accredited university programs are alternatives in the statute (IC 25-19-1-19 to 21); ask IPLA which ones it has approved.

For the full step-by-step on approaching facilities and preceptors, see How to Find an AIT Preceptor and an Approved Program.

What the license costs

From IC 25-19-1-5.1(b) and IPLA’s fee table; “All application fees are nonrefundable.”

Application for licensure	$100
NAB CORE and NHA exams	$480 for the two applied for together, paid to NAB; $320 for CORE or $190 for NHA taken alone (NAB Candidate Handbook, September 2026)
Jurisprudence exam	No additional fee for the first attempt (IPLA); $100 to retake (IC 25-19-1-5.1(b)(2))
National exam retake, state fee	$50 (IC 25-19-1-5.1(b)(3))
Provisional license	$50 in IC 25-19-1-5.1; IPLA’s fee table lists $100, so confirm with IPLA
Renewal, every two years	$100
Reinstatement after more than 3 years	$200: the renewal fee plus a reinstatement fee equal to the application fee (IPLA fee table; IC 25-1-8-6(d))

Our estimate: $100 + $480 = $580 for a first attempt at each exam, plus the criminal background check and any course.

Continuing education and renewal

You need “at least forty (40) hours of continuing education during each two (2) year licensing period” (IC 25-19-1-22(a)).

• No carryover. Extra hours “may not be applied to another licensing period” (22(i)).
• Your first period. No CE is due in the period your license is first issued, unless you hold a current license in another state (22(b)).
• No required topics in IC 25-19-1-22 or on IPLA’s page.
• Approved sources. Sponsors approved by the Indiana Board, NAB or another state’s board with mandatory CE (IPLA); an accredited college semester hour counts as 15 hours.
• Formats. The statute lists “Interactive, synchronous video learning methods”, in-person conferences and training sessions, and “any other method approved by the board” (22(j)); confirm a self-paced online course with IPLA first.
• Other credit. Board service earns 1 hour per hour served, and precepting earns 2 hours per month, each up to 20 hours a period (22(g), (h)).
• Records and exceptions. Keep certificates for 3 years after the period (IPLA). Without the CE the Board may not renew, except for illness or disability, “active military duty” or other circumstances it decides (IC 25-19-1-9(f), (g)).

Renewal. “HFA and RCA licenses expire on August 31 of even-numbered years” (IPLA), so the next date is 31 August 2028. IPLA sends notices about 90 days before, and a license not renewed is invalid at midnight on the renewal date (IC 25-19-1-9(b)). Renewal costs $100.

Late renewal. Up to 3 years late, the Board “shall” reinstate you on application, with the renewal fee, a reinstatement fee and proof of CE (IC 25-19-1-9(c); IC 25-1-8-6(c)); ask IPLA for that fee. More than 3 years late, the Board “may” reinstate you and may ask you to appear; the fee is $200 (IC 25-19-1-9(d), (e); IPLA).

Inactive status (IC 25-19-1-9.5) needs no CE until reactivation, which requires 40 hours from the prior two years. You request reactivation in MyLicense One; IPLA says a personal appearance is “no longer required” after 3 or more years inactive, though 9.5 lets the Board request one.

Licensed elsewhere, provisional and military

Endorsement (IC 25-19-1-10(a)). The Board “shall issue” a license if you have no disqualifying criminal history, have “practiced in another state for at least one (1) year” as a licensed administrator in good standing or as a hospital CEO or COO, and have passed the national and Indiana jurisprudence exams.

NAB Health Services Executive (IC 25-19-1-10(c)). The Board “shall issue” an HFA license to a holder of an approved HSE license in good standing. Section 10(c) does not mention the jurisprudence exam, so ask IPLA whether you take it.

No temporary permit. IPLA lists the temporary permit as repealed (IC 25-19-1-3.5). IPLA’s FAQ still says “The temporary license is only good for a maximum of 90 days”; that answer is out of date.

Provisional license (IC 25-19-1-3(c), 3.3). For a post “that has been unexpectedly vacated”, the Board chair may issue a license for one facility, for “a single period not to exceed six (6) months”, to someone with “at least two (2) years of administrative experience in a licensed health facility” and no disqualifying conviction. The Board may withdraw it, and the time may count toward an AIT (3.3(e)). The fee is $50 in the statute and $100 on IPLA’s fee table; confirm it with IPLA.

Military. IPLA’s military page describes agency-wide pathways (IC 25-1-17; IC 24-42-7) for service members with a related specialty and for military families, including a provisional license “without an examination” for spouses licensed in another state, which expires 365 days after it is issued; confirm with IPLA how these pathways apply to the HFA license.

The rules behind the Indiana license

The laws, rules and other sources cited on this page.

• Licensing statuteIC 25-19-1: Health Facility Administrators · 25-19-1-2 (the Board) · 25-19-1-3 · 25-19-1-18 (Justia mirror) · Indiana Code Title 25 (official)
• Former Board rules840 IAC Articles 1 and 2, voided on 1 July 2023
• IPLA pagesHealth Facility Administrators · The Board · Licensing information · AIT waiver request form · Military pathways
• Facility rules410 IAC 16.2, Health Facilities (IDOH PDF) · IDOH rules in progress
• National examsNAB Candidate Handbook (September 2026) · NAB exam information · NAB Indiana summary (its AIT hours predate 2023)
• Federal rule42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B (eCFR) · 90 FR 55687 (Federal Register, staffing repeal) · Social Security Act section 1150B (ssa.gov)

Citations verified September 2026; Justia links are labeled mirrors. For reference, not legal advice; the current official text governs.

Common questions