A Rhode Island license takes a bachelor’s degree with set coursework, a 350-hour Administrator-in-Training (AIT) field experience and a passing score on the national NAB exam. There is no state exam, and administrators licensed in another state can apply by endorsement.
| Who licenses | The Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators, within the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), which issues the license on the Board’s recommendation |
|---|---|
| Education | A bachelor’s degree in health care administration, or any bachelor’s plus 15 credit hours in five areas; minimum age 18. See the requirements |
| AIT | At least 350 hours within 12 months in a licensed nursing facility, covering 11 training areas (216-RICR-40-05-32 § 32.3.2(A)(2)). See the AIT rules |
| National exams | NAB CORE and NHA Line of Service, applied for together as NAB’s “CORE + NHA combo application”; $480 for the two together, paid to NAB |
| State exam | None. The rule designates only NAB as the testing organization (§ 32.3.4(A)), the application lists only the written NHA exam, passed at 113, and NAB’s handbook list of state exams does not include Rhode Island |
| Continuing education | 40 hours every two years, at least 30 of them live contact hours, from approved providers (§ 32.3.5(B), § 32.3.6) |
| Renewal | Every two years; licenses expire 30 June of even-numbered years, and you file by 1 June; $160, with no fee to apply |
| Licensed elsewhere | Endorsement under § 32.3.4(B), with an ACHCA certification option. See the out-of-state route |
| Official sources | health.ri.gov (the Board) · Application · 216-RICR-40-05-32 (the rule) · R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 5-45 · nabweb.org (national exams) |
Verified against the sources above, September 2026. The statute and the current rule govern, so check anything you rely on with the Board before you apply.
The Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators recommends your license. R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-45-1(a) places the Board “Within the department of health”, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and the Department issues the license: “Upon the recommendation of the Board, the Department shall issue” it (216-RICR-40-05-32 § 32.3.5(A)). The Director of Health, with the Governor’s approval, appoints the Board’s seven members: three licensed nursing home administrators, two representatives of senior citizen groups, a nurse and a physician. RIDOH’s administrator of professional regulation is its administrative agent (§ 5-45-1(h)).
The law. The statute is R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-45, “Nursing Home Administrators”, and the rule is 216-RICR-40-05-32, issued under § 5-45-13. The rule was last amended on 2 July 2026, a direct final amendment “to address the name change for an organization”. No requirement changed.
The Secretary of State’s open meetings portal lists the Board’s meetings; check it for the next date, since your application is due 30 days before a meeting (below).
| Website | Nursing home administrators, RIDOH |
|---|---|
| Phone | 401-222-5960 |
| doh.elicense@health.ri.gov | |
| Office | RIDOH Licensing Unit, Room 104, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908; weekdays 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM |
| Renew and verify | healthri.mylicense.com |
The application form lists a different phone, (401) 222-2828, and a mailing address of Room 104, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908-5097. The details in the table are from the Department’s web page.
The statute, § 5-45-7, sets the baseline: you must be “not less than eighteen (18) years of age and of good moral character”, complete “a course of instruction and training approved by the department”, pass “an examination conducted by the board and designed to test for competence” and pay the fees set in § 23-1-54. The rule, § 32.3.2(A), fills in the details:
Under 216-RICR-40-05-32 § 32.3.2(A)(2), you must complete “a field experience of at least three hundred fifty (350) hours, within a twelve (12) month period in an Administrator-in-Training capacity in a licensed nursing facility”. The training must cover 11 areas, listed (a) to (k) in the rule:
| Hours | At least 350 |
|---|---|
| Time limit | All 350 within a 12-month period |
| Where | In an Administrator-in-Training capacity in a licensed nursing facility |
| Training areas | All 11 listed above. The rule sets no hours for any one area |
| Sign-off | At the end, the administrator of the facility attests that the training included each area |
That is the whole AIT rule. It does not define a preceptor or set preceptor qualifications, and it has no supervision ratios, no progress reports to the Board, no waiver and no tiers that reduce the 350 hours for education or experience. Because the facility administrator signs the attestation, agree with that administrator at the start how your hours will cover all 11 areas.
Only applicants already licensed in another state can skip the 350 hours, through endorsement (§ 32.3.4(B)): with current ACHCA certification, or with a bachelor’s degree, three years as a licensed administrator within the most recent five (or three years overseeing three or more licensed administrators) and a pass on the NAB exam. See the out-of-state route. Other states: AIT Hours by State.
The AIT Planner spreads your hours across 11 department rotations, the same number as the training areas in 216-RICR-40-05-32. The split is our planning aid, not a Rhode Island rule: the rule sets no hours for any area, only that your training covers all 11 and the facility administrator attests to it. No account needed.
Open the free AIT PlannerThe Department’s application form (revised 24 October 2024) is due “thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled date of the Board meeting” (§ 32.3.3). Its checklist asks for the following (§ 32.3.3 adds that transcripts come directly from the school and covers the exam results):
There is no fee to apply; the first fee comes at renewal. You must “complete all requirements for licensure ... except for passing the examination” before you sit for it (§ 32.3.4(A)), so finish your degree and AIT first.
Rhode Island has no state exam. The rule names one testing organization: “the Board has designated the ... (NAB) as the organization to test the applicant’s competency”, and “The national examination recommended passing score will be accepted” (§ 32.3.4(A)(1)(a), (b)). The Department’s application lists a “written NHA examination, with minimal passing score of 113”. NAB’s Candidate Handbook lists the state exams NAB and Pearson VUE deliver, for Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin, and Rhode Island is not on it. Section 5-45-7 still speaks of “an examination conducted by the board”; the Board meets it by designating NAB.
The rule and the application say “NAB” and “NHA examination” without naming separate parts. NAB’s handbook describes two exams, CORE and the NHA Line of Service, so plan on both. You apply through NAB’s application system and test with Pearson VUE.
| CORE | 125 questions (100 scored, 25 pretest); 130 minutes to answer, within 150 minutes in all, per NAB’s Candidate Handbook (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| NHA Line of Service | 75 questions (60 scored, 15 pretest); 70 minutes to answer, within 90 minutes in all, per the same handbook |
| Passing score | A scaled score of 113, on NAB’s scale of 50 to 150 |
| Fee | $480 for CORE and NHA together, from 1 February 2026. Taken alone, CORE is $320 and NHA is $190 (NAB) |
| Attempts | Up to 4 attempts at each exam per cycle (1 July to 30 June), from 1 January 2026, with a new exam application for each retake. The handbook sets no waiting period |
If you retest, Rhode Island asks you to meet all requirements “at the time the retest is administered” (§ 32.3.4(A)). More in NAB Exam Format and The Core Domains Explained.
Once you run a Rhode Island nursing home, you work under the General Laws and RIDOH’s nursing facility rule, 216-RICR-40-10-1, which has a clause to “adopt and incorporate 42 C.F.R. Part 483 (2016) by reference” (§ 1.2(A)). Rhode Island adds the rules below. Federally, 42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B, applies only if the home is certified for Medicare or Medicaid. On staffing, the federal side has no hours-per-resident-day minimum: 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). Four differences that matter on the job, each with the Rhode Island section:
| Topic | Federal rule (42 CFR 483) | Rhode Island rule | Rhode Island section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse on site | A registered nurse “for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week”, unless waived (483.35(b), (e), (f)) | “The facility shall have a registered nurse on the premises twenty-four (24) hours a day.” | R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.5-32(a) |
| Nursing staff hours | Sufficient nursing staff (483.35(a)). No hours-per-resident-day minimum | From 1 January 2026, “a quarterly minimum average of three and fifty-eight hundredths (3.58) hours” of direct nursing care per resident per day; administrative hours do not count. The 2025 budget law struck the earlier 3.81-hour requirement and forgave “All fines or penalties incurred prior to January 1, 2026” | § 23-17.5-32(c), (d); § 23-17.5-33 |
| The administrator | The governing body appoints the administrator, who must be “Licensed by the State, where licensing is required” (483.70(d)(2)(i)); 483.70 sets no full-time rule | “Every nursing facility shall have a full-time administrator” licensed under Chapter 5-45. A substitute “must be licensed in Rhode Island as a nursing home administrator”, and the Department must be “promptly notified of any change of the administrator” | 216-RICR-40-10-1 § 1.13.4(A), (E) |
| Reporting abuse | Alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment goes to the administrator and the State Survey Agency “immediately, but not later than 2 hours” if it involves abuse or serious bodily injury, otherwise within 24 hours (483.12(c)(1)); investigation results within 5 working days (483.12(c)(4)) | Individual staff phone a report to the Department and the State Long-Term Care Ombudsperson “within twenty-four (24) hours or by the end of the next business day”, then report in writing within 3 business days. Failing to report is a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $500. The facility rule adds a written report to both and keeps the federal 2-hour clock | § 23-17.8-2(a), (d), -3; 216-RICR-40-10-1 § 1.15(A), (F) |
One more federal duty applies in every home that received at least $10,000 in federal funds in the preceding year. Each covered individual 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 and otherwise within 24 hours (483.12(b)(5); section 1150B of the Social Security Act). In Rhode Island it runs alongside the § 23-17.8-2 report.
Rhode Island: § 23-17.5-32, § 23-17.5-33, P.L. 2025, ch. 278, art. 10, Chapter 23-17.8 and 216-RICR-40-10-1. Federal: 42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B, in the eCFR. In a certified home you meet both.
| Application and initial license | No fee: “There is no fee, however you will be charged a fee at the time of renewal.” (application form) |
|---|---|
| Framed certificate, optional | $30, payable to the RI General Treasurer (application form) |
| Renewal, every two years | $160 (216-RICR-10-05-2 § 2.9) |
| Late renewal | No separate late fee for administrators in the fee rule; § 2.7(F) says lateness “may subject the licensee to assessment of a late fee” |
| Reinstatement of a lapsed license | “the current renewal fee” (216-RICR-40-05-32 § 32.3.5(C)) |
| NAB exams, CORE and NHA together | $480, paid to NAB, from 1 February 2026. Taken alone, CORE is $320 and NHA is $190 (NAB handbook) |
| NAB score transfer | $70 for each additional jurisdiction; the first is free (NAB handbook) |
You need “a minimum of forty (40) clock hours of continuing education every two (2) years” (§ 5-45-10(c); rule § 32.3.5(B)(1)), pro-rated “to reflect periods of less than two (2) years of licensure.”
Licenses expire “every two (2) years on June 30th of the next even numbered year” (§ 32.3.5(A)). 2026 was a renewal year, so the next expiration dates are 30 June 2028 and 30 June 2030. File “by June 1st” with the $160 fee and evidence of your 40 CE hours (§ 32.3.5(B)). RIDOH sends renewal notices 60 days before expiration, and you renew online at healthri.mylicense.com.
Endorsement. If you hold a current license in good standing in another jurisdiction, you can apply by endorsement (§ 32.3.4(B); R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-45-8). The Department must find that jurisdiction’s standards “substantially equivalent to those prevailing in Rhode Island.” You need:
The application form lists “By ACHCA Certification” as its own pathway, with a “Notarized copy of Certificate from the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA).” In the rule it is the second endorsement option, so it serves administrators already licensed elsewhere. Under § 5-45-8, you cannot be turned down only because your recent experience was supervising administrators rather than running a facility. None of the licensure compacts in Title 5 of the General Laws covers nursing home administrators.
Military members and spouses. R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-88-1, amended in 2023, covers people licensed in another state “for at least one year” who are, or whose spouse is, a member of the U.S. armed forces under orders to Rhode Island; a spouse must have “left employment to accompany the military member to Rhode Island.” Boards issue a license where the requirements are “substantially equivalent”, and otherwise “a temporary license, certificate, or permit that is digitally verifiable” while you complete the Rhode Island requirements. Section 5-87-1 has boards credit relevant military education, training and experience. The nursing home administrator rule does not repeat these provisions.
Substitutes. Rhode Island does not allow an unlicensed acting administrator. “A substitute must be licensed in Rhode Island as a nursing home administrator”; during an absence, the interim substitute must be “designated or authorized in writing”; and a substitute for an administrator who is not full-time is designated “only with the approval of the licensing agency” (216-RICR-40-10-1 § 1.13.4(A)).
No state program list. Rhode Island has no Board-approved AIT program and no preceptor credential. You serve the AIT in a licensed nursing facility, and that facility’s administrator attests to your training (§ 32.3.2(A)(2)). So the practical step is to approach facilities directly and ask whether the administrator will take you on and sign the attestation.
Associations. The Rhode Island Health Care Association (RIHCA, (401) 732-9333) says it represents “more than 80%” of the state’s nursing facilities. LeadingAge Connecticut & Rhode Island describes itself as “a two-state association supporting aging services providers across Connecticut and Rhode Island.” Both are CE providers named in the rule (§ 32.3.6(A)). Their member facilities are where AITs are served, so they are sensible places to ask for an introduction. Neither site lists AIT placements.
For approaching facilities and administrators step by step, see How to Find an AIT Preceptor and an Approved Program.
The legal sources for nursing home administrator licensure in Rhode Island, and the facility rules cited above.
Citations verified September 2026 against rules.sos.ri.gov, the General Laws at rilegislature.gov, the Department of Health’s pages and application, NAB and the eCFR. Provided for reference, not legal advice; the current official text governs.
At least 350 hours within a 12-month period, served as an Administrator-in-Training in a licensed nursing facility and covering 11 training areas, with the facility administrator attesting that each was covered (216-RICR-40-05-32 § 32.3.2(A)(2)).
No. The rule designates only NAB as the testing organization (§ 32.3.4(A)), the application lists the written NHA examination with a passing score of 113, and NAB’s handbook list of state exams does not include Rhode Island.
40 hours every two years, at least 30 of them contact (live) hours, from providers the rule approves, including NAB/NCERS programs and accredited colleges. Keep certificates for at least four years (§ 32.3.5, § 32.3.6).
Yes, by endorsement (§ 32.3.4(B)). You need good standing everywhere you have been licensed, a three-year facility record, 40 recent CE hours, and either Rhode Island’s own qualifications, current ACHCA certification, or a bachelor’s degree, three years as a licensed administrator in the last five and a NAB pass.
Rhode Island has no Board-approved AIT program or preceptor credential. You serve the AIT in a licensed nursing facility whose administrator attests to your training, so approach facilities directly. The RI Health Care Association and LeadingAge Connecticut & Rhode Island, whose members include many of the state’s nursing facilities, are places to ask.
A guided daily path of 100 NAB-style questions across all 4 domains, automatic weak-spot training, and a weekly timed Checkpoint Exam. Try 5 free questions first, no account needed.
Try 5 free questionsSee pricing