How to become a licensed nursing home administrator in Vermont: who issues the license, the 1,000-hour Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program, the NAB exams and Vermont’s jurisprudence exam, fees, continuing education and renewal, with section numbers.
| Who licenses | The Director of the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), in the Office of the Secretary of State, with two advisor seats (18 V.S.A. §§ 2051 to 2053) |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Age 18 or older, with at least a bachelor’s degree and an approved AIT program (Rule 2.2) |
| AIT requirement | 1,000 hours, completed within two years, under a Vermont-licensed administrator with at least five years’ experience (Rule 2.3) |
| National exams | NAB Core of Knowledge (CORE) and NHA Line of Service, at Pearson VUE test centers (Rule 2.4) |
| State exam | Required: the Vermont Nursing Home Administrators Jurisprudence Exam, run by OPR, not NAB, and taken by endorsement applicants too (18 V.S.A. § 2055; Rules 2.4, 2.5) Details ↓ |
| Continuing education | 40 hours every two years; 20 hours or none for your first renewal, depending on when your license was issued (Rule 3.3) |
| Renewal | Every two years, by 31 March of even-numbered years; $275 (18 V.S.A. § 2058) |
| Official sources | sos.vermont.gov/nursing-home-administrators (OPR) · 18 V.S.A. Chapter 46 (Vermont Legislature) · Administrative Rules (2009) · nabweb.org (national exams) |
Verified September 2026. “Rule” numbers are sections of the Vermont Nursing Home Administrator Administrative Rules (effective 15 March 2009); V.S.A. is the Vermont Statutes Annotated; “facility rules” are Vermont’s Licensing and Operating Rules for Nursing Homes (effective 1 June 2018).
In Vermont the license comes from the Director of the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), part of the Office of the Secretary of State. 18 V.S.A. § 2051 defines the Director, and § 2053 gives the Director the duties to “set requirements for licensure ... license applicants ... renew licenses.” OPR’s advisors page puts it plainly: “This profession is governed by the advisor model.”
Under § 2052, “The Secretary of State shall appoint two advisors”: an administrator with at least 3 years’ experience who is active in Vermont, and a licensed health care provider with 3 years in the care of the chronically ill. The administrator seat was filled on 15 October 2025, for a term to 31 December 2030; the second seat is listed as vacant.
OPR is at 89 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620. Its April 2026 checklist letterhead gives the phone number 802-828-1505; NAB’s Vermont page lists (802) 828-1501. The law is 18 V.S.A. Chapter 46 (§§ 2051 to 2061; § 2056 is repealed), with 3 V.S.A. Chapter 5, Subchapter 3, for every OPR profession, and the rules are the Vermont Nursing Home Administrator Administrative Rules, effective 15 March 2009. Nursing homes themselves are licensed under separate rules from DAIL’s Division of Licensing and Protection (see the comparison below).
The statute (18 V.S.A. § 2055) asks for an applicant aged 18 or older, education or training approved by the Director, and two exams: a proficiency exam and an exam on “Vermont statutes and rules relating to nursing home administration.” Rule 2.2 turns that into five requirements for a license by examination:
For a license by examination there is one standard route and no sliding scale: a bachelor’s degree plus the 1,000-hour AIT, whatever the degree. “The Director may consider experience as a licensed Nursing Home Administrator in lieu of the educational requirements,” and AIT hours are cut only through the Director’s waiver, below.
Vermont’s Administrator-in-Training program is set by Rule 2.3: “The program must cover 1,000 total hours in the areas specified,” and it “must be completed within two years.” The curriculum follows the NAB Five Step Program Administrator in Training Internship Manual.
OPR’s AIT Internship Checklist (April 2026) sets eleven focal areas, each with a share of the total and a number of hours:
| Focal area | Share | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | 7% | 70 |
| Human Resources | 6% | 60 |
| Nursing | 25% | 250 |
| Rehabilitation | 8% | 80 |
| Medical Records | 4% | 40 |
| Activities | 8% | 80 |
| Social Service/Admissions | 8% | 80 |
| Business Office | 10% | 100 |
| Dietary | 8% | 80 |
| Housekeeping/Laundry | 8% | 80 |
| Maintenance/Environmental | 8% | 80 |
Other states: AIT Hours by State.
The free AIT Planner lays out an AIT across eleven departments. Vermont’s checklist also has eleven areas, but with set hours, so enter OPR’s hours from the table above in place of the planner’s own split, and agree on the schedule with your preceptor. No account needed.
Open the free AIT PlannerRule 2.4 requires a written examination from NAB, the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards, and OPR’s application instructions (February 2026) ask you to request your NAB results. The rule does not name the two exams; NAB’s Vermont page lists both the Core of Knowledge (CORE) and the NHA Line of Service. You test at a Pearson VUE test center. The figures are from NAB’s Candidate Handbook (September 2026):
| 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. Taken alone, CORE is $320 and NHA is $190 |
| NAB attempts | Since 1 January 2026, up to 4 attempts at each exam per cycle (1 July to 30 June) |
| Vermont retakes | After a failed NAB exam you may retake it as NAB permits, with a new application and fee each time (Rule 2.4) |
More in NAB Exam Format and The Core Domains Explained.
Vermont’s state exam is the Vermont Nursing Home Administrators Jurisprudence Exam, the name OPR’s application instructions (February 2026) use. The statute requires an exam on “Vermont statutes and rules relating to nursing home administration” (18 V.S.A. § 2055), and Rule 2.4 places it after the NAB exams: once you pass NAB, you take “a jurisprudence examination on the laws in the State of Vermont.”
| Who runs it | OPR, not NAB or Pearson VUE: you “Upload a copy of your answer sheet” with your application. Vermont is not on the NAB Candidate Handbook’s list of state exams (Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin), and NAB’s Vermont page lists “State Exam Administration: State” |
|---|---|
| Who takes it | Applicants by examination, by endorsement and by Fast Track endorsement (application instructions, February 2026; Rule 2.5) |
| What it covers | Rule 2.4 says it may cover the administrator rules, 18 V.S.A. Chapter 46, 3 V.S.A. Chapter 5, Subchapter 3, and the nursing home licensing and operating rules |
| Retakes | Rule 2.4 sets no limit on retaking it after a failed attempt |
| Not published | OPR does not publish the number of questions, a time limit, a passing score or a separate fee for the exam |
Start with the four sources in Rule 2.4, above. OPR’s forms page links “Additional Study Materials”, which points to DAIL’s regulations page and the Licensing and Operating Rules for Nursing Homes (2018). More in State NHA Exams Explained.
Three places where Vermont sets a different number, or adds a requirement, compared with 42 CFR Part 483. All three come from the facility rules issued through DAIL’s Division of Licensing and Protection, whose authority section cites 42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B, and from 33 V.S.A. § 6903:
| Topic | Federal rule (42 CFR 483) | Vermont rule | Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse staffing levels | Sufficient nursing staff, including licensed nurses, on a 24-hour basis (483.35(a)(1)), with no hours-per-resident-day minimum; a registered nurse “for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week”, and a registered nurse as full-time director of nursing, unless waived (483.35(b)(1), (2)). 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) | “No fewer than three (3) hours of direct care per resident per day, on a weekly average”, not counting administration and supervision, and “no fewer than two (2) hours” of that per resident per day of standard LNA care, by “LNAs or equivalent staff” | Facility rules § 7.13(d) |
| Reporting abuse | The facility reports an alleged violation “immediately, but not later than 2 hours” if it involves abuse or serious bodily injury, otherwise within 24 hours (483.12(c)(1)). Separately, each covered individual reports a reasonable suspicion of a crime to the State Agency and law enforcement (section 1150B; 483.12(b)(5)) | In the home, allegations are “reported immediately to the administrator ... and the licensing agency, and to Adult Protective Services”. Under state law, employees who directly provide health care or caregiving to adults report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult “within two business days”, to Adult Protective Services (48 hours before 1 July 2023). Both sets of duties apply | Facility rules § 3.17(f); 33 V.S.A. § 6903(a), § 6904 |
| Closing a home | The administrator gives written notice of a closure “at least 60 days prior to the date of closure” (483.70(k)(1)(i)) | When closing all or part of a home, or changing ownership or location, would mean discharging or transferring residents, “the administrator shall notify the licensing agency and the Ombudsman at least 90 days prior” | Facility rules § 2.8(a) |
Some Vermont rules match the federal ones: a registered nurse 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week (facility rules § 7.13(c); 483.35(b)(1)), a full-time director of nursing, and an administrator “licensed by the state of Vermont” (§ 9.2(b); 483.70(d)(2)(i)). The federal nursing home rules (42 CFR Part 483, Subpart B) apply only to facilities certified for Medicare or Medicaid, so a certified Vermont home must meet both sets of rules. Federal text as of September 2026.
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Your program is your own plan. OPR does not publish a list of approved programs or preceptors. The “administrator-in-training program approved by the Director” (Rule 2.2) is a plan you draw up with a qualifying preceptor and file for approval. The forms are on OPR’s forms page: the Preceptor Approval Form, AIT Program Information, the Internship Checklist and the AIT Evaluation.
Finding a preceptor. Your preceptor has to be a Vermont-licensed administrator with at least five years’ experience; OPR’s checklist describes the preceptor as the administrator of the facility. OPR’s Find a Professional search lists licensed administrators.
The Vermont Health Care Association. VHCA calls itself “Vermont’s first long term care organization” and represents nursing homes, residential care and assisted living. It runs an Education Series and a careers portal, and OPR lists it (through AHCA) as an approved CE provider. Its site does not describe an AIT or preceptor program; its members include nursing homes, so it is one way to reach administrators.
For the full step-by-step on approaching facilities and preceptors, see How to Find an AIT Preceptor and an Approved Program.
2023 Act 77 raised the application fee from $100 to $115 and the renewal fee from $200 to $275, effective 20 June 2023. NAB’s Vermont page still lists the older amounts; the statute and OPR’s fees policy (updated 1 July 2025) give the figures below.
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| License application | $115 | 18 V.S.A. § 2058 |
| Renewal, every two years | $275 | 18 V.S.A. § 2058 |
| AIT application (no renewal) | $115 | OPR fees policy |
| Provisional license application (no renewal) | $115 | OPR fees policy |
| Reinstatement within 30 days of expiry | $100 plus the renewal fee | 3 V.S.A. § 127(d)(1)(A) |
| Reinstatement after 30 days | The renewal fee plus a penalty of the renewal fee and $40 a month, capped at $1,500 | 3 V.S.A. § 127(d)(1)(B) |
NAB exam fees are paid to NAB. OPR does not publish a separate fee for the jurisprudence exam. Reinstatement penalties are not charged for periods of active-duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces (3 V.S.A. § 127(d)(3)).
“A licensee shall accrue 40 hours of continuing education during the two year period” (Rule 3.3), the most 18 V.S.A. § 2057 allows. For your first renewal, you need at least 20 hours if you were licensed in the first 12 months of the cycle, and none if you were licensed in the second year.
Renewal. “Licenses are issued for a two year period” (Rule 3.1) and expire on 31 March of even-numbered years; the last deadline was 31 March 2026 and the next is 31 March 2028. The renewal fee is $275. Under OPR’s 90-day policy, a first license issued 90 days or less before the renewal date runs through the next full two-year period.
If your license lapses. Rule 3.2 says “A lapsed license may be reinstated within 5 years of expiration upon payment” of the renewal fees, penalties and CE, and requires both the NAB and jurisprudence exams again after more than 5 years. The later statute, 3 V.S.A. § 135, uses the CE you would have needed to show readiness when you have been out for less than 5 years; at 5 years or more, the Director decides whether you have “demonstrated retention of required professional competencies” or must re-examine.
Endorsement (18 V.S.A. § 2059; Rule 2.5). If your state’s standards are “substantially equivalent to those in this State”, you may be licensed without the proficiency exam, but you must still pass the jurisprudence exam. You send transcripts, verification from your first and most recent states, a NAB score transfer, “proof of completing 40 hours of NAB approved continuing education” and the answer sheet.
Fast Track endorsement (3 V.S.A. § 136a). Fast Track is for anyone with “an active license in good standing in another state for a minimum of 3 years.” You send the application, license verifications and the jurisprudence answer sheet; OPR’s list for this route does not include transcripts or NAB scores.
Provisional license (18 V.S.A. § 2061). When the licensed administrator cannot serve because of “inability, death, or other circumstances”, an acting administrator can hold a provisional license for “a period not to exceed 90 days”, not renewable, and not issued to anyone else for a home already run provisionally for the preceding 90 days. OPR’s instructions say it is “only issued one time per applicant” and ask for a written explanation; the fee is $115.
Military. 3 V.S.A. § 123(g) provides expedited licensure for military spouses transferred to Vermont, and the Director may evaluate “specific military credentials to determine equivalency.”
Rule changes. The 2009 rules are still in force, and OPR’s proposed-rules page lists no pending administrator rule.
The laws, rules and other sources cited on this page.
Citations verified September 2026 against the Vermont Legislature, OPR and DAIL sites. For reference, not legal advice; the current official text governs.
1,000 hours, completed within two years under a preceptor licensed in Vermont with at least five years’ experience (Rule 2.3). OPR’s AIT Internship Checklist (April 2026) splits the hours across eleven areas, from 250 in nursing to 40 in medical records. The Director may waive the AIT or reduce its hours.
The NAB Core of Knowledge and NHA Line of Service exams, with a scaled score of 113 on each, and then the Vermont Nursing Home Administrators Jurisprudence Exam (18 V.S.A. § 2055; Rule 2.4).
The Vermont Nursing Home Administrators Jurisprudence Exam, run by the Office of Professional Regulation, not NAB or Pearson VUE: you upload your answer sheet with your application. Endorsement and Fast Track applicants take it too. OPR does not publish the number of questions, a time limit, a passing score or a separate fee.
40 hours every two years across six topic areas (Rules 3.3, 3.4); 20 hours or none for your first renewal, depending on when your license was issued. Licenses renew by 31 March of even-numbered years, for $275.
OPR does not publish a list. You plan the AIT with a Vermont-licensed administrator who has at least five years’ experience and file it with OPR for approval. The Vermont Health Care Association represents the state’s nursing homes.
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