CNA License Requirements

Requirements for getting your CNA License

You’ve put in the work, studied, and passed your exams. Congratulations! You are now a Certified Nursing Assistant. Before you can get to work, though, you still need to be licensed by the state, whichever state you plan to work in.

For Washington State, your exam results will be sent directly to the Washington State Department of Health. There is still work to do, however, including filling out a Nursing Assistant Certification Endorsement Application Packet. This packet will ask for personal information, such as birth date and social security number, as well as a personal data questions.

You will also be required to fill out information on any training and testing you have completed, such as AIDS/HIV training.

Once the application has been filled out by you, verified by Washington State, and all fees associated with licensing have paid, the state will perform a background check. Once everything clears and you’ve been approved, the Department of Health will mail the license to you.

In order to keep your license up-to-date, it needs to be renewed every year before your birthday.

1. Take CNA State Exam.
2. Apply to DOH online for NAC license,
3. Credential search (Go here and scroll to last paragraph of text)

Waiting for your CNA License?

1. Go to Secure Access Washington or SAW
2. Create an account (see instructions)
3. Click Dept of Health
   ONLINE APPLICATION
   Click Apply
   You will get a screen that will link any other licenses you have with DOH
   Click Continue
4. Click My Services
5. Click Online Application Portal – You will land on the Portal Landing Page:
   You can START a New Application OR you can Continue a saved Application. (Saved applications will be in the system for 14 days.)
6. After you SUBMIT APPLICATION you need to pay the Application Fee: Will take DEBIT, CREDIT or Electronic Withdrawal from Bank.
7. After paying the fees, UPLOAD SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS SCREEN: Upload supporting documents like Completion Certificate, Etc.
8. LAST PAGE = FOLLOW UP PAGE. From here you can download a copy of your application for your records. There is also a Checklist of Documents needed for your application.