Alabama CNA Registry
Check any Alabama certified nursing assistant on the Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry. The search is free, needs no account, and is the same record an employer sees. This page covers looking up a license, reading the status, keeping your certification active, and getting listed after your exam.
This is the state's own system, run by ADPH. It is the same database an employer checks, and the only place a certification status is authoritative.
Four ways to use this page. Pick the one that matches your situation.
Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry
- Governing agency
- ADPHAlabama Department of Public Health
- Lookup portal
- dph1.adph.state.al.us
- Registry phone
- 334-206-5169
- Renewal cycle
- 24 months qualifying work keeps it active
How to Look Up an Alabama CNA License
This section is the mechanics: where the search is, what to type into it, and how to read what comes back.
Alabama keeps its nurse aide records at dph1.adph.state.al.us. The search is public, so you can check your own record or a candidate's record without an account and without paying.
-
Open the Alabama registry search
Go to dph1.adph.state.al.us and open the nurse aide search. The search takes one Social Security Number box, shown with its dashes already in place as ___-__-____. A blank or incomplete number does nothing when you click Search, with no message. No login, no account, no fee.
-
Enter your details as the registry recorded them
This search does not take a name. Type each detail it asks for exactly as the registry holds it, and check every digit before you search.
-
Match the record to the person
Check that the record is for the person you meant before you rely on it. With no name to search on, one mistyped digit can bring back nothing, or a different person's record.
-
Read what the record says, not just that a name came back
Appearing on the registry is not the same as being current, so read what the record says about standing, whether that is a status, an expiry date, or both. If a result links through to a fuller record, open it, because some registries keep the status there. The results table shows a single verification rather than a list of rows, and the page offers a printable Nurse Aide Status Report.
-
Save a dated copy of the result
Print to PDF or screenshot the result, with what it says about standing and the date you checked. Employers and agencies usually want that record on file.
Your Social Security number is your certification number
Alabama does not issue a separate certification number. The registry uses your Social Security number instead, so there is nothing else to look up or request.
Why Your Alabama CNA License Is Not Showing on the Registry
| Problem | What is happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your search returns no results | This search does not take a name, so it rests on the details you type. A number with no record behind it shows its last four digits and the words "is not found in registry", which looks the same whether the number was mistyped or the person was never listed. | Check each digit and search again, then call 334-206-5169 if it still returns nothing. A name change does not affect this search. |
| You passed but you are not listed | Results have to reach the registry from your testing entity before you show as certified. | Give the registry time to process them, then call 334-206-5169 with your test date and testing entity. |
| The record shows as expired but you have been working | Either your record does not show your recent work, or the work did not qualify, and the state does not publish how work gets recorded. | Ask your employer first, then contact the registry on 334-206-5169 with proof of the work, such as pay stubs, while the state may still accept it. If it no longer does, the reinstatement routes below apply. |
| Details on your record are wrong | Name, address and registry data come from what was submitted to the registry, when your record was created or since. | Contact the registry on 334-206-5169 or NARCorrespondence@adph.state.al.us with documentation of the correct details. |
How to Verify a CNA License in Alabama
This section is what the result proves: what a record is evidence of, what to save as your copy of it, and what it means for you specifically. The search itself is the same for everyone.
Verifying your own license after finishing training
Look yourself up at dph1.adph.state.al.us once your testing entity has filed your results. Save a dated copy of the record, because most employers ask for proof at offer stage rather than checking themselves.
Verifying your license after transferring from another state
A certification held in another state does not appear in Alabama until reciprocity is processed. Until an Alabama record exists, employers here cannot verify you, and your out-of-state record is the only proof you have. See transferring a license to Alabama for the application route, then verify the new record the same way.
Verifying someone else's license (for employers)
Federal rules require a facility to check the registry before it lets someone work as a nurse aide. The record shows the certification status. It is not the whole check, because Alabama records findings of abuse, neglect or misappropriation of resident property on a separate list, so a current certification does not on its own mean there is nothing against someone. The record only covers Alabama, so if a candidate has worked elsewhere, search that state's registry too.
That separate list is the Abuse List. Check both before you rely on a result.
How to Renew Your Alabama CNA License
Alabama does not publish who reports the work that keeps a certification active. Keep working, keep your own proof of the hours, and check your record.
-
Work at least 8 hours in a qualifying role
The hours must be paid nursing or nursing-related duties inside the 24 months before your record lapses. Unpaid placements and volunteer shifts do not count. Which paid work counts? Paid nurse aide work giving direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse, in a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, hospice agency or mental health facility. Private sitting, assisted living and doctor's office work do not count. If the work was in another state, ask the registry whether it counts before you rely on it, because states differ.
-
Keep your own proof of the work
The state does not publish whether your employer reports the hours or whether you can report them yourself, so keep pay stubs or an employer letter showing the dates you worked.
If your record does not show you as active although you have worked, ask your employer first, then the registry. -
Check your record
Look yourself up at dph1.adph.state.al.us after you have worked in the period, and check that it still shows you as active.
-
Raise it as soon as your record looks wrong
If you have worked but your record does not show you as active, raise it straight away, while the state may still accept proof of the work. Contact the registry on 334-206-5169 or NARCorrespondence@adph.state.al.us and ask what they will accept as evidence of the work.
-
Keep your own dated copy
Save a copy of your record each time you check it. If the record is ever wrong, that copy is what you give a new employer while the registry corrects it.
| Item | Alabama |
|---|---|
| Active period | 24 months |
| Work required | At least 8 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related duties |
| Which paid work counts | Paid nurse aide work giving direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse, in a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, hospice agency or mental health facility. Private sitting, assisted living and doctor's office work do not count. |
| What does not count | Volunteer shifts and unpaid clinical placements |
| Work in another state | Ask the registry before you rely on it. States differ on whether out-of-state hours count |
| Who reports it | Not published by the state |
| Renewal fee | None |
| Continuing education required | None to stay active. Skilled nursing facilities have to give their CNAs at least 12 hours of in-service education a year. |
How to Reinstate a Lapsed Alabama CNA License
If your active period runs out and the record does not show qualifying work in it, it stops being active. What it takes to come back depends on which of these you are.
| Your situation | What you do | Retesting |
|---|---|---|
| You worked recently, but your record does not show it | Contact the registry with proof of the work, such as pay stubs, as soon as you notice, while the state may still accept it | Ask the registry |
| No qualifying work for 24 months or more | You have to complete a state-approved nurse aide training program again and retake both parts of the certification test. | Yes, to work in a Medicare- or Medicaid-certified facility |
| You hold an active certification in another state | Apply through reciprocity. See our Alabama reciprocity guide | Usually not |
| You are not working in a Medicare- or Medicaid-certified facility | The federal requirement does not reach you, but some states require certification or registration in other settings, and many employers still ask for an active certification | Not under federal rules |
How to Get on the Alabama CNA Registry
In Alabama you do not file a registry application yourself. You train, you test, and your testing entity sends the application and results to the registry.
-
Meet the basic requirements
Alabama does not publish a minimum age for registry eligibility. Training providers set their own, so check with the provider before you enrol.
-
Complete an approved 75-hour course
Train with a provider approved in Alabama. Our CNA program directory does not cover Alabama yet, so confirm any provider you are considering is approved by ADPH before you enrol.
-
Pass the written and skills tests
A knowledge examination, which you may take written or orally, and a hands-on skills demonstration. Both must be passed. Federal rules say you can choose to take the knowledge test orally instead of in writing, but some states offer that only as an approved accommodation, so ask your testing entity how to request it if reading is difficult for you or English is not your first language.
If a facility has already hired you, both tests have to be passed within four months of your hire date. Our free CNA practice tests cover the same knowledge areas as the written test, and the free CNA skills course walks through the skills evaluation itself.
The state charges no application fee. Check what the exams cost and who collects the fee before you book. -
Let your testing entity file the results
The testing entity sends your application and results straight to the registry. There is nothing for you to submit.
-
Check that you appear on the registry
Give the registry time to process the result, then look yourself up at dph1.adph.state.al.us before you contact the registry.
Alabama CNA Registry Contact Information
- Phone
- 334-206-5169
- NARCorrespondence@adph.state.al.us
- Mailing address
- Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry
Alabama Department of Public Health
Division of Health Care Facilities
The RSA Tower, Suite 700
201 Monroe Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
- License lookup
- dph1.adph.state.al.us
- Registry information
- ADPH Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry FAQ
Alabama CNA Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Alabama |
|---|---|
| Registry name | Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry |
| Credential term used by the state | nurse aide |
| Governing agency | Alabama Department of Public Health |
| Total training hours | 75 |
| Clinical hours | 16 |
| Exam | A knowledge examination, which you may take written or orally, and a hands-on skills demonstration. Both must be passed. |
| Testing deadline | Both tests within four months of hire |
| Application fee | Free |
| Renewal cycle | 24 months, qualifying work |
| Testing vendor | Credentia and Prometric |
Transferring a CNA License To or From Alabama (Reciprocity)
Reciprocity is how an active certification held in one state becomes a certification in another. It usually avoids retesting, but only while your current certification is in good standing. A lapsed or flagged record cannot transfer.
The route in and out of Alabama, the documents required and the current processing time are covered in the guide. The tool checks any two states against each other.
Alabama CNA Training Programs
The steps above are the whole route onto the registry. The one thing that usually comes before them is an approved 75-hour program. The state itself charges no application fee, so training is the cost that matters.
Tell us where you are and we will match you with approved programs. Takes about a minute.
Find CNA programs near you✓ Free Service • ✓ No Obligations • ✓ Compare Multiple Programs • ✓ Accredited Schools Only
Our directory does not cover Alabama yet, so confirm any provider you are considering is approved by ADPH before you enrol.
If you want to prepare before you enrol, our free CNA skills course covers the material the program and the skills test are built on.
Alabama CNA Registry FAQ
Is the Alabama CNA Registry free to search?
Why can I not find my record on the registry?
How long does Alabama certification last?
Can I report my own work hours?
What happens if my status expires?
Can an employer see abuse or neglect findings?
Do I need to be on the registry to work in Alabama?
Look Up a CNA License in Another State
Every state runs its own registry, and a certification is only verifiable in the state that issued it. Pick a state to see its portal, its status vocabulary and its renewal rules.