ANCC Certification Lookup: How to Verify an ANCC Credential

ANCC's published verification route does not offer a public name-only registry. To confirm an ANCC certification, use ANCC's official verification process; the route, cost, and information you need depend on who's asking.

By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified September 17, 2026

Open ANCC's Verify Certification page →

Which ANCC verification route do you need?

ANCC says official verification is primary source validation of certification. That is different from verifying a state nursing license.

Reaching ANCC. Email customerservice@ana.org or call 1-800-284-2378. ANCC's current certification pages list Customer Care hours as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern.

Looking for a Magnet hospital or an ANCC-accredited continuing-education provider instead? ANCC has separate tools for those: Find a Magnet Organization and Find an Accredited Organization.

How much does ANCC verification cost?

These are the fees on ANCC's Verify Certification page, checked September 17, 2026.

• State boards: ANCC's Certification Handbook (Version 4, January 23, 2026, p. 17) says certificants may request verification sent directly to a state board of nursing at no cost.
• Institutions: ANCC's live verification page lists institutional verifications at $50 each.
• APRN faculty: ANCC's current Faculty Toolkit tells faculty to contact APRNfaculty@ana.org while a new verification solution is being developed; it does not publish a fee there.
• The public: ANCC directs members of the public to Customer Care but does not publish a fee for that contact route.
• Payment for online verification orders: ANCC lists Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Fees and routes can change, so use the live ANCC page before ordering.

What an official ANCC verification shows

ANCC says an ordered verification provides primary source validation of certification. In other words, the proof comes straight from the organization that issued the credential. ANCC's individual verification form describes the verification letter as documenting:

• the nurse's current certification status,
• the ANCC certification identification number, and
• the dates the certification is valid.

That form is dated 2019, so use ANCC's live verification page for the current ordering route and fees.

ANCC certifications are generally valid for five years once awarded (handbook, p. 17), so check that the valid dates cover the period you care about.

Each verification covers one certification and one purpose. A nurse who holds FNP-BC and PMHNP-BC needs separate verifications for those certifications, and ANCC says you must request a verification for each purpose you require (ANCC).

These don't count as primary-source proof:

• Letters after a name. "FNP-BC" on a badge or website shows what the nurse lists. It doesn't show that the certification is active today.
• Copies of a wall certificate or wallet card. ANCC recommends against accepting them as proof because they can be altered after they leave ANCC.
• A license lookup. A license and a certification are separate records.

How to order your own ANCC verification

1. Go to ANCC's Verify Certification page.
2. Choose Order a Verification and sign in to your ANCC account.
3. Request the certification and purpose you need verified.
4. Pay if the order isn't free (see the fee table above).

ANCC does not automatically send verification to your state board or employer (Certification Handbook, p. 17).

Just passed? Why your verification may say IN PROCESS

If a verification request shows IN PROCESS, ANCC's FAQ says either the certification application review, the examination review, or both are not complete. A verification letter is not available until the entire certification or recertification process is complete.

ANCC says examination results are provided to ANCC within 24 to 48 hours after the exam (handbook, p. 16). If you tested under ATT status, ANCC says you are not certified until the required final official transcript showing degree conferral is received and reviewed. An incomplete ATT application is considered abandoned if that transcript is not received within two years after the national certification examination (ANCC FAQs).

Sending proof to your state board

ANCC does not notify boards automatically, so request a verification with the board as the recipient. ANCC's handbook says certificants may request verification sent directly to a state board at no cost.

Check your board's instructions before ordering. If the board has its own form or submission rule, follow that board's current directions rather than assuming one ANCC workflow fits every jurisdiction.

How employers verify an ANCC certification

1. Get the nurse's ANCC certification number and legal last name.
2. Email customerservice@ana.org to establish an institutional verification account.
3. Use ANCC's verification system to order the certification verification you need.
4. Pay $50 per verification. Each certification requires its own verification.

ANCC's current verification page says institutional account holders may print ordered verifications from their desktop. The same page still publishes old browser-specific "instant print" instructions, including Internet Explorer and PC-only language. Because those technical instructions are clearly legacy material, do not treat them as modern browser requirements. If printing fails, ANCC tells institutional users to contact customerservice@ana.org rather than repeatedly clicking the print control.

After verification, record the certification and its valid dates, check the nurse's license separately, and follow any stricter documentation rule your organization, payer, or accreditor sets.

Ordered the same company verification twice?

ANCC does not refund duplicate company verification orders. Its current verification page says it may issue a credit for a future order if the institutional account holder requests the credit within five business days of the duplicate order. This rule applies to company orders, not orders placed by individual certified nurses.

Is it even an ANCC credential? Decode the letters

ANCC verifies ANCC certifications. If another board issued the credential, verify it with that board. Many ANCC credentials end in -BC, but not every -BC credential belongs to ANCC.

Lookalikes that can send you to the wrong board

Sources: ANCC's Certification Credentials chart; NPCB's certification information; AACN verification; PNCB verification; and NCC verification.

How the other boards handle verification

• NPCB: primary source verification can be ordered from NPCB; its public-verification page says the nurse practitioner must consent to the request. Use NPCB's current verification instructions for the applicable requester.
• AACN Certification Corporation: offers free online verification of AACN certifications. Employers, verification agencies, and consumers can search by certificant name, and AACN says the result may be used as primary source verification (AACN).
• PNCB: certified nurses and employers/third parties order through PNCB's portal. Members of the public are directed to PNCB's verification contact (PNCB).
• NCC: verification uses NCC's online system and requires the certificant's NCC ID number. NCC says the ID requirement indicates the verifying party has permission to access that certification status (NCC).

Reading a signature line

ANCC's accepted order is highest degree, licensure, certification, then honorary recognitions (handbook, p. 17). So for a nurse who signs "DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN":

• DNP is a degree.
• APRN refers to advanced-practice nursing licensure/status, depending on the jurisdiction.
• FNP-BC is an ANCC certification credential.
• CCRN is an AACN Certification Corporation credential.

"—Retired" after a credential

ANCC's retired recognition allows qualifying retired nurses to use a credential with —Retired on business cards and a CV or résumé. ANCC says it may not be used on patient charts or records, a professional name badge, legal documents, or after a signature, and it cannot satisfy APRN licensing requirements.

If you are trying to verify current active certification, treat a retired-recognition label as different from an active certification and use ANCC's verification process for the status you need.

Current ANCC credential chart

ANCC's Certification Credentials chart currently includes these credentials.

Open to new applicants as of September 17, 2026: AGACNP-BC, AGPCNP-BC, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC (across the life span), AGCNS-BC, AMB-BC, CV-BC, GERO-BC, NI-BC, MEDSURG-BC, NE-BC, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, PMGT-BC, PMH-BC, PED-BC, CMGT-BC.

Renewal only: ACNP-BC, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC (adult), GNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, SNP-BC, ADM-BC, ENP-BC, ACNS-BC, PMHCNS-BC (adult; child/adolescent), GCNS-BC, HHCNS-BC, PCNS-BC, PHCNS-BC, CNS-BC, CCCTM, RN-BC (used for several renewal-only specialties), AFN-BC, AGN-BC, PHNA-BC, NHDP-BC.

ANCC announced in April 2026 that Pediatric Nursing (PED-BC) and Nursing Case Management (CMGT-BC) are transitioning to renewal only. New applications are accepted through December 31, 2026, testing remains available through December 31, 2027, and the exams retire after that date (ANCC FAQs).

If a set of letters is not on ANCC's current credential chart, do not assume ANCC issued it. Ask which organization issued the credential and verify with that organization.

Can't find the nurse? Check these first

1. Spelling. ANCC's troubleshooting guidance says the clinician's first and last name must match ANCC records.
2. Apostrophes. If a last name such as O'Brien will not come up in the institutional system, ANCC says to try a double apostrophe: O''Brien.
3. Name changes. ANCC publishes a legal-name-change process requiring supporting documentation.
4. Wrong board. Check the credential letters against the issuing organization.
5. Brand-new certification. A verification request can show IN PROCESS while ANCC is still completing the application or examination review.
6. Expired certification. Check the valid dates and ANCC's reactivation rules.
7. More than one certification. Each certification requires a separate verification.
8. Still stuck? Email customerservice@ana.org or call 1-800-284-2378.

Sources: ANCC's Verify Certification page, Certification Handbook, Certification FAQs, and Contact Us.

Is an ANCC lookup the same as a license lookup?

No. ANCC's handbook defines certification as recognition from a nongovernmental agency or association after predetermined qualifications are met. Licensure is controlled by the applicable state or territorial regulator.

• Certification: verify with the organization that issued it. For ANCC credentials, that's ANCC.
• License: check the state board of nursing that issued it. NCSBN keeps a directory of boards.
• Employers and recruiters: NCSBN's Nursys QuickConfirm is a free service for licensure and applicable discipline information from participating boards. Nursys' terms require employers using QuickConfirm to certify compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and limit use to specified employment, staffing, credentialing, emergency-response, or education purposes.

Nursys is a licensure, discipline, and practice-privilege database. Use ANCC, not Nursys, to confirm an ANCC certification.

What if the certification has expired?

Once an ANCC certification expires, the nurse must stop using the ANCC certification credential. ANCC has no grace period and does not backdate a renewal. A late renewal/reactivation creates a gap in certification dates (handbook, pp. 18–19).

Whether a lapsed certification can be reactivated depends on how long it has been expired and whether an examination is still available. ANCC says:

• if the certification has lapsed less than two years, it may be reactivated by meeting the current reactivation/renewal requirements and paying the applicable fees;
• if it has lapsed more than two years and an exam is available, retesting may be required;
• if it has lapsed more than two years and no exam is available because the credential is renewal-only, it cannot be reactivated.

See ANCC's reactivation policy and renewal requirements.

For employers, compare the verification's valid dates with the dates you need covered. A state board, employer, payer, or other authority may have separate rules about what a lapse means for practice, reimbursement, or employment.

Copy-ready request email

ANCC's verification page says online orders need the nurse's certification number and last name. The rest of this template is Castleport's suggested wording; ANCC does not publish a required email format for public requests.

To: customerservice@ana.org
Subject: Request for verification of ANCC certification – [Nurse's full name]

Hello ANCC Customer Care,

I'd like to verify an ANCC certification.

Nurse's name: [First Last] (other names used, if known: [ ])
Credential: [for example, FNP-BC]
ANCC certification number: [if known]
Reason for the request: [employment / credentialing / patient question / other]
My name and organization: [ ]
Best way to reach me: [email or phone]

Please let me know what information, fee, or next step applies to this request.

Thank you,
[Your name]

Quick answers

Can I search ANCC's records by name?
ANCC's published public verification page does not offer a general name-only search. Its online-order instructions say the certification number and last name are needed, and it directs members of the public to Customer Care. Institutional account holders use ANCC's verification system.

Does ANCC send verification automatically after I pass?
No. ANCC's handbook says it does not automatically send verification to a state board or employer. A verification must be requested.

Will ANCC tell me whether someone failed the exam?
ANCC's handbook says individual examination results are confidential and are not released by telephone, fax, or email. Verification is for certification status, not a public exam-failure lookup.

Sources and what we checked

Checked September 17, 2026:

• ANCC: Verify Certification; Certification Handbook (Version 4, January 23, 2026; effective June 2025), especially pp. 1–2, 16–19 and 22–24; Certification FAQs; Certification Credentials chart; Certification Policies & Processes; APRN Faculty Toolkit; Retired Certified Nurse Recognition; and Contact Us.
• ANCC's Individual Verification Request Form, dated September 30, 2019. We use it only to describe what ANCC says a verification letter contains; the live verification page governs the current route and fee table.
• Other certifying organizations: NPCB, AACN Certification Corporation, PNCB, and NCC.
• Licensure: NCSBN's Nursys license verification page, board directory, and QuickConfirm terms.

What ANCC does not publish clearly enough for us to claim: a fee or standard turnaround time for public Customer Care verification requests, whether a free state-board verification counts against the individual's one free verification, and the current logged-in ordering screens. We did not log in or place an order.

The route table, credential decoder, troubleshooting order, and email template are Castleport's arrangement of the sources above.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Nurse Practitioner Certification Board (NPCB), AACN Certification Corporation, the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB), the National Certification Corporation (NCC), or the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Credential and organization names are used to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page explains published verification processes and is not itself a verification. Only the issuing organization can verify a certification, and the applicable nursing regulator controls licensure.