How to become a CNA in Alabama.
Alabama requires 75 hours of nurse aide training, including 16 hours of supervised clinical practice. Then you pass the state exam through Credentia and get listed on the nurse aide registry.
- 75
- Training hours
- 16
- Clinical hours
- $135
- Exam fee
- 71
- Programs
Step by step
Five steps to your Alabama certification
- 1
Meet the entry requirements
Most programs also ask for photo ID, a TB test, and proof of immunizations.
- 2
Finish a state approved training program
Alabama requires 75 training hours, including 16 hours of supervised clinical work. Only programs approved by the state qualify you for the exam.
See all 71 approved programs in Alabama - 3
Pass the state competency exam
The exam has a written or oral knowledge test and a hands on skills test, run by Credentia. The exam fee is $135. Must take and pass within 24 months of completing the approved training program. 3 attempts within 24 months of training; failing by the third attempt (or after 24 months) requires retraining in a state approved program before retesting.
- 4
Get listed on the nurse aide registry
Once you pass, your name goes on the Alabama Certified Nurse Aide Registry. Employers check the registry before they hire you.
Search the AL registry - 5
Keep your certification active
No renewal process. Status stays active by working at least 8 paid hours as a nurse aide under RN supervision every 24 months in a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, hospice agency, or mental health facility. CEUs do not keep certification active. Lapsed aides must retrain and retest.
Moving from another state
No reciprocity form. Out-of-state CNAs must be hired by a nursing home (or other qualifying entity), which verifies their active, clean certification and has them placed on the Alabama registry. Aides not seeking nursing home work cannot transfer and must complete an approved program and test.
Paying for training
Vouchers, employers, grants, and scholarships cover nurse aide training in Alabama.
CNA funding in Alabama →Alabama CNA requirements
- Credential
- Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)
- Training hours
- 75 hours
- Clinical hours
- 16 hours
- Exam provider
- Credentia
- Exam fee
- $135 ($55 knowledge, $80 skills)
- Fee details
- Credentia Alabama online handbook: Written $55, English or Spanish Oral $55, Skills $80. Handbook page lists a 'total' of $245 which sums all three written/oral variants; a candidate taking written (or oral) + skills pays $135. Candidates employed as nurse aides in Medicaid/Medicare nursing homes may not pay their own fees.
- Deadline to test
- Must take and pass within 24 months of completing the approved training program.
- Retakes
- 3 attempts within 24 months of training; failing by the third attempt (or after 24 months) requires retraining in a state approved program before retesting.
- Regulator
- Alabama Department of Public Health
Checked September 2026 against official state and exam provider sources: dph1.adph.state.al.us, admincode.legislature.state.al.us, ecfr.gov, kb-al.credentia.com. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the state or your program before you pay.
Becoming a CNA in Alabama, answered.
How many hours of training do you need to be a CNA in Alabama?
Alabama requires 75 hours of nurse aide training, including 16 hours of supervised clinical practice. Then you pass the state exam through Credentia and get listed on the nurse aide registry.
Who gives the CNA exam in Alabama?
Credentia runs the Alabama nurse aide competency exam. The exam fee is $135.
I am a CNA in another state. Can I work in Alabama?
No reciprocity form. Out-of-state CNAs must be hired by a nursing home (or other qualifying entity), which verifies their active, clean certification and has them placed on the Alabama registry. Aides not seeking nursing home work cannot transfer and must complete an approved program and test.
How do you renew a CNA certification in Alabama?
No renewal process. Status stays active by working at least 8 paid hours as a nurse aide under RN supervision every 24 months in a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, hospice agency, or mental health facility. CEUs do not keep certification active. Lapsed aides must retrain and retest.
How do I pay for CNA training in Alabama?
Workforce vouchers, employer sponsorship, state grants, and scholarships all pay for nurse aide training. A nursing home that hires you within a year of certification must reimburse your training costs under federal rules.
Start your training in Alabama.
Compare approved programs, then get matched to funding that pays for it.