Board complaints · Self-reporting
Arrests, DUIs and Convictions: When Nurses Must Self-Report to the Board
A plain, state-by-state guide for RNs, LPN/LVNs and APRNs on what has to be reported to a board of nursing after an arrest, a DUI or a conviction, how fast, and how to answer the renewal criminal history question accurately before any complaint exists.
Reviewed October 2026 against Ariz. Rev. Stat. 32-3208, North Carolina Board of Nursing self-report requirements, 49 Pa. Code 21.29a, Ohio Adm. Code 4723-7-08, Fla. Stat. 456.072, 22 Tex. Admin. Code 213.28, California BRN conviction guidance, NYSED renewal guidance and the Nurse Licensure Compact
Short answer: Whether you must self-report a DUI to the board of nursing, and when, depends on the state that licenses you. Some states start the clock at the arrest or charge (North Carolina requires any DWI/DUI arrest to be reported within 30 days; Arizona requires qualifying charges to be reported within 10 working days), some at a conviction or plea (Ohio and Florida, 30 days), and others rely on the renewal application (California, Texas, New York). Wherever a renewal application asks about criminal history, the question must be answered truthfully, and boards treat a false or incomplete answer as a separate and often more serious problem than the offense itself.
Key takeaways
- North Carolina requires nurses to self-report any felony arrest or indictment, any arrest for driving while impaired or under the influence, and any controlled substance arrest or indictment within 30 days.
- Ohio Adm. Code 4723-7-08, in effect since February 1, 2024, requires Ohio nurses to report any DUI/OVI conviction, guilty plea, finding of guilt or diversion eligibility within 30 days, in addition to the renewal questions.
- Pennsylvania RNs must report pending criminal charges within 30 days of filing, and a conviction, plea, ARD or probation without verdict within 30 days of the disposition, or at renewal if that comes first.
- Diversion and deferred outcomes still count in several states: Florida's 30-day rule applies "regardless of adjudication," Pennsylvania lists ARD, Ohio lists pretrial diversion, and Texas asks about deferred adjudication.
- Expungement rules differ: California's BRN says convictions set aside under Penal Code 1203.4 must still be disclosed at renewal, while the Texas BON says properly expunged or sealed matters need not be.
- Under the Nurse Licensure Compact, a felony conviction makes a nurse ineligible to hold or renew a multistate license, and participation in an alternative program deactivates multistate practice privileges while it lasts.
Arrest, charge or conviction: three different starting points
Most nurses assume nothing needs to be reported until a court has decided the case. In several states that is wrong, and the mistake matters because the reporting deadline can pass while the criminal case is still at an early stage.
Boards use three different trigger points, and it helps to know which one applies to you before you do anything else:
The arrest or indictment
North Carolina counts from the arrest for DWI/DUI, felony and controlled substance matters. The outcome of the case does not change the fact that the arrest had to be reported within 30 days.
The filing of a charge
Arizona (10 working days) and Pennsylvania (30 days) count from when the criminal charge is filed, which may be on the day of arrest or some time later.
The disposition
Ohio and Florida count from a conviction, plea or finding of guilt, and Ohio also from a finding that you are eligible for pretrial diversion or intervention in lieu of conviction.
Layered on top of all three is the renewal application. Most boards ask about criminal history when you renew, and that question has to be answered accurately even if you already sent a separate report, unless the board's instructions say previously disclosed matters can be left out. The Texas BON, for example, lets you exclude offenses already disclosed on an earlier initial or renewal application.
Our board discipline guide covers what happens after a board has issued an order, including later disclosure of that order. This page is about the earlier moment: an event has happened in your personal life, no complaint exists yet, and you need to know what you owe the board. For the wider picture of how a nursing board case runs once it opens, see our nursing board remediation guide.
State-by-state self-report rules for nurses
The table below compares eight large nursing boards. It shows what event triggers a duty, the deadline, and how the renewal question fits in. It is a starting point for checking your own state's current rule, not a substitute for it.
| State | What must be reported | Deadline | Renewal and other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | A charge for a felony, or a misdemeanor involving conduct that may affect patient safety. The Board's list of reportable offenses includes DUI. | 10 working days after the charge is filed, in writing | Failing to report is unprofessional conduct; the board may add a civil penalty of up to $1,000. Reports go through the Board's complaint portal. |
| North Carolina | Any felony arrest or indictment; any arrest for DWI/DUI; any arrest or indictment for possession, use or sale of a controlled substance. | 30 days after the arrest or indictment | Renewal requires disclosure of convictions (including DWI) and any charges pending since the last renewal not already reported, with certified court records. |
| Pennsylvania (RN) | Pending criminal charges; and a conviction, guilty or nolo contendere plea, ARD or probation without verdict. | 30 days after filing (charges) or disposition, or at biennial renewal if sooner | Reported online through PALS under "Mandatory Reporting by Licensees." The LPN rule (21.156b) mirrors it. |
| Ohio | A conviction, guilty plea, judicial finding of guilt, or finding of eligibility for pretrial diversion or intervention in lieu of conviction, for any felony, a practice-related misdemeanor, any drug law violation, or any DUI/OVI or physical control offense. | 30 days | In addition to the renewal questions. Rule 4723-7-08 took effect February 1, 2024. |
| Florida | A conviction, finding of guilt or nolo contendere plea to any crime in any jurisdiction, regardless of adjudication. | 30 days, in writing | The duty sits in Fla. Stat. 456.072(1)(x), so it applies across health professions regulated by the Department of Health, not only nurses. |
| Texas | Renewal questions cover arrests with a pending charge, convictions, pleas, deferred adjudication, community supervision, pretrial diversion, citations and military actions. | Answered at renewal | Class C misdemeanor traffic violations and offenses already disclosed may be excluded. Properly expunged or sealed matters need not be disclosed. |
| California | Convictions since the last renewal, including no contest pleas and convictions set aside or deferred under Penal Code 1000 or 1203.4. | Answered at renewal | Arrests without a conviction are not reported. Infractions under $1,000 are excluded unless they involved alcohol or controlled substances. |
| New York | Registration renewal asks about convictions, charges and disciplinary actions. | Answered at renewal | A yes answer needs a brief written explanation; a felony or misdemeanor conviction needs a certified copy of the court records. NYSED says minor traffic violations, dismissed charges and acquittals do not come under the conviction question. |
Sources: Ariz. Rev. Stat. 32-3208 and Arizona State Board of Nursing; North Carolina Board of Nursing; 49 Pa. Code 21.29a and Pennsylvania Department of State; Ohio Adm. Code 4723-7-08; Fla. Stat. 456.072; Texas Board of Nursing; California Board of Registered Nursing; NYSED Office of the Professions. Checked October 2026.
If you hold licenses in more than one state, each board's rule applies to its own license. A nurse licensed in both North Carolina and California could owe North Carolina a report within 30 days of an arrest while owing California nothing until the case ends in a conviction and the next renewal arrives.
DUI and DWI: why boards care about an off-duty offense
A DUI usually happens away from work, so it is natural to wonder why a nursing board is interested. Boards explain it in terms of fitness to practice: alcohol or drug use that leads to a criminal charge may point to a pattern that could affect patient care.
The Texas BON rule on criminal history states that the Board "considers crimes related to the use or possession of drugs or alcohol to be highly relevant to a nurse's fitness to practice." California makes it unprofessional conduct under Business and Professions Code 2762 to use alcoholic beverages in a manner dangerous to yourself or others, or to an extent that impairs safe practice, and it is also unprofessional conduct to be convicted of a criminal offense involving the consumption of those substances, with the conviction record as conclusive evidence.
That does not mean a single DUI ends a nursing career. The same Texas rule says plainly:
Not all criminal conduct will result in a sanction.22 Tex. Admin. Code 213.28(g)
Texas lists the factors it weighs, including the nature and seriousness of the criminal activity, the time since the last offense, completion of probation, rehabilitation, remorse and lessons learned, and current ability to practice safely. Where the criminal behavior is linked to a substance use disorder, the Board may require evidence of ongoing sobriety or treatment, and it can order an evaluation by a Board-approved evaluator.
Two practical points follow. First, what boards ask for in alcohol-related cases is usually evidence about you now: assessment results, treatment or support, compliance with the court's terms. Second, the board will often see the case in the context of how you reported it. A prompt, factual report gives the board an early and accurate picture; a missed deadline or a renewal answer that leaves the DUI out gives it a second issue to investigate.
The renewal criminal history question, answered accurately
For nurses in states without a days-based reporting rule, the renewal application is where disclosure happens. It is also where most avoidable problems start, because the questions are broader than many people expect.
Read every word of the question
The Texas eligibility questions ask whether, for any criminal offense, you have been arrested and have a pending charge, convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, pled guilty or no contest, received deferred adjudication, been placed on community supervision, been sentenced to confinement, been granted pretrial diversion, been cited or charged with any violation of the law, or been subject to military action. A DWI resolved by deferred adjudication still falls inside those questions.
California's BRN asks whether you have been convicted of any crime in any state, U.S. territory, military court or other country since you last renewed. The BRN counts a no contest plea as a conviction and says a conviction later set aside under Penal Code 1203.4 must still be disclosed. Traffic matters are reportable if the fine was over $1,000, and infractions involving alcohol or controlled substances are reportable at any fine level.
North Carolina asks about convictions since your last renewal "including DWI" and any charges pending since then, and it will not process the renewal until it has a written explanation, certified copies of the charges and convictions, and evidence that the conditions of the conviction have been met.
Expunged, sealed and nondisclosure orders
Whether a cleared record still has to be disclosed is one of the clearest state differences:
California BRN
An expunged conviction must still be reported. The BRN explains that Penal Code 1203.4 does not relieve you of the obligation to disclose the conviction in response to direct questions on licensing applications.
Texas BON
Properly expunged or sealed offenses need not be disclosed, but you are responsible for confirming the order was actually granted. Matters under an order of nondisclosure need not be revealed, though the Board can access them and may treat the conduct as a character issue.
If you are unsure whether a sealed or dismissed matter is covered by your state's question, ask the board in writing or get advice before you submit, not after. Our guide to nursing license renewal requirements covers the rest of the renewal process.
Why nondisclosure usually becomes the bigger problem
Boards say it directly. The Texas BON's eligibility guidance states that "non-disclosure of relevant offenses raises questions related to truthfulness and character." The California BRN warns that failing to disclose convictions "may be grounds for disciplinary action as you falsified information required on your renewal of licensure."
The statutes back this up. Florida lists "misleading, untrue, deceptive, or fraudulent representations" on an initial or renewal licensure application as grounds for discipline, separate from the crime. Arizona makes the failure to report a charge unprofessional conduct in its own right. Texas keeps a separate disciplinary sanction policy for lying and falsification.
The reason is simple: nursing depends on accurate reporting and recording. Texas Rule 213.28 groups lying, falsification and deception as a distinct category of concern for exactly that reason. A board that might see a single DUI as a health and judgment question will see a hidden DUI as an honesty question, and honesty is harder to remediate.
Boards also tend to find out. The California BRN states that once licensees are fingerprinted, the Department of Justice "notifies the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) of any future arrests or convictions." Multistate licensure requires state and federal fingerprint-based background checks. Assume the record will reach the board and plan your disclosure accordingly.
False "no" answers on a registration renewal led to revocation
In a 2023 Decision and Order, the DEA revoked a California practitioner's controlled substance registration after finding she answered "no" to liability questions on her 2019 application and 2022 renewal while a felony criminal complaint and a state board accusation were pending. The DEA restated that false answers to the application's liability questions are material, relied on that material falsification as the statutory ground for revocation, and found that she had not unequivocally accepted responsibility. Her pending renewal application was denied. The registrant was a physician, but APRNs who hold DEA registrations answer the same questions, which ask about controlled substance convictions and pending actions.
Source: Drug Enforcement Administration, Ester Mark, M.D.; Decision and Order, 88 FR 7106 (February 2, 2023).
Myths that lead nurses to miss a deadline
Most late or missing reports come from a handful of assumptions. Each one below is contradicted by at least one state's written rule.
"It is only a misdemeanor DUI, so the board will not be interested."
Ohio's rule names "any DUI/OVI" as reportable within 30 days, North Carolina requires every DWI/DUI arrest to be reported, and the Arizona Board lists DUI among its reportable drug and alcohol offenses.
"Nothing needs reporting until I am convicted."
North Carolina counts from the arrest, and Arizona and Pennsylvania count from the filing of the charge. The Texas renewal questions ask about pending charges.
"Diversion or deferred adjudication is not a conviction, so it does not count."
Florida's rule applies "regardless of adjudication," Pennsylvania lists ARD and probation without verdict, Ohio lists pretrial diversion and intervention in lieu of conviction, and Texas asks about deferred adjudication and pretrial diversion.
"Once it is expunged I never have to mention it."
That depends on the state. The Texas BON does not require disclosure of properly expunged or sealed matters, but the California BRN requires disclosure of convictions set aside under Penal Code 1203.4.
"I can wait and put it on my renewal."
Only where the rule allows it. Pennsylvania accepts the renewal if it comes before the 30-day deadline; Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida set fixed deadlines that run regardless of when you renew.
"If I report it myself, I am admitting guilt."
A self-report records that an event happened, such as an arrest, charge or disposition. It does not have to argue the criminal case, and it should be checked by your lawyer so it is consistent with your defense.
Multistate licenses and the Nurse Licensure Compact
If you hold a multistate license, a criminal matter can affect where you are allowed to practice, not only whether you keep your home-state license.
The Compact's uniform licensure requirements say a nurse must not have been "convicted or found guilty, or has entered into an agreed disposition, of a felony offense," and must have no misdemeanor convictions related to the practice of nursing, which is decided case by case. Under Article III(g)(2), a nurse who later has a disqualifying event is "ineligible to retain or renew a multistate license." A typical misdemeanor DUI is not automatically disqualifying, but it is the kind of offense the home state will look at under the practice-related test.
Two further Compact rules matter if alcohol or drugs are involved. A nurse must not be currently enrolled in an alternative program and must disclose current participation. And under Article V, the home state deactivates the multistate practice privilege for the duration of a nurse's participation in an alternative program. Your home state, the state of residence that issued the multistate license, is the board whose reporting rules you follow for that license; any single-state licenses you hold in other states have their own.
When alcohol is involved: peer assistance and alternative programs
Many states run alternative-to-discipline or peer assistance programs for nurses whose conduct is linked to substance use or a mental health condition. These sit alongside the reporting rules; they do not replace a criminal reporting deadline.
In Texas, the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN) is run by the Texas Nurses Foundation in cooperation with the Texas BON, and anyone, including the nurse, can make a referral. Texas law allows a person who must report a nurse impaired by chemical dependency to report to an approved peer assistance program instead of the board, but a report to the board is still required if the person believes the impaired nurse committed a practice violation.
NCSBN describes these programs as monitoring programs that allow eligible nurses to receive treatment and return to practice under supervision without public discipline. Participation is generally not made public, but programs notify the board when a nurse enters, fails to comply or leaves, and they are not open to every nurse: NCSBN notes they are not available to a nurse who diverted drugs for sale or distribution. The remediation guide explains how alternative programs work in more detail, including California's Intervention Program.
Entering a peer assistance program, seeing an evaluator or completing an online course does not satisfy a board's criminal reporting rule. If your state requires a report within 30 days of an arrest or conviction, that report is still due.
Do I need to report this? A decision path
Work through these steps in order, ideally within the first week after the event, so there is time to get advice before any deadline.
List every license you hold
Include each state license, your multistate license and home state, any APRN license or prescriptive authority, and any DEA registration. Each one may carry its own duty.
Identify the exact stage of the case
Arrest, charge filed, indictment, plea, diversion or deferred outcome, conviction. Get the paperwork: citation, charging document, booking record or court docket. The dates on those documents start the clock.
Check each state's current rule
Use the board's own self-report page or the regulation. Note whether it counts from the arrest, the charge or the disposition, whether it says days or working days, and which offenses it lists.
Check the renewal question separately
Even if no immediate report is required, note the date of your next renewal and read the criminal history question in full, including any "since your last renewal" wording and rules on expunged or sealed records.
Speak to a licensing attorney before you file
Where the facts are complicated, more than one state is involved, or a plea is being negotiated, a lawyer who handles nursing board matters can coordinate the report with your criminal defense. The form of the plea can change what is reportable.
Report in writing, on time, and keep proof
Use the board's portal or method. Keep a copy of what you sent, the confirmation and the date.
Update the board when the case ends
Some rules have separate duties for the charge and the disposition; Pennsylvania, for example, requires both. Even where only one report is required, a short update with the final court record keeps your file accurate.
Writing the self-report itself
A self-report is not a confession or a defense brief. It is a short, factual notice that lets the board know what happened and that you take your obligations seriously. If the board later opens an investigation, this document will be the first thing the investigator reads.
What to include
- Your name, license type and number, and every state where you are licensed.
- The date of the event, the court and county, the case number, and the exact charge as written on the charging document.
- The current status (pending, plea entered, diversion, conviction) and the next court date if one is set.
- Whether the event involved work, patients or controlled substances from the workplace (usually it did not, and saying so is useful).
- Any steps you have taken, such as an assessment, treatment or a support program, stated briefly and accurately.
- A commitment to send the final disposition when the case ends, and copies of the documents you have.
Boards consider insight, meaning your understanding of what happened and why, along with what you have changed. Texas lists remorse and lessons learned among its factors. A sentence or two of genuine reflection is appropriate; long explanations, blame and minimizing are not.
One arrest, two boards, two different duties
An RN with a North Carolina multistate license also holds a single-state California license. She is arrested for DWI. North Carolina requires her to report the arrest within 30 days, which she does through the Board's portal with a copy of the citation. Months later she pleads to the charge. California does not require a report of the arrest, but the conviction must be disclosed on her next California renewal, and the BRN will also be notified through the Department of Justice. She keeps a single folder with the court records and copies of both disclosures, so her answers to each board match.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for the court outcome. In arrest-trigger and charge-trigger states, the deadline passes long before most cases resolve.
- Assuming a reduced plea is not reportable. California counts no contest pleas as convictions, and several states count diversion and deferred outcomes.
- Answering renewal from memory. Reread the question and check your records. Partial disclosure is treated as nondisclosure.
- Reporting to one state only. Every license you hold has its own rules.
- Over-explaining or arguing the case. Keep the report factual and let your lawyer handle defense arguments.
- Losing the paper trail. Without proof of when you reported, you cannot show you met the deadline.
If a board responds to your report by opening a case and asking to interview you, our guide to preparing for a board of nursing investigator interview covers that next stage. For the timing of formal investigations in medicine, see how long a medical board investigation takes.
What to do this week
If you are reading this shortly after an arrest or a court date, a short, ordered list helps:
- Write down every license and registration you hold, with numbers and renewal dates.
- Collect the citation, charging document and any court notices, and note the date on each.
- Find each board's current self-report rule and calculate the deadline in days or working days.
- Arrange a consultation with a licensing attorney, and tell your criminal defense lawyer that you are a licensed nurse.
- If alcohol or drugs played a part, consider an assessment and, where your state has one, ask about the peer assistance program.
- File any required report on time, keep proof, and set a reminder to update the board when the case ends.
- Before your next renewal, reread the criminal history question in full and answer it exactly as asked.
Insight and Accountability for Licensed Health Professionals
A self-paced course of about 3 hours on self-awareness, just culture, the risks of defensiveness, and how to show insight in a board process through written responses, interviews and evidence of change. It ends with a written reflective account. It can help you think through what happened and prepare a clear, honest account, but it does not replace legal advice, treatment or any program your board requires.
Our courses are education.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to report a DUI from before I became a nurse?
Initial license applications ask about criminal history, so an earlier DUI should already have been disclosed when you applied. Renewal questions are often limited to events "since your last renewal," as in California and North Carolina, and Texas lets you exclude offenses already disclosed on an earlier application. If an old offense was never disclosed when it should have been, speak to a licensing attorney about correcting the record.
My DUI charge was dismissed. Do I still need to tell the board?
It depends on the state. In California you report only convictions, so a dismissed charge is not reported. In North Carolina, Arizona and Pennsylvania the arrest or charge itself had to be reported within the deadline, whatever the outcome, and sending the dismissal paperwork keeps your file accurate. NYSED says dismissed charges do not come under its renewal conviction question.
Will a first DUI cost me my nursing license?
Boards decide each case on its facts, and no one can predict an outcome. Texas states that not all criminal conduct will result in a sanction and weighs factors such as the nature and seriousness of the criminal activity, time elapsed, completion of probation, rehabilitation and current ability to practice safely. Boards generally look harder at repeat offenses, links to substance use at work, and whether the nurse reported honestly.
Do I have to tell my employer as well as the board?
The board rules in this article govern what you owe the board. Your employer's policies, employment contract or facility credentialing rules may impose their own disclosure duty, and that is separate. Check your handbook or ask human resources. If you are in an alternative program, NCSBN notes that participants generally must tell their employers.
Does a plea to a reduced charge, such as reckless driving, still count?
A plea to a lesser charge is still a conviction for disclosure purposes in states that ask about convictions. California counts no contest pleas as convictions, and Florida's 30-day rule covers any crime "regardless of adjudication." Whether a particular reduced charge falls inside a narrower list, such as Ohio's, is a question for your licensing attorney.
Does a DUI in another state have to be reported?
Generally yes. Florida's rule covers a crime "in any jurisdiction," California asks about convictions in any state, territory, military court or other country, and New York asks about convictions in any jurisdiction. Where you were arrested does not decide the duty; the rules of each state that licenses you do.
I am an APRN. Does a DUI affect my DEA registration?
The DEA application's liability questions ask about convictions "in connection with controlled substance(s)," pending actions of that kind, and state license or registration actions. An alcohol-only DUI may not fall within the first question, but a drug-related charge or any resulting board action could. Answer each question exactly as written; the DEA treats false answers as material.
Official sources
- Arizona Legislature: Ariz. Rev. Stat. 32-3208, Criminal charges; mandatory reporting requirements; civil penalty
- Arizona State Board of Nursing: Reporting Criminal Charges
- North Carolina Board of Nursing: Self-Report
- North Carolina Board of Nursing: FAQ Renewal/Reinstatement
- Pennsylvania Code: 49 Pa. Code 21.29a, Reporting of crimes and disciplinary action
- Pennsylvania Department of State: Act 6 of 2018 notice on mandatory reporting by licensees
- Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules: Ohio Adm. Code 4723-7-08, Reporting a misdemeanor or felony
- Florida Legislature: Fla. Stat. 456.072, Grounds for discipline; penalties; enforcement
- Texas Board of Nursing: Licensure eligibility and criminal history questions
- Texas Secretary of State, Texas Administrative Code: 22 Tex. Admin. Code 213.28, Licensure of Individuals with Criminal History
- Texas Board of Nursing: Board Policies and Guidelines (disciplinary sanction policies, including lying and falsification)
- Texas Legislature: Occupations Code Chapter 301 (sections 301.410 and 301.452)
- Texas Nurses Foundation: Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses (TPAPN)
- California Board of Registered Nursing: License Discipline and Convictions
- California Board of Registered Nursing: Applicant Fingerprint Information
- California Legislative Information: Business and Professions Code 2762
- NYSED Office of the Professions: Online Registration Renewal
- NCSBN: Substance Use Disorders and Accessing Alternative-to-Discipline Programs
- NCSBN: Nurse Licensure Compact Uniform Licensure Requirements
- Ohio Revised Code 4723.11: Nurse Licensure Compact (Articles III and V)
- Federal Register: Drug Enforcement Administration, Ester Mark, M.D.; Decision and Order, 88 FR 7106 (2023)
Checked October 2026.