This page collects what Arkansas law and state agencies say about background checks, immunizations and training for nursing and allied health students, with a link to each primary source. Most day-to-day clinical requirements, such as the drug screen panel, TB schedule and CPR level, are set by your clinical sites and affiliation agreements rather than by the state; see your program’s guide for those.
Background checks
- Licensure. Arkansas Code § 17-87-312 requires each first-time applicant for a nursing license to have a state and national criminal background check conducted by the FBI. Applicants found guilty of, or pleading guilty or no contest to, an offense listed in § 17-3-102 are not eligible, though a waiver can be requested. (source)
- Fingerprinting. Arkansas residents are fingerprinted electronically at Arkansas State Police LiveScan locations; out-of-state applicants use a fingerprint card from the Board of Nursing. (source)
- School checks don’t count for licensure. The Board of Nursing says criminal background checks from other agencies, employers and education programs are not accepted. (source) The check a clinical site asks for and the licensure check are separate.
Immunizations
- MMR for college students. Arkansas requires students attending colleges and universities in the state to be immunized against measles, mumps and rubella. (source) Incoming freshmen and foreign-born students need two doses; other full-time students, and part-time students living on campus, need one. People born before 1957 are exempt, and exemptions are available through the Department of Health. (source)
Nurse aide training
- At least 90 hours. The state’s nursing assistant training rules (revised January 2023) require a minimum of 90 hours of training, made up of no less than 74 clock hours including 16 hours of supervised practical training; the first 16 hours of classroom instruction come before direct resident contact. (source) A proposed 2025 amendment would change these numbers, so check the current rule. (source)
- Trainee record checks. A facility claiming Medicaid reimbursement for nurse aide training must complete a criminal record check for each trainee before conducting the training. (source)
Medical marijuana and drug screens
- Drug-free workplace policies are allowed. Amendment 98, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, allows employers to establish a drug-free workplace policy that may include a drug testing program. (source)
- Schools. The amendment says a school shall not refuse to enroll an individual solely for his or her status as a qualifying patient, unless doing so would violate federal law. (source) Clinical sites set their own drug screen rules; see marijuana, CBD and drug tests.
Drug Free Schools does not take fingerprints. For Arkansas licensure, residents use Arkansas State Police LiveScan locations. For any other fingerprint check, students use the provider the agency or site names, usually Fieldprint, IdentoGO or the local police department. We handle the name-based background check, the drug screen and the tracking, so the rest of the student’s clinical file is ready.
How Drug Free Schools helps programs in Arkansas
- On-campus drug screening from $25 a student, depending on cohort size: our team comes to your campus and screens the whole cohort in one visit. Students who miss the date can test at any Quest location for $40–$55.
- Name-based background checks through Checkr: Standard ($35) covers SSN trace, national criminal, sex offender and global watchlist searches; Premium ($70) adds 7-year county criminal and FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions.
- N95 fit testing on campus, $25–$35 a student.
- Tracking for every requirement in our clinical compliance tracking portal: every upload reviewed within 24 hours, email and text reminders before anything expires, $30 per student, one time.
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Frequently asked questions
Do Arkansas nursing students need an FBI background check?
For licensure, yes: Arkansas Code § 17-87-312 requires a state and national (FBI) background check for every first-time applicant. Clinical sites may also ask for their own background check before rotations.
Where do Arkansas nursing applicants get fingerprinted?
Arkansas residents use Arkansas State Police LiveScan locations; out-of-state applicants use a fingerprint card from the Board of Nursing. Drug Free Schools does not take fingerprints.
Does Arkansas require MMR for college students?
Yes. Arkansas requires college and university students to be immunized against measles, mumps and rubella, with two doses for incoming freshmen and foreign-born students.
Sources
- Arkansas State Board of Nursing: criminal background checks
- Arkansas Department of Health: college immunization exemption packet 2026-2027
- Arkansas Board of Health immunization rules
- Arkansas nursing assistant training program rules (January 2023)
- Arkansas proposed amendment to the nursing assistant training rules (2025)
- Arkansas Amendment 98, sections 1-8
This page summarizes Arkansas statutes, rules and state agency pages as checked on 14 October 2026, with a link to each source. Rules change; confirm with the agency, your school and your clinical sites. Clinical sites can require more than the state does. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Quest Diagnostics, Checkr, Fieldprint and IdentoGO are trademarks of their respective owners.