Lapsed for Over Three Years? Washington's Retraining Route to Recertification

A Washington Nursing Assistant-Certified (NA-C or NAC) credential that has been expired for three years or more generally cannot be reactivated with a late fee. Instead, the former nursing assistant uses eligibility route E5, "lapsed more than three years with retraining," which means completing an approved training program again and passing the current two-part exam ($100 skills test plus $55 Credentia knowledge test) before applying to the Department of Health (DOH) as a new applicant. In practice that is the same 108-hour, 4-week program a first-time student takes, unless you hold an active Washington Home Care Aide credential, in which case the 40-hour HCA–CNA bridge may be open to you. This article explains where the three-year line falls, what retraining involves, and how to get back on the registry with the least time and money.

Where the three-year line falls

The DOH credential renews every year on your birthday. Once you miss that date, the credential is expired, and the length of time since expiration decides your route.

Count from the expiration date on your DOH record, not from the last day you worked. If you are close to the line, act immediately; a credential at two years and eleven months can still be reactivated, and the difference is roughly $1,100 in tuition and four weeks of class. Check your exact expiration date on Provider Credential Search first. If you are still inside three years, follow the reinstating an expired CNA license in Washington guide instead.

Why Washington requires retraining after three years

The Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) sets the standard, and the reasoning is competency. Nursing assistant practice changes: infection control protocols, documentation systems, resident rights rules, and the exam itself (Washington moved to the current two-part format on October 1, 2023). A person who has not practiced or held the credential for three years is treated the same as a new entrant for purposes of demonstrating competency. The route is not a penalty, and prior discipline is not implied; it simply resets the evidence.

What "retraining" means in practice

Route E5 requires completion of a training program the state recognizes. For most people that is a full approved nursing assistant program meeting WAC 246-841A-440: at least 108 clock hours, split 35 theory, 33 skills lab, and 40 clinical in a licensed nursing facility, taught by licensed nurses with recent direct-care experience.

At Huduma CNA Programs in Federal Way, the CNA Traditional program covers those hours in 4 weeks on day or weekend patterns, for $1,100 tuition plus about $105 in books and supplies. Enrollment requires a high school diploma or GED and a background check before clinical placement. Because the program administers the skills test on site, returning nursing assistants finish training and test within days, rather than self-scheduling through the WABON online system.

The HCA exception

Many former nursing assistants moved into home care and hold an active Washington Home Care Aide (HCA) credential. An active HCA credential opens the HCA–CNA Bridge: 40 clock hours (36 instructional plus 4 hours of mock testing), five weekdays or about two and a half weekends, $800 tuition. The bridge graduate tests under route E6 rather than E5. If your HCA credential is expired too, renew it first only if it is still within its own reactivation window; otherwise the traditional program is the direct path. Compare the two in CNA Traditional vs HCA–CNA Bridge.

The nursing-education exception

A former nursing assistant who has since completed or enrolled in an LPN or RN program may qualify under route E2 (nursing student or graduate) and skip nursing assistant training entirely. The nursing program must verify the coursework. See the E2 route for nursing students.

What returning students find different

Experienced caregivers rarely struggle with the theory. They struggle with three things:

1. The exam format. Since October 2023, Washington's skills test is administered by the training program (Part 1), and the Credentia knowledge test (Part 2) can only be registered after the skills pass is recorded. If you certified under the old single-vendor system, the order and the fees are new.
2. Scored critical steps. Evaluators score explaining each step to the resident, hand hygiene sequence, safety checks, and measurement accuracy. Habits from years of real-world practice, especially skipping verbal explanations, cost points.
3. Documentation systems. Clinical sites now run on electronic records; the 40 clinical hours are where returning students relearn the workflow.

Programs must allow at least four attempts at the skills test, but the goal is to pass on the first. Huduma's curriculum includes mock testing before the real attempt, which is the single most useful component for returning students.

Cost and timeline for the retraining route

Most returning students who move quickly are back on Provider Credential Search within two to three months of the first class day. The cost is a fraction of the wage difference: Washington nursing assistant pay averages roughly $23.62 per hour by job-posting data (approximate, August 2026), compared with the 2026 state minimum wage of $17.13.

Your old record and the new application

You apply as a new applicant, but DOH still has your prior record. Practical points:

• Use your prior credential number on the application if the form asks whether you have held a Washington credential. Disclose it; a "no" answer when a prior record exists is a false statement.
• Prior discipline on the old credential follows you. If the old credential was suspended or revoked, contact DOH before enrolling; retraining does not clear a disciplinary bar.
• Name changes since the old credential should be documented with a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order so DOH can match the records.
• Background check runs again on the new application, including a possible fingerprint check if you lived outside Washington during the gap.

Once issued, the new credential renews annually on your birthday with no continuing education requirement for a standard NA-C. Set a reminder this time.

Working while you retrain

A nursing facility can hire you as a Nursing Assistant-Registered (NAR) while you retrain, subject to the four-month deadline to complete training and pass the exam. Many returning caregivers use this to start earning during the 4-week program. The NAR requires its own DOH application and background check; it is not automatic. Details are in NAR vs NAC in Washington.

Frequently asked questions

My NA-C expired three and a half years ago. Can I pay a late fee and renew? No. Beyond three years, DOH does not reactivate. Route E5 requires retraining and retesting.

Do I have to take the full 108 hours, or can I test out? Route E5 requires an approved program. The shorter bridge is available only if you hold an active Washington HCA credential; a nursing program can substitute under route E2.

Is the exam different from the one I took years ago? Since October 1, 2023, it is a two-part exam: a program-administered skills test ($100) followed by a Credentia knowledge test ($55). The order is fixed.

Will I keep my old credential number? DOH matches you to your prior record when you disclose it. Whether the number is reused is a DOH record decision; the registry entry will show your current status either way.

I worked as a CNA in another state during the gap. Does that change anything? Yes. An active credential in another state can be endorsed into Washington under route E4 with registry verification, which avoids retraining. See moving to Washington as a CNA.

How soon can I start? Class dates and day or weekend patterns are on the schedules page. Program details are on the CNA Traditional page.