How to Become a CNA in Alabama

Becoming a certified nursing assistant in Alabama requires 75 hours of state-approved training and passing a two-part competency exam authorized by ADPH and administered by a contracted testing vendor. Most programs take 4-11 weeks and community college tuition starts at $790. Here is what the process looks like from start to finish.

Requirement	Details
Minimum training hours	75 hours (16 clinical under RN supervision, 16 lab)
Program duration	4-11 weeks depending on program
Training cost	$790-$2,300 at community colleges
Total out-of-pocket (all costs)	$900-$2,800
Exam	Two parts: written knowledge test + clinical skills evaluation
Exam fee	$85 (Prometric) or $135 (Credentia)
Governing body	Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)
Certification ID	Your Social Security Number — Alabama does not issue a physical license

The sections below walk through every step: training requirements, program costs, financial aid options, the exam process, registry placement, and what you can expect to earn. If you are moving to Alabama from another state, there is also a section on Alabama’s unique reciprocity process.

Alabama CNA Training Requirements

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama requires a minimum of 75 training hours to become a certified nursing assistant. Those hours include at least 16 hours of clinical training under direct RN supervision and 16 hours of lab work. Some programs offer 120 hours with 40 clinical hours — these take longer but provide more hands-on experience before the exam.

Eligibility Checklist

Before enrolling in a state-approved program, confirm you meet these requirements:

• Age 18 or older (Drake State in Huntsville accepts students as young as 16)
• High school diploma or GED
• CPR/BLS certification (required before clinical rotations begin)
• Negative TB test result
• Hepatitis B vaccination series (or documented decline)
• Current immunizations
• Criminal background check clearance
• Drug screening (required by most programs)

Most adults qualify without issue. If you are 16 or 17, contact programs in your area directly — Drake State is the only statewide program with a confirmed lower age limit.

Background Check Requirements

Alabama requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check for all CNA candidates before hire, per ADPH Nurse Aide Registry policy and federal OBRA regulations (42 CFR 483.12). The check includes SSN verification, address history, and multi-state criminal records.

Findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation on any state nurse aide registry result in permanent disqualification. Certain criminal convictions — including murder, kidnapping, sexual offenses, and first-degree robbery — are also permanent bars. Lesser felonies such as theft or assault may have a 5-to-10 year look-back period. If you have any criminal history, contact ADPH before paying for a training program to confirm your eligibility.

Can You Take CNA Classes Online in Alabama?

Alabama does not approve fully online CNA certification programs. Clinical hours must be completed in person at an approved facility. Some programs, including Drake State and Northwest Shoals Community College, offer hybrid formats where the classroom lecture portion is completed online and clinical rotations happen in person. If you are looking at a program that claims to be fully online, verify its ADPH approval status before enrolling.

For a broader look at CNA training and certification nationally, see our CNA training and certification guide.

Alabama CNA Training Programs and Costs

We verified tuition at 10 community colleges across the state so you can compare options before committing. For the complete list of every ADPH-approved program — including facility-based programs that are often free — download the ADPH Approved Nurse Aide Training List. Programs labeled “Facility-Based” are nursing homes that train on-site, usually at no cost in exchange for a work commitment. If a program is not on this list, it is not state-approved — do not enroll.

Community College Programs by Region

Program	City/Region	Duration	Tuition	What’s Included
Coastal Alabama Community College	Bay Minette (South)	Not listed	$790	Books
Trenholm State Community College	Montgomery (Central)	75 hrs	$800	Tuition, textbooks, CPR/First Aid
Enterprise State Community College	Enterprise (South)	5 weeks	$850	—
Wallace Community College	Dothan (South)	25 days	$875	Books, tuition, state exam fee
Calhoun Community College	Huntsville (North)	7-8 weeks	$899	Textbook, scrubs
Drake State Community College	Huntsville (North)	5-6 weeks	$899	Textbook, scrubs, CPR
Jefferson State Community College	Birmingham (Central)	Ongoing	$899	Tuition only
Bevill State Community College	Sumiton (Central)	9 weeks	$1,175	WIOA approved
Shelton State Community College	Tuscaloosa (Central)	Not listed	$1,200	—
Gadsden State Community College	Gadsden (East)	11 weeks	$2,300	CPR, phlebotomy, med terminology

Costs verified as of April 2026. Contact programs directly for current pricing and enrollment schedules.

Coastal Alabama Community College at $790 is the lowest-cost option in the state and includes books. Wallace Community College in Dothan is the only program that includes the state exam fee in its $875 tuition, making it a strong value. Calhoun and Drake State are both $899 in Huntsville, but Drake adds CPR certification.

Gadsden State’s $2,300 tuition is the outlier, but it also includes phlebotomy and medical terminology certifications — you graduate with three credentials, not one. The fastest programs (Drake State and Enterprise State) finish in five weeks. The slowest is Gadsden State at 11 weeks.

If program selection feels overwhelming, our guide on how to choose a CNA program walks through what to look for beyond the sticker price.

What Training Actually Costs (Beyond Tuition)

Tuition is not the full picture. Here is what you will likely pay on top of your program’s base cost:

Cost Item	Estimated Range	Notes
State exam fee	$85-$135	Prometric ($85) or Credentia ($135)
Background check + fingerprinting	$30-$60	Some programs cover this; most do not
TB test	$15-$35	Required before clinicals
Hepatitis B / immunizations	Varies	May be covered by insurance
Scrubs	$25-$50	Included at Calhoun, Drake State
CPR/BLS certification	$50-$75	Included at Trenholm, Drake, Gadsden
Textbook	$30-$60	Included at several programs

Total estimated out-of-pocket: $900-$2,800, depending on your program and what it covers. Wallace ($875 including exam fee) represents the low end when you factor in what is included. Gadsden State with supplies sits at the high end, though the three-credential outcome changes that comparison.

Alabama CNA pay averages $32,470 per year ($15.61/hr) according to BLS data — about $7,000 below the national median. That pay reality makes the difference between a $790 all-in program and a $1,200 program with unknown extras a meaningful calculation. The financial aid options in the next section can reduce or eliminate your out-of-pocket cost entirely.

How to Pay for CNA Training in Alabama

Between government funding, employer programs, and scholarships, many Alabama residents can complete CNA training for little to no cost out of pocket.

WIOA Funding Through Alabama Career Centers

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds job training for eligible candidates — unemployed workers, people underemployed in low-wage jobs, and adults making career transitions. Alabama Career Centers administer WIOA funding and can cover tuition, exam fees, and sometimes supplies.

Bevill State Community College ($1,175) is specifically WIOA-approved, meaning its program has been pre-vetted for funding eligibility. To find out if you qualify and which programs in your area are covered, contact your nearest Alabama Career Center directly:

• Huntsville: 256-851-0537
• Decatur: 256-355-0142
• Birmingham: 205-582-5200

Scholarships and Employer-Sponsored Training

Pathways to Prosperity Scholarship (Alabama Community College System): Available to Alabama residents enrolled in approved short-term workforce programs. CNA programs at state community colleges typically qualify.

Employer-sponsored training: Crowne Health Care, a nursing home chain with Alabama locations, offers free CNA training with a guaranteed position after certification. You train for free, earn your certification, and start working at the facility that trained you.

ELM Foundation Scholarship: Available to residents in the Huntsville area. Contact the ELM Foundation directly for current award amounts and application deadlines.

MyCAA: Military spouses are eligible for up to $4,000 toward approved training programs. Alabama has a large military community — Redstone Arsenal, Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker), and Maxwell AFB are all within the state.

Sallie Mae student loans: Available at some Alabama community colleges. Use this as a last resort after exhausting grants and scholarships; CNA-level pay makes loan repayment a real burden.

For a broader list of CNA training scholarships, see our CNA scholarships page.

The Alabama CNA Exam

Alabama’s CNA competency exam has two parts. You must pass both before your name appears on the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry. The exam is administered by either Prometric or Credentia (which uses the NNAAP framework). Most Alabama community college programs (such as Calhoun and Jefferson State) use Prometric ($85). Private training centers and facility-based programs often use Credentia ($135). Ask your program coordinator in the first week which vendor you will test with — this affects your exam cost by $50 and determines which candidate handbook to download, as the required skills lists differ slightly between the two.

Written (Knowledge) Exam

The written exam consists of 55-70 multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute to 2-hour time limit, according to the Credentia Alabama exam overview. Topics include patient care, safety, infection control, communication, patient rights, and basic nursing skills. If you have difficulty reading English or have a documented learning disability, you can request an oral exam where questions are read aloud.

Clinical Skills Evaluation

For the skills portion, you perform 5 randomly selected skills from Alabama’s state skills list in front of an evaluator. The evaluation runs 25-40 minutes. You will narrate each step as you perform it. Handwashing is evaluated on every test. Indirect care (communication, privacy, and patient dignity) appears in nearly every combination. Other commonly tested skills include measuring pulse and respirations, range of motion exercises, and patient positioning. Because any skill on the full list can appear, practice all of them — but give extra repetitions to hand hygiene and indirect care, since those are guaranteed or near-guaranteed. Our CNA skills test series covers each skill with step-by-step guidance.

Fees, Scheduling, and Retake Rules

Testing Vendor	Initial Cost	Section Retake
Credentia (NNAAP)	~$135	$40-$60 per section
Prometric	~$85	$40-$60 per section

For vendor information by state, see our exam vendors by state guide. To schedule with Credentia, visit the Credentia Alabama scheduling page. To review what the full exam covers, see our CNA exam guide.

You have 3 attempts within 24 months of completing your training program. If you do not pass after all 3 attempts, you must complete a new state-approved training program before testing again. If you fail only one section, you retake only that section on your next attempt.

Use our CNA practice exam to prepare before you sit. If you do need to retest, our retake the CNA exam resource covers what to do differently.

After You Pass: The Alabama Nurse Aide Registry

Once you pass both parts of the competency exam, ADPH adds your name to the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry, maintained by the ADPH Division of Provider Services.

Two facts set Alabama apart from most states. First, your Social Security Number is your certification ID — Alabama does not issue a physical CNA license or card. Second, employers must verify your registry status before hiring you and again annually. What employers see includes your certification status, training history, employment eligibility, and any abuse, neglect, or misappropriation findings.

For a complete walkthrough — including how to search your status, what to do if your name does not appear, and how to handle registry discrepancies — see our Alabama Nurse Aide Registry guide.

Keeping Your CNA Certification Active

Alabama does not have a formal CNA renewal process. There is no renewal fee, no renewal application, and no continuing education requirement. The only condition for keeping your certification active: you must complete at least 8 hours of paid nursing-related work under RN supervision within every 24-month period.

If you go more than 24 consecutive months without completing that minimum, your certification lapses. To reinstate, you must complete a new state-approved training program and pass the competency exam again from the beginning.

You may find websites that list a $25 Alabama CNA renewal fee or a 48-hour continuing education requirement. This is incorrect. ADPH does not impose a renewal fee or CE hours. Your active employment record is the only evidence of compliance, and there is no paperwork to file.

You can verify your current certification status through the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry.

Transferring Your CNA to Alabama (Reciprocity)

Alabama handles CNA reciprocity differently than most states. You cannot apply to transfer your certification on your own — your Alabama employer initiates the process.

Here is how it works:

1. Get hired by an Alabama healthcare facility. You can begin working with your out-of-state certification while the transfer is processed.
2. Your employer contacts ADPH Division of Provider Services to request your addition to the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry.
3. ADPH verifies your out-of-state certification is active, in good standing, and shows no findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation.
4. Your name is added to the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry. The process is complete.

There is no application form, no transfer fee, and no paperwork for you to file. Your employer handles the submission.

The practical catch: you need a job offer before you can appear on the Alabama registry. If you are planning to move to Alabama and want your certification transferred before job hunting, that is not how it works. Apply to Alabama healthcare facilities and let them know you hold an active out-of-state CNA certification — employers who want to hire you will initiate the transfer.

Once your employer completes the transfer, verify your status through the Alabama Nurse Aide Registry.

CNA Salary in Alabama

Alabama CNAs earn a median of $32,470 per year ($15.61 per hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The national median is $39,530 per year ($19.00 per hour), per the same BLS dataset — Alabama falls about $7,000 annually below that figure.

Source	Average	Range
BLS (2024)	$32,470/yr ($15.61/hr)	—
ZipRecruiter	$37,827/yr ($18.19/hr)	$30,800-$42,600/yr
Reddit (Alabama CNAs, self-reported)	—	$8.50-$19.50/hr

BLS is the more reliable baseline; ZipRecruiter skews toward advertised positions, which tend to pay above actual market rates.

The BLS average tells part of the story. What Alabama CNAs actually report paints a different picture:

“in alabama they hire CNA’s for 8.50 in FACILITIES. most i made was 17 as hospice CNA in home health and i have over 8 years of experience.”

(48 upvotes — Reddit user, r/cna)

That range ($8.50 at a nursing home facility to $17 in hospice home health) reflects a documented pattern across the state. Setting choice is the single biggest lever Alabama CNAs have over their hourly rate.

In 2022, one Alabama CNA reported a starting rate of $11.50 per hour for hospital techs — a figure that reflects why retention remains a statewide challenge.

Alabama has no state minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per hour. One CNA who moved back to Alabama from Florida put it plainly: average CNA pay of around $12 per hour feels different when the legal floor is half that.

What drives pay higher in Alabama:

Factor	Lower Range	Higher Range
Nursing home / SNF	$8.50-$13.50/hr	—
Hospital / ER	$14-$16/hr	—
Hospice / home health	$15-$17/hr	—
Baylor (weekend) shift	Base + $4-5/hr premium	Up to $19.50/hr
Night shift differential	Base + $1-3/hr	—

Alabama’s pay gap drives trained CNAs out of the profession. One CNA who relocated from Kentucky to Alabama described the tipping point:

“I got paid $19 base and then $24.70 on weekends as a bonus in Kentucky. The nursing home is real small… I moved to Alabama and most places offered around $15 and I just gave up being a CNA at that point because I knew I would never want to settle for less again”

(Reddit user, r/cna)

For CNAs who stay in Alabama, hospital settings, hospice agencies, Baylor shifts, and the career paths in the next section are the available levers.

Career Advancement: CNA to LPN to RN

CNA work in Alabama is a starting point, not a ceiling. Most community colleges that offer CNA programs also offer LPN programs and bridge options. Understanding the path — and the steps worth skipping — changes the trajectory. For context on CNA as a career foundation in Alabama, see our why become a CNA in Alabama overview.

MAC (Medication Assistant, Certified)

Alabama has a credential called the Medication Assistant, Certified (MAC) that allows CNAs to administer medications under nursing supervision. The MAC designation pays approximately $5 more per hour than CNA base pay. But not every rung on the ladder is worth the climb. One Alabama MAC shared their honest assessment:

“Med tech here. In state of Alabama where I live we are called MACs..or MedicationAssistant-Certified. We make about $5 more per hour than a CNA but not worth it. A lot of LPN work without the pay or title… IF you are going to touch medicine become an LPN.”

(Reddit user, r/cna)

That $5-per-hour bump comes with medication responsibilities closer to an LPN’s workload, without the pay or career mobility. If you plan to stay in long-term care and want a modest raise without additional schooling, MAC is an option. If you are thinking about nursing as a longer-term path, skip MAC and go straight for LPN.

LPN and RN Pathways

CNA to Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is the most common advancement path in Alabama. LPN programs at community colleges typically take 12 months. Once you hold an LPN license, LPN-to-RN bridge programs take an additional 12-18 months. CNA experience strengthens nursing school applications — you arrive with clinical exposure, patient care skills, and an understanding of the healthcare environment that classroom-only applicants lack.

Several community colleges on this list offer LPN and RN programs on the same campus, so you may be able to continue from CNA to LPN without changing schools. Look for programs that run CNA and LPN tracks side by side.

Becoming a CNA Instructor in Alabama

If teaching interests you, Alabama CNA programs can use qualified instructors. Per ADPH guidelines, requirements include an active RN license in Alabama, at least two years of nursing experience with at least one year in long-term care, and completion of a state-approved instructor training program. Contact ADPH directly for current instructor certification requirements.