Tennessee CNA Registry — Credentia Lookup

Formerly TMU · Lookup, Renewal & Reciprocity — Career Academy Memphis

Last updated: October 2026

Credentia replaced TMU on June 1, 2026

Effective June 1, 2026, the State of Tennessee replaced TMU (TestMaster Universe, operated by D&S Diversified Technologies–Headmaster) with Credentia as its nurse aide testing and registry vendor. The old tn.tmutest.com portal is being retired. Look up a CNA in Credentia's registry search; exam scheduling and renewals happen in your Credentia account:

Credentia TN registry search Credentia TN account (testing & renewal)

Your existing CNA certification and registry number carry over — your status didn't change, only the vendor.

What Is the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry?

The Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry is the official state list of every active Certified Nursing Assistant in Tennessee. It's maintained by the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission and, as of June 1, 2026, administered by Credentia — the state's nurse aide testing and registry vendor, replacing the former TMU portal. Look up a license in Credentia's Tennessee registry search.

A CNA must appear on the registry in good standing to legally work in any Medicare- or Medicaid-certified Tennessee facility, per federal regulation 42 CFR 483.156 and Tennessee Code Annotated § 68-11-1601 et seq.

Sources: Tennessee Health Facilities Commission (state authority); Credentia (state nurse aide vendor since June 2026); 42 CFR 483.156 (federal Nurse Aide Registry requirements).

Credentia vs. the Health Facilities Commission — Who Does What

TN Health Facilities Commission	Credentia (vendor since June 2026)
Statutory authority over the Nurse Aide Registry	Operates the registry database and records
Issues CNA certifications and rules on registry standing	Hosts the public license-lookup portal
Reviews reciprocity applications from out-of-state CNAs	Administers the TN CNA state competency exam
Handles findings (abuse, neglect, theft) appeals	Registers training programs and exam testing sites

Credentia handles the day-to-day operational pieces (testing, the lookup portal, training-program registration), but every CNA license is ultimately issued by the State of Tennessee through the Health Facilities Commission. If you need to dispute a finding or appeal a registry decision, contact the Health Facilities Commission directly — the vendor cannot override state actions. (This vendor was TMU through May 2026.)

How to Look Up a CNA License in Tennessee

1
Open the registry search. Go to Credentia's Tennessee registry search . No login or account is required. (As of June 2026, Credentia replaced the former TMU portal at tn.tmutest.com.)
2
Choose how to search. By name, by Social Security number, or by registration number.
3
Enter the CNA's information. First and last name, narrowed by city or date of birth if needed — or one or more registration numbers (up to 15 at once).
4
Review the result. Check the CNA's registry status. For employment, confirm the CNA is active and in good standing.

The lookup is free. Tennessee employers in Medicare/Medicaid-certified facilities are legally required to verify good standing before hiring or assigning a CNA to patient care.

Looking up an LPN or RN license instead? Nurses are licensed by the Tennessee Department of Health, not the nurse aide registry — use the Department of Health's license verification and renew through LARS.

How to Renew Your Tennessee CNA License

Tennessee CNAs renew online through their Credentia account. To qualify, you must have worked at least 8 hours in a licensed health care facility in the previous 24 months — the hours don't have to be consecutive. A renewal is good for 24 months.

If you're working as a CNA

Credentia emails a renewal reminder about 120 days before your registration expires. Keep the email address on your Credentia account current so you get it, then complete the renewal online.

If your status has lapsed

After 24 consecutive months or more without paid nursing-related work, your status becomes inactive. Submit a reinstatement application through Credentia, and don't work as a nurse aide until you have official notice that you're reinstated. Federal nursing-home rules (42 CFR 483.35(d)(6)) also require a new training and competency evaluation program, or a new competency evaluation, after a 24-month gap.

Need to retrain? See class start dates →

To check your status, look yourself up in Credentia's registry search. Source: Credentia TN candidate handbook — The Registry.

Tennessee CNA Reciprocity

Coming to Tennessee from another state

If you're active and in good standing on another state's nurse aide registry, create an account at credentia.com/test-takers/tn and submit the E3 reciprocity application with the documents it asks for. No testing is required. Credentia verifies your certification in each state you list and checks those states' abuse registries, including Tennessee's. Credentia doesn't publish a processing time.

Exception: Tennessee does not accept Florida nurse aide certifications for reciprocity.

Leaving Tennessee for another state

A Tennessee CNA who is active and in good standing can usually apply for reciprocity in another state. Each state runs its own process — typically an application, a fee, and verification of your Tennessee registry status — so check the destination state's nurse aide registry for its requirements.

Common bordering-state reciprocity:

Mississippi — via the Mississippi State Department of Health. Required for Southaven, Olive Branch, and other DeSoto County jobs — see CNA classes near Southaven for details.
Arkansas — via the Arkansas Office of Long Term Care Nurse Aide Registry.
Kentucky — via the Kentucky Medicaid Nurse Aide Registry administered by KMA Records Department.

What “Good Standing” Means

A CNA is in good standing when:

Their certification is Active (not expired or revoked)
There are no findings entered against them — meaning no documented abuse, neglect, or theft incidents substantiated by an investigation
Their registration is current — renewed through Credentia with at least 8 hours worked in a licensed health care facility in the previous 24 months

Federal law (42 CFR 483.156) prohibits Medicare/Medicaid-certified facilities from employing CNAs who are not in good standing. Findings are permanent on the registry unless successfully appealed.

Not certified yet — or need to recertify?

Getting on the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry for the first time means completing a state-approved CNA training program and passing the state competency exam — and the same path applies if you've been told to retrain after a lapse. Career Academy is a Tennessee Higher Education Commission–authorized CNA school (THEC Authorization #2580) and a registered state exam testing site — we can place you in the next available cohort.

See class start dates

TN CNA Registry (Credentia & TMU) — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry?

The Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry is the official state list of every active Certified Nursing Assistant in Tennessee. It's maintained by the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission and, as of June 1, 2026, administered by Credentia — the state's nurse aide testing and registry vendor. A CNA must be on the registry in good standing to work in any Medicare/Medicaid-certified Tennessee facility.

What happened to TMU? Is TMU still the Tennessee CNA registry?

No. Through May 2026, TMU (TestMaster Universe, operated by D&S Diversified Technologies–Headmaster) administered Tennessee's nurse aide registry and testing at tn.tmutest.com. Effective June 1, 2026, the state replaced TMU with Credentia. Use the Credentia registry — linked from the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission's nurse aide page at tn.gov/hfc — for lookups, testing, and renewals. Your existing certification and registry number carry over; only the vendor changed.

How do I look up a CNA license in Tennessee?

Use Credentia's Tennessee registry search at cna365.examroom.ai/registry/?StateCode=TN (the "Verify status of Nurse Aide" link on the Health Facilities Commission's nurse aide page leads to Credentia). Search by first and last name, which you can narrow by city or date of birth, by Social Security number, or by registration number. You can enter up to 15 registration numbers at once. The search is free and needs no account.

How do I renew my CNA license in Tennessee?

Renew online through your Credentia account at credentia.com/test-takers/tn. Credentia emails a reminder about 120 days before your registration expires, so keep the email on your account current. To renew, you must have worked at least 8 hours in a licensed health care facility in the previous 24 months. The hours don't have to be consecutive. A renewal is good for 24 months.

What does "good standing" on the TN registry mean?

A CNA is in good standing if their certification is active (not expired or revoked) and has no abuse, neglect, or theft finding entered against them. Employers verify good standing on the state registry (administered by Credentia as of June 2026) before hiring. Federal law (42 CFR 483.156) prohibits Medicare/Medicaid-certified facilities from employing CNAs who are not in good standing on the state registry.

Can I work in Tennessee with a CNA license from another state?

Yes, if you're active and in good standing on another state's nurse aide registry. Create a Credentia account at credentia.com/test-takers/tn and submit the E3 reciprocity application with the documents it asks for. No testing is required. Credentia verifies your certification in each state you list and checks those states' abuse registries, including Tennessee's. Tennessee does not accept Florida nurse aide certifications for reciprocity. Credentia doesn't publish a processing time.

Can I take my Tennessee CNA license to another state?

Usually, yes. A Tennessee CNA who is active and in good standing can apply for reciprocity in another state. Each state runs its own process, typically an application, a fee, and verification of your Tennessee registry status, so check the destination state's nurse aide registry for its requirements.

What happens if my CNA license expires in Tennessee?

If you go 24 consecutive months or more without paid nursing-related work, your registry status becomes inactive. To come back, submit a reinstatement application through Credentia, and don't work as a nurse aide until you have official notice that you've been reinstated to active status. Federal rules for nursing homes (42 CFR 483.35(d)(6)) also say an aide with a 24-month gap must complete a new training and competency evaluation program, or a new competency evaluation, before working there. If you're told you need to retrain, Career Academy can enroll you in the next class.

Is the Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry the same as the TN Health Care Worker Registry?

No. The Tennessee Nurse Aide Registry is specifically for CNAs and lists their certification status. It's run by the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission through Credentia, and CNA renewals happen in your Credentia account. LPNs, RNs, and other licensed professionals are handled by the Tennessee Department of Health's licensing boards instead: look them up at internet.health.tn.gov/Licensure and renew Department of Health licenses at lars.tn.gov.

Authoritative Sources

Tennessee Health Facilities Commission — Nurse Aide Information — state authority and current registry links.
Credentia — Tennessee's nurse aide testing and registry vendor since June 1, 2026 (replaced TMU / tn.tmutest.com).
Credentia Tennessee Candidate Handbook — The Registry — renewal, inactive status and reinstatement, reciprocity (including the Florida exception), and name/address changes.
42 CFR 483.35(d)(6) — federal retraining rule after a 24-month gap in paid nursing-related work.
42 CFR 483.156 — federal Nurse Aide Registry requirements.
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-18-.15 — Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation — current state rule governing CNA training and registry placement.

Learn More

How to Become a CNA in Tennessee — full step-by-step from application to state exam
CNA to LPN in Memphis — already certified? the next step up in your healthcare career
CNA State Test in Tennessee — what to expect on exam day
CNA Classes in Memphis — how the training program works
CNA Classes Near Southaven, MS — TN-MS reciprocity practical guide