General Information for Independent Practice

An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who is approved for independent practice is allowed to practice and prescribe:

• outside the employment of an established health-care organization, health-care delivery system, physician, podiatrist, or practice group owned by a physician or podiatrist
• without a collaborative agreement.

You may only apply for independent practice in an area substantially related to the population and focus of the APRN’s education and certification. See 24 Del. C. §1902 (k) and Section 8.17 in the Board’s Rules and Regulations.

When to Apply for Independent Practice

How you apply for Independent Practice depends on whether you already hold a Delaware APRN license or are applying for initial licensure or reinstatement as an APRN. Use the following to determine how to apply for Independent Practice.

• If applying for or reinstating an APRN license and requesting Independent Practice simultaneously, submit the application through the DELPROS online application process. See Independent Practice with an APRN License Application or Reinstatement below.
• If you already hold an active Delaware APRN license, submit a Service Request using the DELPROS online service request process.
• You must file a separate Independent Practice application or service request for each APRN role and population focus where you will be practicing independently AND, 
• You must meet all of the following requirements for the role and population focus for which you are applying:
  • Practice as an APRN for at least two years with a collaborative agreement, and
  • Practice as an APRN for at least 4,000 hours of clinical APRN practice with a collaborative agreement, and
  • Completion of the clinical experience within five years before applying for independent practice.

Independent Practice with an APRN License Application or Reinstatement

In addition to submitting the fee and full APRN application or application for reinstatement in DELPROS, you must submit a completed and signed:

• Application for Independent Practice as an APRN, and 
• the Verification of Experience and Competency from each collaborator.
• Must show proof of at least two years and 4,000 hours of clinical APRN practice.

Applying for a License or Services in DELPROS

Welcome to Delaware Professional Regulation Online Services, DELPROS. This online licensing portal provides clear instructions to guide you through a simpler application process. For licensure requirements, see the profession’s License Law and Rules and Regulations.

To apply for a license you must create your DELPROS user account. Go to the DELPROS online portal, and then click on Apply/Manage a License and Service Requests. As a new user to create an account you must use either of the options below:

• Select the “I Don’t Have a License” option if you do not currently hold or previously applied for a Delaware license and do not have a login through the portal; or
• Select the “I Have a License” option if you currently hold or previously applied for a Delaware license.

After selecting one of the above options, then follow the new user instructions. If you are already an existing DELPROS portal user, log in with your unique email address and password under the “Existing User” section.

Once you have created your user account you will be logged into your DELPROS e-License Dashboard.

Note: During the application process, you are required to either “upload” a required document or “acknowledge” a required “third-party” form for licensure.

• Upload means you attach the required document directly to the online application.
• Acknowledge means that you must verify to having arranged for the document(s) to be mailed directly to the Board office.
• Third-party forms are documents such as transcripts from schools; employment verifications from a supervisor; or license verifications from another state that require a seal or notary. These forms cannot be uploaded directly to the online application but mailed directly to the Board office.

DELPROS allows you to save your incomplete application and return to it at a later time to finish the process. You only have six (6) months to submit your application once you begin.

• If you do not submit your application within six months of starting it, you will be required to restart the entire online application again.

You may check the status of your application online throughout the entire application process by using the “View Application Status” feature in DELPROS on your e-License dashboard.