Misdemeanors ~ Texas Board Of Nursing (BON)

If you’re applying for a nursing license in Texas or renewing your license, you need to report all criminal offenses, including misdemeanors. The only exceptions to this are Class C misdemeanor traffic violations.

Misdemeanors you need to report to the nursing board include:

• misdemeanors arrests or pending criminal charges
• misdemeanors convictions
• misdemeanors pleas of nolo contendre, no contest, or guilty
• misdemeanors with deferred adjudication
• misdemeanors which have led to community supervision or court-ordered probation
• misdemeanors which have led to sentences of jail, prison time, or court-ordered confinement
• misdemeanors which have led to a grant of pre-trial diversion

If your misdemeanor offense, arrest, ticket, or citation has been expunged or sealed, you don’t need to disclose it to the board of nursing. But the board recommends that, with your nursing license application, you submit the court order that  sealed or expunged your record.

When the nursing board is reviewing your nursing license application or considering disciplinary sanctions, it takes into consideration whether your offense was a single minor criminal incident or criminal behavior, as well as when the misdemeanor occurred.

In Texas, certain types of misdemeanors (such as indecent exposure and sexual offender offenses) that occurred after September 1, 2005 will result in an automatic denial or revocation of your nursing license.

For more information about a misdemeanor offense and how it could impact your nursing license, or to schedule a free consultation with a nurses attorney, please call (512) 829-5619. Note that the free consultation is ONLY for professional licensing matters.

Please note: Kevin Keaney has more than 30 years experience as an attorney and is a member of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA). Before becoming an attorney, Kevin earned his BSN from the University of Texas at Austin and worked as a nurse for four years.