Once you hold a California registered nurse license, your address of record must be disclosed to the public upon request. The Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) calls that address your mailing address. So the public can get whatever mailing address you file, and changes are due within 30 days.
We read the BRN exam application packet, its online application instructions and its address change page. We also read the BRN regulation on addresses, section 136 of the California Business and Professions Code (B&P Code), and the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) page on licensee lists. The DCA License Search site blocked our requests, so this post doesn't describe what that search screen shows.
What does the BRN application say about your address?
The warning comes before you are licensed. The privacy notice in the BRN exam application packet says, in capital letters:
"YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS LISTED ON THIS APPLICATION WILL BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UPON REQUEST IF AND WHEN YOU BECOME LICENSED."
The application for a license by endorsement, for nurses licensed in another state, carries the same sentence. The same notice says "ALL INFORMATION IS MANDATORY." An application with missing information is rejected as incomplete, so leaving the address empty isn't an option.
Page 1 of the exam packet repeats the point in plain type: "Once you are licensed, your address of record must be disclosed to the public upon request, under California law." The next sentence covers the time before that: "Pending application files are not public record". During that stage, the board needs a signed release from you before it shares your file with employers, relatives or other third parties.
The practical result is a timing point. The address on your file becomes public on request once the license is issued. A new graduate who wants a private home address should choose the mailing address before applying. Changing it later may not remove the address listed on the original application, so ask the board if that matters to you.
When does your address of record become public?
The BRN documents describe four stages. The table follows one nurse from application to a later move.
| Stage | What the source says | What happens to the address |
|---|---|---|
| Application is pending | "Pending application files are not public record" (BRN exam packet) | The board releases your file only after you sign a release of information |
| License is issued | "your address of record must be disclosed to the public upon request" (BRN exam packet) | Anyone can ask the board for it |
| Each month after that | DCA licensee list data "is refreshed automatically at the beginning of each month" (DCA page) | The list file has address fields for licensees of the boards it covers |
| You move | Notify the board "within 30 days of the change" (BRN address page) | The board needs your new address of record |
Applicants have a stricter rule than licensees. The BRN address page says an applicant who changes an address of record after applying "must notify the Board immediately in order to receive current information."
Where can the public get a California nurse's address?
We found two documented routes. One is a records request to the BRN. The other is a monthly file the DCA posts for download. Neither one needs the DCA License Search screen.
A public records request to the BRN. The BRN public information page accepts requests under the California Public Records Act through an online form, by email to BRN.PRA@dca.ca.gov, or by mail. The page says "It may take up to 10 days for BRN staff to review the request".
The DCA licensee list file. The same BRN page points to a list of all registered nurses. The board says it provides that list "in accordance with the Information Practices Act, Civil Code § 1798.61, and Business and Professions Code § 161." Civil Code section 1798.61(a) is the reason names and addresses can go out in bulk:
"(a) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the release of only names and addresses of persons possessing licenses to engage in professional occupations."
We counted the fields in the record layout on the DCA page. The layout has 20 fields, and 7 of them are address fields. Address Line 1 is described as "Public Address of Record 1st Line". The other address fields are Address Line 2, City, County, State, Zip and Country. The rest cover the agency, the license type, number and status, the licensee's name, and the issue and expiration dates.
The DCA page lists three agencies whose data isn't in the file: the State Athletic Commission, the Contractors State License Board and the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. The BRN isn't on that list. We didn't download the file, because the file holds personal information. We can't confirm what a registered nurse's row contains.
What kind of address does the Board actually ask for?
The BRN answers in its own words. The online application instructions for BreEZe, the online system where you apply, say:
"Your "Address of Record" (mailing address) can be updated at any time throughout the application process."
The regulation uses the same idea. Here is the full text of Title 16, California Code of Regulations (CCR), section 1409.1:
"Each person holding a certificate, license or any other authority to practice nursing or engage in any activity under any laws administered by the board shall file his/her current name and mailing address with the board at its office in Sacramento within thirty (30) days after any change of name or mailing address, giving both old and new name, and address, as appropriate."
We counted the words in that section. "Mailing address" appears twice, and "address of record" appears zero times. B&P section 136 also asks for a "mailing address" and never says "address of record." In our reading, "address of record" is the BRN's label for the field. The rules behind the label ask for a place where mail reaches you.
Mail really does go to that address. The exam packet says "the FD-258 hard card will be mailed to the address of record in your BreEZe account." The BRN applicant FAQ says you report a change within 30 days "To ensure receipt of important notices". An address that doesn't receive mail reliably puts both of those at risk.
Can a nurse use a private mailbox instead of a home address?
The regulation asks for a mailing address and doesn't define where that address must be. We searched the BRN address page, the application packets, the online instructions and the applicant FAQ. We found no sentence in those documents that bans a PO box or a private mailbox. We also found no sentence that names either one as allowed.
In our reading, a private mailbox that receives your mail is a mailing address. A mailbox at a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA) usually ends with "PMB" or "#" plus a box number. Our post Is your mailing address a P.O. Box? shows examples. If you want certainty for your own file, ask the board before you rely on the address.
Some other California boards have a direct rule on this point. B&P section 27 says the boards it lists "shall allow" a PO box or another alternate address in place of a home address. We counted 19 licensing entities covered by section 27, and the BRN isn't one of them, so section 27 doesn't give nurses that right.
In the BRN pages we read, names get a privacy option that addresses don't. The BRN address page says that since January 1, 2024, under B&P section 27.5, licensees may "request confidentiality of the previous name or gender information" when they meet certain requirements. We found no matching request for an address in the BRN pages we read.
A mailbox address is for mail. Business forms that ask where you work, such as forms for a home health or staffing company, have their own address rules. We sorted those fields in California business forms and a private mailbox. If your home address is already on several filings, we traced where it shows up in Can I use my home address as my business address?
How fast do you have to report a new address to the BRN?
The deadline is 30 days. The BRN address page says:
"Licensees: You are required by law ( Business and Professions Code Section 136 and California Code of Regulations Section 1409.1 ) to notify the Board of any name changes or changes in address of record within 30 days of the change."
You may see a 10-day figure in posts about nurse addresses. The BRN address page, the applicant FAQ, section 1409.1 and section 136 all say 30 days. On the BRN address and public information pages, the only 10 days we found is the time staff may take to review a public records request.
The BRN address page lists two ways to report a change. One is BreEZe Online Services. The other is by telephone at 916-322-3350. Licensees who live and work outside California get one more step on the same page: tell the Franchise Tax Board about the new address of record too.
Section 136(b) sets the consequence:
"(b) Except as otherwise provided by law, failure of a licensee to comply with the requirement in subdivision (a) constitutes grounds for the issuance of a citation and administrative fine, if the board has the authority to issue citations and administrative fines."
Switching from a home address to a mailbox address is a change of mailing address, so the same 30 days apply. File the change before your old address stops getting mail.
How an Auteur address fits
We sell virtual mailboxes, so read this section as the seller's view. Auteur is in pre-launch, and your exact street address is assigned the day your city opens.
A nurse who wants to keep a home address out of public records may choose to file an Auteur address as the mailing address. The BRN documents we read don't address private mailboxes either way, so confirm with the board before you rely on it. Before you do, know where the address stops:
- The address receives mail and nothing more. Don't list it as the place where you see patients or do your work.
- We can't act as your registered agent, and our address can't be a registered office. The BRN asks only for a mailing address, which is a different thing.
- Signed-for mail isn't part of our promise. Ask any mailbox provider about signature-required mail before you depend on it.
- Board mail has to be read on time. If you request an FD-258 hard card, plan for it and other notices to reach you through the mailbox.
Before mail can arrive in your name, each Auteur address needs a USPS Form 1583. On either plan, you see a photo of each envelope when it comes in. We open and scan a piece only when you ask, for one flat fee. Henry, our AI assistant, explains each letter you ask us to open. Our fair use policy lists fees and limits, and pricing reaches you by email with the next steps.
If your nursing license is in your own name, get a Virtual Mailing Address. That plan takes mail addressed to individuals only. If you also run a company, such as a staffing agency, the Virtual Business Address takes mail in the company's name. Placing an order costs nothing today.
For the differences between a mailbox at a street address and a USPS box, see virtual mailbox vs PO Box.
FAQ
Is a California registered nurse's home address public?
If your home address is your address of record, the answer is yes once you are licensed. The BRN exam packet says "your address of record must be disclosed to the public upon request, under California law." The address you file decides what the public can get.
Can a California nurse list a PO box or a private mailbox with the BRN?
The BRN rules ask for a mailing address. The BRN documents we read don't ban a PO box or a private mailbox, and they don't name either one as allowed. B&P section 27, which requires some boards to allow a PO box, doesn't list the BRN.
Is my address public while my BRN application is pending?
According to the BRN exam packet, pending files aren't public. The packet says "Pending application files are not public record" and requires your signed release before the board shares your file. The application also says your name and address will be disclosed upon request "IF AND WHEN YOU BECOME LICENSED."
How long does a nurse have to tell the BRN about a new address?
Licensees have 30 days under B&P section 136 and 16 CCR section 1409.1. Applicants must notify the board immediately. You can report the change through BreEZe or by phone at 916-322-3350.
Bottom line
Once you are licensed, your address of record must be disclosed to the public upon request, and the DCA licensee list file has seven address fields. The BRN calls the address of record your mailing address, and section 1409.1 asks for a mailing address. The BRN documents we read neither ban nor name a private mailbox, and section 27 doesn't cover the BRN. Choose the address before your license is issued, and report any change within 30 days.
