CNNN Registrants: Frequently Asked Questions

New this year, CNNN registrants will register for professional liability protection (PLP) directly with the Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS) for the 2026-2027 registration renewal year.   

This is only a new step in the PLP registration process. The fee for PLP remains the same and you will continue to pay directly to the CNNN – there is no additional cost to your registration. CNNN will still send the CNPS PLP registration fee to the CNPS on your behalf, as it did in previous years.  

During this year’s license registration process, you will now be directed to the MyCNPS portal to create your account and register for CNPS PLP and Core Services. *When prompted, please use the same email address associated with your CNNN registration.

The CNPS PLP fee for Registered Nurses (RNs) is $68 plus applicable taxes. The fee for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) is $73 plus applicable taxes. The fee for Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) is $93 plus applicable taxes, and the fee for Nurse Practitioners (NPs) is $159.50 plus applicable taxes.

Your direct registration with the CNPS, in real time, makes it easier to identify you as a CNPS beneficiary. This
process eliminates verification steps, making it easier to access CNPS services and assistance, if required. Also, the move to direct CNPS registration better supports nurses’ mobility across Canadian jurisdictions. On the MyCNPS portal, you can benefit from the CNPS fee adjustment feature, if your nursing practice extends to multiple provinces and territories beyond the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. To facilitate your CNPS PLP registration in connection with your nursing practice in multiple provinces or territories, an adjustment will be applied when two or more periods of professional liability protection (PLP) registration overlap. The fee applicable in the new province or territory (fees may vary from one jurisdiction to another) will be reduced to take into account the fees you have already paid over the same period. Please note that will not apply to CNPS fees collected by CNNN (your home jurisdiction) and remitted to the CNPS on your behalf. Rather, the fee adjustment will apply to registration for PLP in additional provinces or territories, after your registration with CNNN. As part of the direct CNPS registration, nurses are also offered an opportunity to apply for Supplementary Protection, which offers legal assistance with regulatory complaints.

Professional liability protection (PLP) provides financial compensation for members of the public who have been harmed as a result of malpractice or negligence by a health professional. For instance, if a court found that a patient suffered injury as a result of nursing care that falls below accepted standards, the court could require that the nurse who provided the negligent care compensate the patient. In such case, a PLP provider would normally cover the cost of legal representation for that nurse and pay the compensation ordered by the court on their behalf. As a result, the public is protected because an adequate source of compensation is available to them. The health care professional is also protected because they benefit from legal representation when facing a claim for compensation and do not have to personally bear the full cost of the legal proceedings and the compensation, should the court order that it be paid.

The CNPS has been the PLP provider of choice for CNNN for a number of years. As a discretionary legal support system by nurses, for nurses, the CNPS is known to provide one of the broadest scopes of PLP. Following recent legislative changes in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which came into effect in April 2026, professional liability protection is now a requirement of practice for registrants, and CNPS PLP meets that requirement.

You can learn more about CNPS protection here. 

The registration steps are below. It is recommended to complete your CNPS PLP registration before proceeding with your CNNN license registration/renewal.

• Step 1: Create your MyCNPS account by visiting: my.cnps.ca Please use the same email as for your CNNN registration.
• Step 2: Complete CNPS PLP and other Core Services renewal by following the steps on the MyCNPS portal. The Supplementary Protection program remains an optional, additional service.
• Step 3: Proceed to the CNNN website and complete your license renewal.

If you need help to register on the MyCNPS portal, visit CNPS’ General FAQ page. Or call 1-800-267-3390 or use the Contact Us page.

No, you can create your MyCNPS account at any time after September 8th, 2026. If you are planning to register for or renew your license with CNNN this year, we encourage you to visit the MyCNPS portal early and go through the steps to create your account. If you need additional information or assistance, you can visit the CNPS General FAQ page or Contact Us. REMINDER: Please use the same email address associated with your previous CNNN registration.

The fee for CNPS PLP and other Core Services remains the same. CNNN will still forward the fee to the CNPS on your behalf, as it has done in previous years. Only the process to register for CNPS PLP and other Core Services has changed.

Your successful CNPS registration will be automatically confirmed with CNNN as part of your registration/renewal process.

CNPS PLP and other Core Services is a prerequisite of the College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (CNNN) for your nursing license. Without registering directly on the MyCNPS portal as a beneficiary of the CNPS, you will not be able to submit your CNNN registration/renewal for the coming year.

If you have questions about CNPS Professional Liability Protection and other Core Services, CNPS provides support to beneficiaries and can be contacted for assistance. CNPS contact information includes 1-800-267-3390, info@cnps.ca for legal enquiries and registration@cnps.ca for registration enquiries.

CNPS beneficiaries are expected to report to the CNPS involvement in a legal proceeding, or a report, or complaint made to their nursing regulator immediately after being notified and before taking any other action. This helps CNPS protect beneficiaries’ interests and respond within timelines that may be short.

No, the Supplementary Protection program is an optional, additional CNPS service. It was created to provide nurses with an affordable and accessible source of legal assistance with complaints to their nursing regulator. Beneficiaries who apply for the Supplementary Protection program, in addition to CNPS PLP and other Core Services, are generally eligible for legal assistance with the investigation of a complaint, and up to $50,000 for legal representation in the event of a referral to a disciplinary hearing. Please visit cnps.ca/supp/ for further information and eligibility conditions. This program also runs on a calendar year cycle and features automatic renewal to avoid a gap in protection.