Is this the average cost of a nursing license in the USA? Where might all this money be going?

That's a bargain! In Canada we're paying anywhere between $275 and $400 a year for our licenses, with built-in increases every year. Our fees pay for affiliation with the Canadian Nurses' Association, the Canadian Nurses' Protective Society malpractice insurance, administration costs for our regulatory body (including renovations to their buildings) and subscriptions to two absolutely useless magazines.

Here it is 90$ for LPNs and RNs.

I only know because we renew our employees licenses and that duty falls on me.

Now $70 a year in Washington State. That's a 40% increase from last year when it was $50.

65$ every 2 years in Texas..

Wow! You canadian gals and guys are really getting walloped! Gosh, I can remember back in '77 when I got my license it was...Well darn, I can't remember now it's been so long ago.

my NC license only cost me around $90, my FL license cost me $223. i think the renewal fees are around $150 plus the cost of CEU's.

And don't EVER let it expire, even if you take time off from working! The cost to reinstate (especially if you let it go over 5 years in NJ) is much more than the general renewal. I learned the hard way . . . but have stopped beating myself up over it :)