Smartphone addiction (SA) can cause behavioral difficulties in learning and concentration, relationships with others, and clinical activities among nursing students. The main goal of the study was to adapt and validate Persian version of the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI-PV) in a sample of nursing students. SPAI translated into Persian by employing a forward–backward translation method and content validity were established. The sample of the study was 281 nursing students. They responded to both SPAI-PV and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were employed to ensure validity and reliability of the SPAI-PV. The results showed that the content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) were 0.91 and 0.76, respectively. The CFA results validated the four-factor structure of the SPAI-PV. The results indicated that the data fit the measurement model well. Cronbach’s alpha values indicated that the scale was internally consistent. Persian version of the scale (SPAI-PV) is a reliable and valid measure for measuring, predicting, and explaining the smartphone addiction among nursing students in Iran.