Registered Nurse (RN) License
Nursing is one of the few professions with a mature interstate compact. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) allows a nurse whose primary state of residence is a compact member to hold a single multistate license valid for practice in every other compact state. Nurses moving to or from a non-compact state still need to apply for licensure by endorsement, which involves verification through Nursys, a background check, and sometimes jurisprudence exams.
Pick Your Move: Nurse License Transfers
Select where you're licensed now and where you're headed to see the exact pathway, exam requirements, and processing time.
From California
From Florida
From New York
From Texas
Verified, Source-Checked RN Transfer Guides
These specific state-to-state guides were individually confirmed against official state nursing board sources, with citations you can check yourself — more thoroughly verified than the general table above.
Related Professions
Nurse License FAQs
What is the Nurse Licensure Compact?+
The NLC lets a nurse who legally resides in a compact state practice in any other compact state under one multistate license, without applying for a separate license in each state.
What if I move to a state that is not in the compact?+
You need to apply for licensure by endorsement in that state directly, which typically requires verification of your original license through Nursys, a criminal background check, and sometimes a state-specific jurisprudence exam.
Does moving states affect my multistate NLC license?+
Yes. Your multistate privilege is tied to your state of primary residence. If you move to a new compact state, you must apply for licensure there and your home-state license converts to a single-state license.