Who this applies to
Any RN or LPN/LVN who wants to practice in a state other than the one that issued their license — whether moving permanently, taking a travel assignment, or working remotely for patients in another state.
Two credentials work differently, and the difference is not a detail:
- APRNs move two things. The RN license underneath transfers by compact or endorsement as described here; the advanced practice authority does not travel with it and is granted separately by the new state. See APRN and the compact.
- CNAs and nurse aides are outside this process entirely. There is no license to endorse and no compact to use — you apply to the new state’s nurse aide registry, usually for reciprocity. See CNA lookup and certification.
Step-by-step
- Confirm your current license type (single-state or multistate) on Nursys.
- Check whether both states are compact with the compact state checker.
- If compact-to-compact and your license is multistate — you already have privilege; nothing to file.
- If not — apply for the new state’s license by endorsement through its board of nursing.
- If you are moving, the new state becomes your primary state of residence; apply there (often within about 60 days).
Nothing actually transfers
The word is a false friend, and it is worth unpicking because it quietly sets the wrong expectation. No board hands a license to another board. Nothing is forwarded, moved or reassigned. There are only two mechanisms, and the entire task is working out which one you need:
- Compact privilege. Nothing to file. If you hold an active multistate license and both states are compact members, the authority already exists — see what compact privilege is.
- Endorsement. A fresh application to a new board, which then issues a license of its own. Your existing license is evidence in support of that application — it is not the thing being relocated.
Reciprocity is the other word people reach for, and it misleads in a different direction: it suggests states automatically honour each other’s licenses. Endorsement is an application, judged by the receiving board against its own requirements, and it can be refused or delayed like any other.
What happens to the license you already hold
It does not vanish when a new one is issued, and nothing cancels it on your behalf. So the ordinary outcome of endorsement is that you hold two licenses and answer to two boards, each with its own renewal cycle and fee. Whether to keep the old one is a real decision rather than a formality: keeping it costs money and attention, and letting it lapse is fine if you genuinely will not practice there again — but a lapsed license has to be reinstated rather than simply resumed if you change your mind. Formally surrendering a license is a different act again, and if there is any open matter with the board it is a question to put to them rather than a decision to make quietly.
What varies by state
Endorsement requirements, fees, and processing times are set by each board and change, so we do not list them here — use the official board of nursing for your specific state. Whether you keep or give up your old license depends on where your legal residence ends up.