The law that governs this in Delaware
Getting licensed in Delaware happens under Delaware’s own nurse practice act — the same act that defines what practice means here — administered by the Delaware Board of Nursing. That act is 24 Del. C. ch. 19 (Board of Nursing).
The compact itself is separate law. Delaware adopted it at Del. Code tit. 24, ch. 19A (Nurse Multistate Licensure Compact), which is what allows a multistate license issued elsewhere to reach Delaware at all — the practice act still decides what you may do once it does.
How verification works in Delaware
An endorsement application rests on Delaware receiving verification of the license you already hold, and that step is where these applications stall. What we found reading Delaware Board of Nursing’s own material:
Free lookup with a discipline column — where history exists it reads "Yes" and the Board Orders themselves are downloadable, not just flagged. Delaware does not issue written verifications for RNs and LPNs at all; that route is Nursys only, like Maine. APRNs go through a separate verification process instead — the second jurisdiction in this cohort, after D.C., where RN and LPN traffic rides shared national infrastructure and advanced practice is handled apart from it.
Its own lookup is Delaware DELPROS search & verify. Confirm what the receiving board wants before you pay for anything — a printout of a public lookup is rarely the document a board means by “verification”. See the two things called verification.
What licensure by endorsement means
Endorsement is applying for Delaware’s own license based on an existing license in good standing. You end up holding a Delaware license. It is different from a compact license, which is one multistate license covering all compact states.
Applying through the Delaware Board of Nursing
Applications go through the Delaware Board of Nursing. Requirements and fees are set by the board and change over time, so we point you to the official source rather than listing specifics that could go stale.
Endorsement vs the compact here
Since Delaware is a compact state, moving your residence here can make you eligible for a multistate license instead of a plain endorsement. See moving to a compact state.
Can applying by endorsement in Delaware get you a multistate license?
Yes — if Delaware is genuinely your primary state of residence and you meet the compact’s uniform licensure requirements. The Delaware Board of Nursing has issued multistate licenses since January 19, 2018. Say so on the application: an endorsement application and a multistate license request are not automatically the same thing, and boards issue what you asked for.