Nursing License from California to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health), verify your California license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are verified through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a silver lining. California is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Connecticut is a member. Endorse into Connecticut, establish it as your primary residence, meet the uniform licensure requirements, and the license you receive is multistate: one application turns into practice privileges across the whole compact.
What changes, California → Connecticut
| California (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $350 (US-educated endorsement application ($750 if internationally educated); + $49 fingerprint hard card if out of state (Live Scan vendor fees vary); optional $100 temporary license) | $180 (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement) |
| Processing time | 10–13 weeks (initial evaluation mandated within 90 days; board processing page (June 2026) was reviewing US endorsement applications received about 10-12 weeks earlier; temporary license available) | no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current RN license from a US state or territory that required passing the NCLEX (non-NCLEX licensees must apply by examination instead).
- Arrange verification of all RN licenses held, current or expired, through Nursys (written verification form for non-participating states).
- Apply online through the eLicense portal — paper applications are not accepted.
- Pay the fees ($180 (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement)) and allow no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health), verify your California license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Connecticut?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$180 (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement) (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement).
How long will it take?
no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application — no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- CT DPH — RN Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nursys — participating boards (Connecticut) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BRN — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BRN — Endorsement Application Fees & Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BRN — Processing Times ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]