Nursing License from California to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing), verify your California license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Illinois participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Illinois's board verifies the license you already hold and issues its own. Nothing about California speeds it up or slows it down — the timeline below is Illinois's standard out-of-state queue.
What changes, California → Illinois
| California (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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) | $50–$75 ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor) |
| 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 processing range stated in IDFPR application materials |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check through the Illinois State Police or its designated agent.
- Hold a current license in at least one other U.S. jurisdiction.
- Request license verification through Nursys (or the CT-NUR form if your state does not participate).
- Submit proof of nursing education (ED form signed by your program director or official sealed transcripts).
- Pay the fees ($50–$75 ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor)) and allow no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing), verify your California license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Illinois?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$50–$75 ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor) ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor).
How long will it take?
no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials — no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (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]