Nursing License from California to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Indiana State Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is 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 Indiana is a member. Endorse into Indiana, 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 → Indiana
| California (current) | Indiana (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) | $50 (non-refundable application fee paid through the PLA portal; optional 90-day temporary permit available for an additional fee) |
| 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 verifiable; 90-day temporary permit available while the endorsement application is pending |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Indiana State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Indiana's current requirements on the Indiana State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Indiana State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active RN license in at least one U.S. state or territory (renew it first if lapsed).
- Request license verification through Nursys for every participating state where you hold or held a license.
- If Nursys does not verify your education, have official transcripts sent directly to the board by your nursing school.
- Pay the fees ($50 (non-refundable application fee paid through the PLA portal; optional 90-day temporary permit available for an additional fee)) and allow no processing range verifiable; 90-day temporary permit available while the endorsement application is pending.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Indiana accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Indiana?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$50 (non-refundable application fee paid through the PLA portal; optional 90-day temporary permit available for an additional fee) (non-refundable application fee paid through the PLA portal; optional 90-day temporary permit available for an additional fee).
How long will it take?
no processing range verifiable; 90-day temporary permit available while the endorsement application is pending — no processing range verifiable; 90-day temporary permit available while the endorsement application is pending.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Indiana PLA — RN/LPN Endorsement Application and Instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nurse Licensure Compact — official site ↗ (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]