Nursing License from California to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kansas State Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Kansas'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 Kansas is a member. Endorse into Kansas, 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 → Kansas
| California (current) | Kansas (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) | $100–$125 ($100 single-state / $125 multistate application; + $57 KBI background check) |
| 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 published timeframe; board says allow 7-10 business days before checking status online; application stays active 6 months awaiting documents |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Kansas State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Official nursing transcripts sent directly to KSBN.
- Verification of your original state of licensure sent to KSBN (available through Nursys).
- Submit fingerprints and the background check fee for a criminal background check.
- Provide proof of a Kansas driver's license and meet the 11 NLC uniform licensure requirements if applying for a multistate license.
- Pay the fees ($100–$125 ($100 single-state / $125 multistate application; + $57 KBI background check)) and allow no published timeframe; board says allow 7-10 business days before checking status online; application stays active 6 months awaiting documents.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Kansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Kansas State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Kansas's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Kansas?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$100–$125 ($100 single-state / $125 multistate application; + $57 KBI background check) ($100 single-state / $125 multistate application; + $57 KBI background check).
How long will it take?
no published timeframe; board says allow 7-10 business days before checking status online; application stays active 6 months awaiting documents — no published timeframe; board says allow 7-10 business days before checking status online; application stays active 6 months awaiting documents.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Kansas State Board of Nursing — Endorsement Application ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kansas State Board of Nursing — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nursys — Verification for Endorsement participating jurisdictions ↗ (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]