Nursing License from California to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine State Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
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 Maine is a member. Endorse into Maine, 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 → Maine
| California (current) | Maine (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) | $75 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification 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) | applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Maine State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check through IdentoGO ($52 fee; results valid only 90 days).
- Upload a recent, unedited, color full-face headshot photograph.
- Verification of your original state of licensure through Nursys ($30 fee).
- Provide a US Social Security Number before a license can be issued.
- Pay the fees ($75 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification fee)) and allow applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Maine?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$75 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification fee) (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification fee).
How long will it take?
applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board — applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maine State Board of Nursing — Licensing by Endorsement/Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine State Board of Nursing — RN Endorsement Licensure Requirements (rev 7/2025, PDF) ↗ (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]