Nursing License from California to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maryland Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
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 Maryland is a member. Endorse into Maryland, 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 → Maryland
| California (current) | Maryland (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) | $230 (endorsement application; optional 90-day temporary license $70 ($300 if both); CJIS fingerprinting fee paid separately to the fingerprinting 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) | board does not publish a timeline; 90-day temporary license available while the application is pending |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Maryland Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check through Maryland CJIS Live Scan.
- Submit the endorsement application within 48 hours of completing fingerprinting.
- Have official transcripts sent directly from your nursing program to the Board.
- Upload a digital passport-style photograph.
- Hold an active RN license in another state.
- Pay the fees ($230 (endorsement application; optional 90-day temporary license $70 ($300 if both); CJIS fingerprinting fee paid separately to the fingerprinting vendor)) and allow board does not publish a timeline; 90-day temporary license available while the application is pending.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maryland accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Maryland?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$230 (endorsement application; optional 90-day temporary license $70 ($300 if both); CJIS fingerprinting fee paid separately to the fingerprinting vendor) (endorsement application; optional 90-day temporary license $70 ($300 if both); CJIS fingerprinting fee paid separately to the fingerprinting vendor).
How long will it take?
board does not publish a timeline; 90-day temporary license available while the application is pending — board does not publish a timeline; 90-day temporary license available while the application is pending.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maryland Board of Nursing — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nurse Licensure Compact — official commission 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]