Nursing License from California to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Michigan participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Michigan'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 Michigan's standard out-of-state queue.
What changes, California → Michigan
| California (current) | Michigan (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) | $212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) |
| 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 an endorsement processing timeline |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Michigan Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after applying via MiPLUS).
- Complete a one-time human trafficking victim identification training.
- Complete 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years before licensure.
- Submit verification of licensure from every state where you hold or ever held a license.
- Have final official transcripts sent directly from your nursing program to the Bureau.
- Demonstrate English language proficiency.
- Pay the fees ($212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately)) and allow board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Michigan?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately).
How long will it take?
board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline — board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Michigan LARA/BPL — Michigan Nursing Licensing Guide ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Board of Nursing ↗ (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]