Nursing License from Illinois to Alaska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Alaska Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Alaska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alaska Board of Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alaska's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Illinois nor Alaska participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Alaska's board verifies the license you already hold and issues its own. Nothing about Illinois speeds it up or slows it down — the timeline below is Alaska's standard out-of-state queue.
What changes, Illinois → Alaska
| Illinois (current) | Alaska (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $50–$75 ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor) | $300 ($100 nonrefundable application + $200 license fee; + $75 fingerprint processing ($375 total collected with the online application)) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board states no timeframe; six-month nonrenewable temporary permit available once application, fees, fingerprints, and license verification are processed |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Alaska Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alaska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alaska's current requirements on the Alaska Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alaska Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based state (Alaska DPS) and FBI criminal background check via FD-258 card.
- License verification via Nursys (or sent directly) from both the state of initial licensure and the state of current licensure.
- Hold a current license in another state or Canadian province (inactive status does not qualify).
- Employer verification of at least 320 hours of nursing practice within the past 5 years, or complete a board-approved refresher course.
- Submit a notarized signature page.
- Pay the fees ($300 ($100 nonrefundable application + $200 license fee; + $75 fingerprint processing ($375 total collected with the online application))) and allow board states no timeframe; six-month nonrenewable temporary permit available once application, fees, fingerprints, and license verification are processed.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alaska accept a Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Alaska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alaska Board of Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alaska's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Illinois to Alaska?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$300 ($100 nonrefundable application + $200 license fee; + $75 fingerprint processing ($375 total collected with the online application)) ($100 nonrefundable application + $200 license fee; + $75 fingerprint processing ($375 total collected with the online application)).
How long will it take?
board states no timeframe; six-month nonrenewable temporary permit available once application, fees, fingerprints, and license verification are processed — board states no timeframe; six-month nonrenewable temporary permit available once application, fees, fingerprints, and license verification are processed.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Alaska BON — Initial Application for RN License by Endorsement, Online Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nurse Licensure Compact — official site ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (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]