Nursing License from Illinois to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses ↗
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses, verify your Illinois license, and meet West Virginia'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. Illinois is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but West Virginia is a member. Endorse into West Virginia, 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, Illinois → West Virginia
| Illinois (current) | West Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| 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) | $125 (board fee item is 'Endorsement With Temp Permit'; + 0.25% online transaction fee; background-check fees paid separately) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board does not publish a processing timeframe; the $125 endorsement fee includes a temporary permit |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active RN license in another state.
- Nursys license verification sent to West Virginia.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check.
- Submit the application through the WV Nurse Portal.
- Pay the fees ($125 (board fee item is 'Endorsement With Temp Permit'; + 0.25% online transaction fee; background-check fees paid separately)) and allow board does not publish a processing timeframe; the $125 endorsement fee includes a temporary permit.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia accept a Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses, verify your Illinois license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Illinois to West Virginia?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$125 (board fee item is 'Endorsement With Temp Permit'; + 0.25% online transaction fee; background-check fees paid separately) (board fee item is 'Endorsement With Temp Permit'; + 0.25% online transaction fee; background-check fees paid separately).
How long will it take?
board does not publish a processing timeframe; the $125 endorsement fee includes a temporary permit — board does not publish a processing timeframe; the $125 endorsement fee includes a temporary permit.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- WV RN Board — Licensing (fee schedule, endorsement, Nurse Portal) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WV RN Board — RN and APRN Licensure Requirements (PDF) ↗ (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]