Transfer Your Nursing License to Kentucky: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kentucky Board of Nursing ↗
Kentucky honors multistate licenses under the Nurse Licensure Compact — compact nurses need no Kentucky application at all. From a non-compact state such as California or New York, the path is licensure by endorsement through the Kentucky Board of Nursing, without retaking the NCLEX.
Moving to Kentucky from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
NLC member — multistate license honored
Whether you need to do anything at all depends on the license in your pocket. If you hold a multistate license and your primary residence stays in another compact state — a travel contract, a border commute, telehealth — Kentucky requires nothing from you. If you are actually moving to Kentucky, you are changing your primary state of residence, and that means an endorsement application to the Kentucky Board of Nursing to re-home your multistate license.
NLC member — endorsement is only needed if you do not hold a multistate license from another compact state; a multistate license is honored unless Kentucky becomes the primary state of residence.
Kentucky requirements at a glance
| Exam | NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $165 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + IdentoGO background check fee and $30 Nursys verification fee) |
| Processing time | ~3 weeks (board states licenses may be issued within 14 business days after all documents are received; up to 3 months with disciplinary/conviction disclosures; 6-month temporary permit available) |
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Board of Nursing website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kentucky Board of Nursing (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check through IdentoGO.
- Pass the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam with a score of 80% or higher.
- Verification of your original state license through Nursys ($30 fee paid to Nursys).
- Pay the fees ($165 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + IdentoGO background check fee and $30 Nursys verification fee)) and allow ~3 weeks (board states licenses may be issued within 14 business days after all documents are received; up to 3 months with disciplinary/conviction disclosures; 6-month temporary permit available).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Kentucky:
All 43 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my nursing license transfer to Kentucky?
Kentucky honors multistate licenses under the Nurse Licensure Compact — compact nurses need no Kentucky application at all. From a non-compact state such as California or New York, the path is licensure by endorsement through the Kentucky Board of Nursing, without retaking the NCLEX.
Do I have to retake the NCLEX to get licensed in Kentucky?
No. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys. No state requires a second NCLEX.
How much does it cost to transfer an RN license to Kentucky?
$165 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + IdentoGO background check fee and $30 Nursys verification fee) (endorsement application, non-refundable; + IdentoGO background check fee and $30 Nursys verification fee).
How long does Kentucky take to process an endorsement application?
~3 weeks (board states licenses may be issued within 14 business days after all documents are received; up to 3 months with disciplinary/conviction disclosures; 6-month temporary permit available) — board states licenses may be issued within 14 business days after all documents are received; up to 3 months with disciplinary/conviction disclosures; 6-month temporary permit available.
Is Kentucky in the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes — Kentucky is an NLC member as of 2026-07-21. A multistate license from another member state is valid in Kentucky without any application, as long as your primary residence stays in a member state.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Kentucky Board of Nursing — RN Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Board of Nursing — Fees for Licensure Applications and Services (PDF) ↗ (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]