Nursing License from Michigan to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maryland Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Nursing, verify your Michigan license, and meet Maryland'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. Michigan 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, Michigan → Maryland
| Michigan (current) | Maryland (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) | $230 (endorsement application; optional 90-day temporary license $70 ($300 if both); CJIS fingerprinting fee paid separately to the fingerprinting vendor) |
| Processing time | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline | board does not publish a timeline; 90-day temporary license available while the application is pending |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of 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 Michigan nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Nursing, verify your Michigan license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Michigan 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)
- Michigan LARA/BPL — Michigan Nursing Licensing Guide ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Board of Nursing ↗ (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]