Transfer Your Nursing License to North Carolina: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Carolina Board of Nursing ↗
North Carolina is a Nurse Licensure Compact state: a multistate license from another compact state works in North Carolina immediately, with no new application. Nurses from non-compact states (California, New York, and the other non-members) apply to the North Carolina Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement — the NCLEX is not retaken.
Moving to North Carolina 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 — North Carolina requires nothing from you. If you are actually moving to North Carolina, you are changing your primary state of residence, and that means an endorsement application to the North Carolina Board of Nursing to re-home your multistate license.
NLC member — a multistate license from another compact state is honored without a North Carolina application unless North Carolina becomes the primary state of residence. The endorsement application and background check stay active for one year; apply via the NCBON Nurse Portal.
North Carolina requirements at a glance
| Exam | NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $38 criminal background check fee; Nursys license verification $30 per license type paid to Nursys) |
| Processing time | no overall timeline published; the out-of-state fingerprint background check step alone averages 6 weeks; a once-per-lifetime temporary license (up to 6 months) is available while pending |
Step by step
- Confirm North Carolina's current requirements on the North Carolina Board of Nursing website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the North Carolina Board of Nursing (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete a fingerprint-based SBI and FBI criminal background check conducted through the NCBON.
- Provide Nursys (or direct board) verification of your original state of licensure and, if different, your current state.
- Hold a license that has been active in another jurisdiction within the past 5 years, or complete a board-approved RN refresher course.
- Hold an unencumbered license in every jurisdiction where you hold or have ever held a license.
- Hold a U.S. Social Security number.
- Pay the fees ($150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $38 criminal background check fee; Nursys license verification $30 per license type paid to Nursys)) and allow no overall timeline published; the out-of-state fingerprint background check step alone averages 6 weeks; a once-per-lifetime temporary license (up to 6 months) is available while pending.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into North Carolina:
All 50 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my nursing license transfer to North Carolina?
North Carolina is a Nurse Licensure Compact state: a multistate license from another compact state works in North Carolina immediately, with no new application. Nurses from non-compact states (California, New York, and the other non-members) apply to the North Carolina Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement — the NCLEX is not retaken.
Do I have to retake the NCLEX to get licensed in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina?
$150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $38 criminal background check fee; Nursys license verification $30 per license type paid to Nursys) (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $38 criminal background check fee; Nursys license verification $30 per license type paid to Nursys).
How long does North Carolina take to process an endorsement application?
no overall timeline published; the out-of-state fingerprint background check step alone averages 6 weeks; a once-per-lifetime temporary license (up to 6 months) is available while pending — no overall timeline published; the out-of-state fingerprint background check step alone averages 6 weeks; a once-per-lifetime temporary license (up to 6 months) is available while pending.
Is North Carolina in the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes — North Carolina is an NLC member as of 2026-07-21. A multistate license from another member state is valid in North Carolina 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.
- NC Board of Nursing — RN/LPN by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NC Board of Nursing — Criminal Background Check / Live Scan ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NC Board of Nursing — FAQ Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (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]