Transfer Your Nursing License to Rhode Island: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education ↗
Rhode Island honors multistate licenses under the Nurse Licensure Compact — compact nurses need no Rhode Island application at all. From a non-compact state such as California or New York, the path is licensure by endorsement through the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education, without retaking the NCLEX.
Moving to Rhode Island 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 — Rhode Island requires nothing from you. If you are actually moving to Rhode Island, you are changing your primary state of residence, and that means an endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education to re-home your multistate license.
NLC member — Rhode Island rejoined the Nurse Licensure Compact effective 2024-01-01; a multistate license from another compact state is honored without a RI application unless RI becomes the primary state of residence. Applications are filed online via the RIDOH licensing portal (healthri.mylicense.com).
Rhode Island requirements at a glance
| Exam | NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | fee is set in the RIDOH fee schedule (216-RICR-10-05-2); amount could not be verified on an accessible official page (health.ri.gov blocked automated requests) — confirm with RIDOH |
| Processing time | no processing time stated in the regulation |
Step by step
- Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Statement of good standing submitted to the Board by the licensing agency of each state where you hold or have held a license.
- Rhode Island BCI criminal records review (submit the BCI no-disqualification notification or authorize a report to the Department).
- Hold a current license as a professional nurse, obtained by examination or endorsement, in another state, territory, or DC.
- Pay the fees (fee is set in the RIDOH fee schedule (216-RICR-10-05-2); amount could not be verified on an accessible official page (health.ri.gov blocked automated requests) — confirm with RIDOH) and allow no processing time stated in the regulation.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Rhode Island:
All 43 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my nursing license transfer to Rhode Island?
Rhode Island honors multistate licenses under the Nurse Licensure Compact — compact nurses need no Rhode Island application at all. From a non-compact state such as California or New York, the path is licensure by endorsement through the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education, without retaking the NCLEX.
Do I have to retake the NCLEX to get licensed in Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island?
fee is set in the RIDOH fee schedule (216-RICR-10-05-2); amount could not be verified on an accessible official page (health.ri.gov blocked automated requests) — confirm with RIDOH (fee is set in the RIDOH fee schedule (216-RICR-10-05-2); amount could not be verified on an accessible official page (health.ri.gov blocked automated requests) — confirm with RIDOH).
How long does Rhode Island take to process an endorsement application?
no processing time stated in the regulation — no processing time stated in the regulation.
Is Rhode Island in the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes — Rhode Island is an NLC member as of 2026-07-21. A multistate license from another member state is valid in Rhode Island 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.
- RI Code of Regulations 216-RICR-40-05-3 — Nurses (licensure by endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- RI Department of Health — Nurses (licensing) ↗ (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]