Nursing License from Arkansas to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Texas accept an Arkansas nursing license?
Yes — both Arkansas and Texas are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Texas now; if you are moving your residence to Texas, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Texas your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
This is the move the compact was built for. Both Arkansas and Texas are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Texas while living in Arkansas — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Texas means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Texas and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between Arkansas and Texas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Texas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Arkansas to Texas (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Texas to Arkansas (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Arkansas matter?
Arkansas gets Texas's most common result: 39 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (11).
- NLC membership
Arkansas and Texas are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by Arkansas covers practice in Texas, and one issued by Texas covers practice in Arkansas.
- Application fee
Texas lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and Arkansas lists $125 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Texas lists up to 3 weeks; Arkansas has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Texas carry the same exam note for a licensee arriving from another state; any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
What changes, Arkansas → Texas
| Arkansas (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $125 (endorsement application; + state/FBI background-check fee paid in the separate CBC system plus Live Scan vendor fee (amounts not published on board pages); optional $30 temporary permit) | $150 ($125 endorsement + $25 nursing jurisprudence exam fee; + DPS/FBI fingerprint fee paid to vendor (amount set by DPS/CJIS)) |
| Processing time | no processing timeframe stated by the board; temporary permit available while the application is pending | up to 3 weeks (board reviews for permanent licensure within 15 business days of receiving the last required item; one-time 120-day temporary license issued within 15 business days of application receipt) |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Board of Nursing | Texas Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Texas: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Texas Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Texas as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Texas's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Arkansas to Texas?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
If you are only working across the border, nothing. If you are relocating your residence to Texas: $150 ($125 endorsement + $25 nursing jurisprudence exam fee; + DPS/FBI fingerprint fee paid to vendor (amount set by DPS/CJIS)).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (up to 3 weeks (board reviews for permanent licensure within 15 business days of receiving the last required item; one-time 120-day temporary license issued within 15 business days of application receipt)).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Texas BON — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Texas BON — RN Endorsement Application Requirements, Graduates of U.S. Programs (V5.2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Texas BON — Schedule of Fees (Chapter 223) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas SBN — RN Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas SBN — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas SBN — Criminal Background Check Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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