Nursing License from California to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Delaware Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from California to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; verification of original licensure by examination is obtained through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a silver lining. California is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Delaware is a member. Endorse into Delaware, 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, California → Delaware
| California (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $350 (US-educated endorsement application ($750 if internationally educated); + $49 fingerprint hard card if out of state (Live Scan vendor fees vary); optional $100 temporary license) | $181 (RN application fee via DELPROS; + Delaware/FBI fingerprint fee; optional temporary permit $40) |
| Processing time | 10–13 weeks (initial evaluation mandated within 90 days; board processing page (June 2026) was reviewing US endorsement applications received about 10-12 weeks earlier; temporary license available) | board publishes no processing time; a temporary permit may be issued while the application is pending |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Delaware Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Delaware Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Delaware state and FBI fingerprint-based criminal background check (checks done for employment or other states are not accepted).
- Verification of original licensure by examination through Nursys (or a state verification form for non-participating boards).
- Meet one recent-practice option: 1,000 practice hours in the last 5 years, 400 hours in the last 2 years, graduation within the last 2 years, or a board-approved refresher program.
- Apply online through the DELPROS portal.
- Pay the fees ($181 (RN application fee via DELPROS; + Delaware/FBI fingerprint fee; optional temporary permit $40)) and allow board publishes no processing time; a temporary permit may be issued while the application is pending.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; verification of original licensure by examination is obtained through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Delaware?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; verification of original licensure by examination is obtained through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$181 (RN application fee via DELPROS; + Delaware/FBI fingerprint fee; optional temporary permit $40) (RN application fee via DELPROS; + Delaware/FBI fingerprint fee; optional temporary permit $40).
How long will it take?
board publishes no processing time; a temporary permit may be issued while the application is pending — board publishes no processing time; a temporary permit may be issued while the application is pending.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Delaware DPR — RN/LPN License by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware Board of Nursing — Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BRN — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BRN — Endorsement Application Fees & Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- California BRN — Processing Times ↗ (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]