Nursing License from California to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Indiana accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
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 Indiana is a member. Endorse into Indiana, 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's different between California and Indiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Indiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to Indiana (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Indiana to California (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from California matter?
Coming from California matters here: only 11 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Indiana.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
California is not in the NLC; Indiana is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Indiana does not cover practice in California.
- Application fee
Indiana lists $50 for an out-of-state applicant and California lists $350 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
California lists 10–12 weeks for the reverse move; Indiana has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
California and Indiana 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, California → Indiana
| California (current) | Indiana (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) | $50 (non-refundable application fee paid through the PLA online portal; optional 90-day temporary permit +$10; Nurse Licensure Compact (multistate) license +$25; fingerprint background check $38.20) |
| Processing time | 10–12 weeks (board processing-times page (updated 10/22/2026) lists a 10-12 week timeframe for US endorsement applications, processed in date order received; temporary license available (2-3 weeks)) | no processing range published; background-check results take about 7-10 days for out-of-state applicants, and PLA warns high-volume boards like nursing may see added delays; 90-day temporary permit available while the endorsement application is pending |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Indiana State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Indiana's current requirements on the Indiana State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Indiana State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active RN license in at least one U.S. state or territory (renew it first if lapsed).
- Have license verification sent from every state or territory where you hold or have held a nursing license (through Nursys where the state participates), plus any other health-related licenses such as CNA or EMT.
- If your state of original licensure does not verify your education to other boards, provide an official nursing-program transcript (upload it with the application, or mail or email it to the board).
- Fingerprint-based national criminal background check through IdentoGO, done on or after the date the board receives your application.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Indiana?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Indiana PLA — Nursing Licensing Information, endorsement requirements and fee schedule (Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-13; www.in.gov refused connections on 2026-10-29) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Indiana PLA — Criminal Background Checks (Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-16) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nurse Licensure Compact — official site ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- California BRN — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- California BRN — Endorsement Application Fees & Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- California BRN — Processing Times ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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