Nursing License from California to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does New Hampshire accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification), verify your California license, and meet New Hampshire'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 New Hampshire is a member. Endorse into New Hampshire, 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 New Hampshire
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into New Hampshire. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to New Hampshire (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
California is not in the NLC; New Hampshire is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by New Hampshire does not cover practice in California.
- Application fee
New Hampshire lists $120 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; New Hampshire has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
California and New Hampshire 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 → New Hampshire
| California (current) | New Hampshire (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) | $120 (RN endorsement license fee (non-refundable) per the OPLC Board of Nursing license fees page; optional temporary license available while pending) |
| 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 timeframe published; applicants have up to 180 days to complete the application |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | New Hampshire Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Show 400 hours of active practice within the previous 4 years, or NCLEX passage within the previous 2 years.
- Request Nurse License Verification for Endorsement through Nursys from your original state of licensure.
- Criminal history record check.
- 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 New Hampshire?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified California 2026-10-29, New Hampshire 2026-07-21.
- NH OPLC — Board of Nursing License Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC — Board of Nursing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 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 California 2026-10-29, New Hampshire 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com