Nursing License from California to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Oregon accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; license verification is sent to OSBN from the state where you took the exam.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Oregon participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Oregon's board verifies the license you already hold and issues its own. Nothing about California speeds it up or slows it down — the timeline below is Oregon's standard out-of-state queue.
What's different between California and Oregon
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Oregon. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to Oregon (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Oregon to California (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from California matter?
Coming from California does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Oregon.
- NLC membership
Neither California nor Oregon is in the NLC.
- Application fee
Oregon lists $295 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; Oregon has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Oregon and California carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Oregon (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; license verification is sent to OSBN from the state where you took the exam
- California (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
What changes, California → Oregon
| California (current) | Oregon (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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) | $295 (RN License by Endorsement fee per OAR 851-002-0010 (amended effective 2026-08-22); + $9 Oregon Nursing Advancement Fund surcharge on endorsement applications; + $61 fingerprinting fee (OAR 851-002-0055 temporary rule text in effect through 2026-10-31; a permanent amendment takes effect 2026-11-01, confirm the amount with OSBN)) |
| 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 time stated in the board's endorsement application directions |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Oregon State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oregon State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active RN license in another state, or a previously held license plus required continuing education per OAR 851-031-0008.
- Complete 1 hour of pain management training from the Oregon Pain Management Commission within the last 36 months.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check via Fieldprint, submitted only after the application.
- Have your nursing program send official transcripts directly to OSBN.
- Have license verification from your exam state sent to OSBN.
- 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 Oregon?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- OSBN — LPN or RN by Endorsement Application Steps (official directions, as of 6-30-26) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Oregon Administrative Rules ch. 851 div. 2 — Board of Nursing agency fees (OAR 851-002-0010, 851-002-0055) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nursys — participating boards of nursing (Oregon listed) ↗ (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 2026-10-29
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