Nursing License from California to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Washington accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Washington'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 Washington is a member. Endorse into Washington, 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 Washington
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Washington. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
California to Washington (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Washington 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 Washington.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
California is not in the NLC; Washington is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Washington does not cover practice in California.
- Application fee
Washington lists $138–$203 for an out-of-state applicant and California lists $350 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Washington lists 1–3 weeks; California lists 10–12 weeks for the reverse move.
Washington's longest listed wait is 9 weeks shorter than California's.
- Exam rules on record
California and Washington 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 → Washington
| California (current) | Washington (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) | $138–$203 ($138 single-state / $203 multistate initial application; FBI fingerprint fee paid separately) |
| 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)) | 1–3 weeks (multistate-license review may take 2-3 weeks; a temporary practice permit is issued once all requirements except the FBI fingerprint check are met (WAC 246-840-095), and WABON reported an average of about six days to issue one in January 2026) |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered Nursing | Washington State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington 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 U.S. state (or an expired U.S. license plus an active Canadian license).
- Request Nursys verification of your initial U.S. license from the original state of licensure.
- FBI fingerprint-based background check for applicants who have recently lived out of state and all multistate-license applicants.
- Declare Washington as your primary state of residence if applying for a multistate license.
- 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 Washington?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- WABON — RN License requirements (licensed in another US state) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WABON — Nurse license fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WABON — RN and LPN Multistate License information ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WAC 246-840-095 — Temporary practice permits (effective 2026-01-30) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- RCW 18.130.064 — Background checks (national fingerprint check when an applicant has recently lived out of state) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WABON business meeting agenda, 2026-03-13 — Nurse Licensure Processing Timelines (February 2026 update) ↗ (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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