Nursing License from District of Columbia to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Florida accept a District of Columbia nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from District of Columbia to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Nursing, verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; endorsement requires a passing national licensure exam score (transferred from NCSBN) plus license verification from every state where you have held a license.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a silver lining. District of Columbia is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Florida is a member. Endorse into Florida, 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 District of Columbia and Florida
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Florida. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
District of Columbia to Florida (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Florida to District of Columbia (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from District of Columbia matter?
Coming from District of Columbia matters here: only 11 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Florida.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
District of Columbia is not in the NLC; Florida is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Florida does not cover practice in District of Columbia.
- Application fee
Florida lists $110 for an out-of-state applicant and District of Columbia lists $280 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
District of Columbia lists 6+ weeks for the reverse move; Florida has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Florida and District of Columbia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Florida (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; endorsement requires a passing national licensure exam score (transferred from NCSBN) plus license verification from every state where you have held a license
- District of Columbia (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; official verification of your original NCLEX-based licensure is submitted through Nursys
What changes, District of Columbia → Florida
| District of Columbia (current) | Florida (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $280 (combined application + criminal background check fee, Visa/MasterCard only; + $30 Nursys verification fee) | $110 (application and licensing fee paid to the Board of Nursing; Livescan and license verification fees vary by provider) |
| Processing time | 6+ weeks (board asks applicants to allow 30 business days after applying before checking application status) | board allows up to 10 business days for initial review; by statute the license issues within 7 days after all documentation is received (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Livescan results reach the board within 24-72 hours of processing |
| Licensing authority | District of Columbia Board of Nursing | Florida Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, unencumbered RN license issued by another US state, DC, or territory.
- Electronic fingerprint background screening through an FDLE-approved Livescan provider (board ORI EDOH4420Z), with results sent to the board electronically.
- Request license verification from every state board where you have held a license (online verification that includes disciplinary actions is accepted).
- Have actively practiced nursing for at least 2 years during the 4 years immediately before applying (otherwise apply by examination and transfer your NCLEX scores).
- Have no disciplinary action in the past 5 years and no pending disciplinary proceeding or investigation in another jurisdiction.
- Never have been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless the report was removed on appeal or the reported conduct would not violate Florida law or rule.
- 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 District of Columbia to Florida?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Florida Board of Nursing — Nursing (RN & LPN) licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 — licensure by endorsement (MOBILE Act) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Florida Statutes s. 464.009 — nursing licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Florida BON — Electronic Fingerprinting form (Livescan instructions, PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nursys — participating boards (Florida) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- DC Health — RN Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- DC Board of Nursing — Registered Nurse Endorsement Requirements (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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