Nursing License from District of Columbia to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Georgia accept a District of Columbia nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from District of Columbia to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia Board of Nursing, verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Georgia'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. District of Columbia is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Georgia is a member. Endorse into Georgia, 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 Georgia
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Georgia. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
District of Columbia to Georgia (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Georgia 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 Georgia.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
District of Columbia is not in the NLC; Georgia is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Georgia does not cover practice in District of Columbia.
- Application fee
Georgia lists $75 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; Georgia has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Georgia and District of Columbia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Georgia (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
- 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 → Georgia
| District of Columbia (current) | Georgia (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) | $75 (non-refundable endorsement application fee; fingerprint fee paid separately to GAPS/Idemia) |
| Processing time | 6+ weeks (board asks applicants to allow 30 business days after applying before checking application status) | board states applications are processed in order received; complete applications may be reviewed at a scheduled board meeting — no numeric range published |
| Licensing authority | District of Columbia Board of Nursing | Georgia Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check through GAPS/Idemia.
- Hold an active, unencumbered RN license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Have official transcripts sent directly to the board by your nursing school.
- Complete Nursys verification of both current and original licensure.
- Show 500 hours of RN practice in the last 4 years, graduation within 4 years, or complete a board-approved re-entry program.
- 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 Georgia?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Georgia SOS — How-to Guide, Registered Nurse (Endorsement Checklist and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nurse Licensure Compact — official site ↗ (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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