Nursing License from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Pennsylvania accept a District of Columbia nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from District of Columbia to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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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 Pennsylvania is a member. Endorse into Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Pennsylvania. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
District of Columbia to Pennsylvania (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
District of Columbia is not in the NLC; Pennsylvania is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Pennsylvania does not cover practice in District of Columbia.
- Application fee
Pennsylvania lists $120–$180 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; Pennsylvania has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Pennsylvania and District of Columbia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Pennsylvania (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 → Pennsylvania
| District of Columbia (current) | Pennsylvania (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) | $120–$180 ($120 single-state endorsement / $180 multistate endorsement (multistate requires PA primary residence); + fingerprinting costs; $105 to convert an existing PA license to multistate) |
| Processing time | 6+ weeks (board asks applicants to allow 30 business days after applying before checking application status) | board's licensure guide states no fixed timeframe; delays are reduced by having schools and boards send documents directly to the Board |
| Licensing authority | District of Columbia Board of Nursing | Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based FBI criminal background check for all new applicants.
- Complete 3 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting continuing education (Act 31).
- Verification of licensure from each state or jurisdiction where you hold a license.
- Graduation from an approved professional nursing education program in the U.S. or Canada, or one deemed equivalent to the Pennsylvania program of study.
- 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 Pennsylvania?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- PA Department of State — Nurse Licensure Compact (implementation and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- PA Department of State — Nursing Licensure Guide (background check, Act 31 CE, verifications) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 49 Pa. Code § 21.5 — Fees (licensure by endorsement $120) ↗ (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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