Nursing License from District of Columbia to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Texas accept a District of Columbia nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from District of Columbia to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas Board of Nursing, verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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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 Texas is a member. Endorse into Texas, 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 Texas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Texas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
District of Columbia to Texas (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Texas 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 Texas.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
District of Columbia is not in the NLC; Texas is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Texas does not cover practice in District of Columbia.
- Application fee
Texas lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and District of Columbia lists $280 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Texas lists up to 3 weeks; District of Columbia lists 6+ weeks for the reverse move.
- Exam rules on record
Texas and District of Columbia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Texas (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 → Texas
| District of Columbia (current) | Texas (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) | $150 ($125 endorsement + $25 nursing jurisprudence exam fee; + DPS/FBI fingerprint fee paid to vendor (amount set by DPS/CJIS)) |
| Processing time | 6+ weeks (board asks applicants to allow 30 business days after applying before checking application status) | up to 3 weeks (board reviews for permanent licensure within 15 business days of receiving the last required item; one-time 120-day temporary license issued within 15 business days of application receipt) |
| Licensing authority | District of Columbia Board of Nursing | Texas Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based DPS and FBI criminal background check submitted through IdentoGO.
- Pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam before the permanent license is issued.
- Request license verification through Nursys from every jurisdiction where you have ever held a nursing license.
- Have practiced as an RN or graduated from an RN program within the past four years (otherwise complete a refresher course, extensive orientation, or academic nursing course; a Six-Month Permit is required if it is completed in Texas).
- 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 Texas?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Texas BON — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Texas BON — RN Endorsement Application Requirements, Graduates of U.S. Programs (V5.2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Texas BON — Schedule of Fees (Chapter 223) ↗ (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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