Nursing License from Florida to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arkansas accept a Florida nursing license?
Yes — both Florida and Arkansas are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If Florida is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Arkansas now; if you are moving your residence to Arkansas, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Arkansas your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
This is the move the compact was built for. Both Florida and Arkansas are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Arkansas while living in Florida — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Arkansas means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Arkansas and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between Florida and Arkansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to Arkansas (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Arkansas to Florida (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Florida gets Arkansas's most common result: 39 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (11).
- NLC membership
Florida and Arkansas are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by Florida covers practice in Arkansas, and one issued by Arkansas covers practice in Florida.
- Application fee
Arkansas lists $125 for an out-of-state applicant and Florida lists $110 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arkansas (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
- Florida (the reverse 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
What changes, Florida → Arkansas
| Florida (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $110 (application and licensing fee paid to the Board of Nursing; Livescan and license verification fees vary by provider) | $125 (endorsement application; + state/FBI background-check fee paid in the separate CBC system plus Live Scan vendor fee (amounts not published on board pages); optional $30 temporary permit) |
| Processing time | 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 | no processing timeframe stated by the board; temporary permit available while the application is pending |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Nursing | Arkansas State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Arkansas: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Arkansas as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Arkansas's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Florida to Arkansas?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
What does the move cost?
If you are only working across the border, nothing. If you are relocating your residence to Arkansas: $125 (endorsement application; + state/FBI background-check fee paid in the separate CBC system plus Live Scan vendor fee (amounts not published on board pages); optional $30 temporary permit).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (no processing timeframe stated by the board; temporary permit available while the application is pending).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Arkansas SBN — RN Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas SBN — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas SBN — Criminal Background Check Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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