Nursing License from Florida to Hawaii: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Hawaii accept a Florida nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Florida to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Nursing, verify your Florida license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your original licensure and exam scores are verified through Nursys or directly by your original state board.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Florida into Hawaii means leaving the compact's coverage: Hawaii does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Florida easy stops at the border. File Hawaii's endorsement application as early as the board allows — this direction of the move is paperwork-first, and starting after you arrive is the classic way to lose weeks of income. Note that while your primary residence remains in Florida, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Hawaii.
What's different between Florida and Hawaii
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Hawaii. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to Hawaii (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Hawaii to Florida (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Coming from Florida does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Hawaii.
- NLC membership
Florida is an NLC member state; Hawaii is not in the NLC.
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 Hawaii.
- Application fee
Hawaii lists $186–$254 for an out-of-state applicant and Florida lists $110 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Hawaii lists 3–4 weeks; Florida has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Hawaii and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Hawaii (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; your original licensure and exam scores are verified through Nursys or directly by your original state board
- 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 → Hawaii
| Florida (current) | Hawaii (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $110 (application and licensing fee paid to the Board of Nursing; Livescan and license verification fees vary by provider) | $186–$254 (total varies by point in the 2-year licensing cycle ($40 application + $36 license + Compliance Resolution Fund $50-$100 + $60 Center for Nursing + $18 half-renewal when applicable); fingerprint fee paid directly to Fieldprint; optional temporary permit $50) |
| 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 | 3–4 weeks (board states processing is normally 15-20 working days for complete applications; one single-employer temporary permit available) |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Nursing | Hawaii Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Hawaii sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Hawaii's current requirements on the Hawaii Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Hawaii Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based FBI and Hawaii state criminal history check through Fieldprint (code FPHIBrdNursing).
- Submit an original National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
- Obtain verification of licensure from your state of original licensure by exam (via Nursys if that state participates).
- If you have not actively practiced in the past 5 years, the board may require proof of continued competency (NCLEX retake or board-recognized continuing education).
- 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 Florida to Hawaii?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Hawaii DCCA — Application for License (Endorsement or Without Exam), NSG-02/NSG-07 with fee schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Hawaii Board of Nursing — Application Forms and Publications ↗ (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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