Nursing License from Florida to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Pennsylvania accept a Florida nursing license?
Yes — both Florida and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania now; if you are moving your residence to Pennsylvania, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Pennsylvania while living in Florida — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Pennsylvania means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Pennsylvania and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between Florida 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
Florida to Pennsylvania (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Pennsylvania to Florida (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Florida gets Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by Florida covers practice in Pennsylvania, and one issued by Pennsylvania covers practice in Florida.
- Application fee
Pennsylvania lists $120–$180 for an out-of-state applicant and Florida lists $110 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Pennsylvania and Florida 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
- 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 → Pennsylvania
| Florida (current) | Pennsylvania (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) | $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 | 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 | board's licensure guide states no fixed timeframe; delays are reduced by having schools and boards send documents directly to the Board |
| Licensing authority | Florida 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 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 Pennsylvania: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Pennsylvania as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania?
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 Pennsylvania: $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).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (board's licensure guide states no fixed timeframe; delays are reduced by having schools and boards send documents directly to the Board).
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)
- 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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