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Transfer Your Nursing License to Florida: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Updated · Data verified · source: Florida Board of Nursing ↗
Generated from a source-cited dataset with AI-assisted research; facts checked against official sources · How these pages are made

Does my nursing license transfer to Florida?

Florida is a Nurse Licensure Compact state: a multistate license from another compact state works in Florida immediately, with no new application while you live in that other state; moving your residence to Florida means applying by endorsement. Nurses from non-compact states (California, New York, and the other non-members) apply to the Florida Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement — the NCLEX is not retaken.

Moving to Florida from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

NLC member — multistate license honored

Whether you need to do anything at all depends on the license in your pocket. If you hold a multistate license and your primary residence stays in another compact state — a travel contract, a border commute, telehealth — Florida requires nothing from you. If you are actually moving to Florida, you are changing your primary state of residence, and that means an endorsement application to the Florida Board of Nursing to re-home your multistate license.

NLC member — a multistate license from another compact state is honored in Florida without endorsement unless Florida becomes the nurse's primary state of residence.

Florida requirements at a glance

Out-of-state nursing license transfer requirements for Florida, verified 2026-10-29
ExamNCLEX 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
Fees$110 (application and licensing fee paid to the Board of Nursing; Livescan and license verification fees vary by provider)
Processing timeboard 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

Comparing Florida with other states? Check RN endorsement requirements by state in the Endorsement Requirement Finder.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Nursing website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Nursing (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold an active, unencumbered RN license issued by another US state, DC, or territory.
  5. Electronic fingerprint background screening through an FDLE-approved Livescan provider (board ORI EDOH4420Z), with results sent to the board electronically.
  6. Request license verification from every state board where you have held a license (online verification that includes disciplinary actions is accepted).
  7. Have actively practiced nursing for at least 2 years during the 4 years immediately before applying (otherwise apply by examination and transfer your NCLEX scores).
  8. Have no disciplinary action in the past 5 years and no pending disciplinary proceeding or investigation in another jurisdiction.
  9. Never have been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless the report was removed on appeal or the reported conduct would not violate Florida law or rule.
  10. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

Florida Board of Nursing ↗Florida application ↗License verification ↗Nurse Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Florida:

Alaska → FloridaArkansas → FloridaCalifornia → FloridaColorado → FloridaConnecticut → FloridaDistrict of Columbia → FloridaGeorgia → FloridaHawaii → FloridaIllinois → FloridaIndiana → FloridaKansas → FloridaKentucky → FloridaMaryland → FloridaMassachusetts → FloridaMichigan → FloridaMinnesota → FloridaMissouri → FloridaNebraska → FloridaNevada → FloridaNew Hampshire → Florida
All 35 origin states
New Jersey → FloridaNew York → FloridaNorth Carolina → FloridaNorth Dakota → FloridaOhio → FloridaOklahoma → FloridaOregon → FloridaPennsylvania → FloridaRhode Island → FloridaSouth Carolina → FloridaTennessee → FloridaTexas → FloridaVirginia → FloridaWashington → FloridaWisconsin → Florida

Nearby states

Nursing license transfer into the states bordering Florida:

Florida for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to retake the NCLEX to get licensed in Florida?

No. 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. No state requires a second NCLEX.

Is Florida in the Nurse Licensure Compact?

Yes — Florida is an NLC member as of 2026-10-29. A multistate license from another member state is valid in Florida without any application, as long as your primary residence stays in a member state.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29

How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com