Nursing License from Georgia to Hawaii: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Hawaii Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Georgia to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Nursing, verify your Georgia 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 Georgia into Hawaii means leaving the compact's coverage: Hawaii does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Georgia 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 Georgia, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Hawaii.
What changes, Georgia → Hawaii
| Georgia (current) | Hawaii (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $75 (non-refundable endorsement application fee; fingerprint fee paid separately to GAPS/Idemia) | $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 states applications are processed in order received; complete applications may be reviewed at a scheduled board meeting — no numeric range published | 3–4 weeks (board states processing is normally 15-20 working days for complete applications; one single-employer temporary permit available) |
| Licensing authority | Georgia 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 ($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)) and allow 3–4 weeks (board states processing is normally 15-20 working days for complete applications; one single-employer temporary permit available).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Hawaii accept a Georgia nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Georgia to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Nursing, verify your Georgia 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.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Georgia to Hawaii?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your original licensure and exam scores are verified through Nursys or directly by your original state board.
What does the move cost?
$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) (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).
How long will it take?
3–4 weeks (board states processing is normally 15-20 working days for complete applications; one single-employer temporary permit available) — board states processing is normally 15-20 working days for complete applications; one single-employer temporary permit available.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Hawaii DCCA — Application for License (Endorsement or Without Exam), NSG-02/NSG-07 with fee schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Hawaii Board of Nursing — Application Forms and Publications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — How-to Guide, Registered Nurse (Endorsement Checklist and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nurse Licensure Compact — official site ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]