Nursing License from Illinois to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arizona accept an Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona State Board of Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a silver lining. Illinois is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Arizona is a member. Endorse into Arizona, establish it as your primary residence, meet the uniform licensure requirements, and the license you receive is multistate: one application turns into practice privileges across the whole compact.
What's different between Illinois and Arizona
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arizona. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Arizona (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Arizona to Illinois (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Illinois matter?
Coming from Illinois matters here: only 11 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arizona.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; Arizona is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Arizona does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Arizona lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and Illinois lists $50–$75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Arizona lists 4–12 weeks; Illinois has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Illinois and Arizona carry the same exam note for a licensee arriving from another state; any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
What changes, Illinois → Arizona
| Illinois (current) | Arizona (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $50–$75 ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor) | $150 (RN/LPN endorsement application; + $50 background-check fee; optional $50 temporary license; card payments add a $2 or 2.2% processing fee) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | 4–12 weeks (permanent license issues only after fingerprint results — approx. 30 days electronic, 8-12 weeks hard card; temporary license approx. 30 business days) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Arizona State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check.
- Request license verification from your original state of licensure via Nursys.
- Upload citizenship/lawful-presence documentation.
- Meet a practice requirement: 960 hours of nursing practice, a nursing degree, a board-approved refresher course, or an advanced nursing degree within the past 5 years.
- 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 Illinois to Arizona?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Illinois 2026-10-29, Arizona 2026-07-21.
- Arizona BON — Apply for a License (RN/LPN endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arizona BON — Agency Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Illinois 2026-10-29, Arizona 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com