Nursing License from Illinois to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Connecticut accept an Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health), verify your Illinois license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are 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 Connecticut is a member. Endorse into Connecticut, 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 Connecticut
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Connecticut. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Connecticut (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Connecticut 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 Connecticut.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; Connecticut is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Connecticut does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Connecticut lists $180 for an out-of-state applicant and Illinois lists $50–$75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Connecticut and Illinois carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Connecticut (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are verified through Nursys
- Illinois (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
What changes, Illinois → Connecticut
| Illinois (current) | Connecticut (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) | $180 (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current RN license from a US state or territory that required passing the NCLEX (non-NCLEX licensees must apply by examination instead).
- Arrange verification of all RN licenses held, current or expired, through Nursys (written verification form for non-participating states).
- Apply online through the eLicense portal — paper applications are not accepted.
- 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 Connecticut?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- CT DPH — RN Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nursys — participating boards (Connecticut) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 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 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com