Nursing License from Illinois to Iowa: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Iowa accept an Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Board of Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Iowa'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 Iowa is a member. Endorse into Iowa, 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 Iowa
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Iowa. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Iowa (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Iowa 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 Iowa.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; Iowa is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Iowa does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Iowa lists $119 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
Illinois and Iowa 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 → Iowa
| Illinois (current) | Iowa (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) | $119 (board collects $169 total: $119 endorsement application + $50 criminal history background check) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board's current endorsement and licensure pages publish no processing time; application status is tracked in the Board of Nursing online portal |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Iowa Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Iowa sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Iowa's current requirements on the Iowa Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Iowa Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal history background check (digital fingerprinting through Fieldprint).
- Official nursing program transcript submitted directly to the board by your school.
- Verification of your original state of licensure through Nursys.
- Complete a refresher course if you have not held an active license in any jurisdiction within the previous five 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 Iowa?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Iowa DIAL — Apply for a Nursing License by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Iowa DIAL — Nursing Licensure Fees and Fee Waivers ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Iowa DIAL — Nurse Licensure Compact ↗ (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