Nursing License from Illinois to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine State Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine State Board of Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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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 Maine is a member. Endorse into Maine, 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 changes, Illinois → Maine
| Illinois (current) | Maine (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) | $75 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification fee) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Maine State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check through IdentoGO ($52 fee; results valid only 90 days).
- Upload a recent, unedited, color full-face headshot photograph.
- Verification of your original state of licensure through Nursys ($30 fee).
- Provide a US Social Security Number before a license can be issued.
- Pay the fees ($75 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification fee)) and allow applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine State Board of Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Illinois to Maine?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$75 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification fee) (endorsement application, non-refundable; + $52 criminal background check and $30 Nursys verification fee).
How long will it take?
applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board — applications processed in the order received; no timeframe published by the board.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maine State Board of Nursing — Licensing by Endorsement/Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine State Board of Nursing — RN Endorsement Licensure Requirements (rev 7/2025, PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (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]