Nursing License from Illinois to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Maine accept an 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.
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 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's different between Illinois and Maine
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Maine. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Maine (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Maine 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 Maine.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; Maine is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Maine does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Maine lists $75 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 Maine 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 → 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 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 Maine?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- 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 2026-10-29)
- 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