Nursing License from Illinois to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Massachusetts'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
Neither Illinois nor Massachusetts participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Massachusetts's board verifies the license you already hold and issues its own. Nothing about Illinois speeds it up or slows it down — the timeline below is Massachusetts's standard out-of-state queue.
What changes, Illinois → Massachusetts
| Illinois (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC enacted — not yet issuing |
| 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) | $275 (reciprocity application; + $30 Nursys license verification fee per license held) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board does not publish a timeline; no temporary licenses issued; expedited processing policies exist for critical public-health needs |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Verify every nursing license you hold through Nursys.
- Provide proof of graduation from a board-approved nursing program.
- Meet Massachusetts Good Moral Character requirements.
- Hold a valid Social Security number (applications without an SSN are not accepted).
- Pay the fees ($275 (reciprocity application; + $30 Nursys license verification fee per license held)) and allow board does not publish a timeline; no temporary licenses issued; expedited processing policies exist for critical public-health needs.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Massachusetts accept a Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Illinois to Massachusetts?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$275 (reciprocity application; + $30 Nursys license verification fee per license held) (reciprocity application; + $30 Nursys license verification fee per license held).
How long will it take?
board does not publish a timeline; no temporary licenses issued; expedited processing policies exist for critical public-health needs — board does not publish a timeline; no temporary licenses issued; expedited processing policies exist for critical public-health needs.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Mass.gov — Apply for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov — Check eligibility for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov BORN — Implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact ↗ (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]