Nursing License from Illinois to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Montana accept an Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry), verify your Illinois license, and meet Montana'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 Montana is a member. Endorse into Montana, 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 Montana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Montana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Montana (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Montana 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 Montana.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; Montana is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Montana does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Montana lists $200 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 Montana 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 → Montana
| Illinois (current) | Montana (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) | $200 (endorsement fee set by ARM 24.159.401(3), payable when you apply and retained if the application is withdrawn; + separate fingerprint background-check fee paid to the Montana Department of Justice) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board does not publish a current processing timeframe for online endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active license in good standing in another jurisdiction.
- Apply online through the Montana eBiz licensing portal (ebiz.mt.gov).
- Submit fingerprints for a background check through the Montana Department of Justice.
- If you hold another compact state's multistate license and make Montana your primary state of residence, apply for a Montana license within 60 days of the move.
- 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 Montana?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Montana Board of Nursing — License Information (endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Administrative Rules of Montana 24.159.401 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Montana Code Annotated 37-1-304 — Licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Montana Board of Nursing — home page (NLC rule 402(2), 60-day relocation rule) ↗ (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
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