Nursing License from Illinois to Nebraska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Nebraska Board of Nursing (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) ↗
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Nebraska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nebraska Board of Nursing (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit), verify your Illinois license, and meet Nebraska'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 Nebraska is a member. Endorse into Nebraska, 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 → Nebraska
| Illinois (current) | Nebraska (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) | $123 (endorsement application (check/money order to DHHS - Nebraska Board of Nursing); reduced to $30.75 in the final six months of the two-year cycle; + $55 criminal background check (effective 2025-08-01)) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board does not publish a processing timeframe |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Nebraska Board of Nursing (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nebraska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nebraska's current requirements on the Nebraska Board of Nursing (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nebraska Board of Nursing (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active RN license in another US state or territory.
- Request Nurse License Verification for Endorsement through Nursys from your original state of licensure.
- Criminal background check processed through the Nebraska State Patrol.
- Pay the fees ($123 (endorsement application (check/money order to DHHS - Nebraska Board of Nursing); reduced to $30.75 in the final six months of the two-year cycle; + $55 criminal background check (effective 2025-08-01))) and allow board does not publish a processing timeframe.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Nebraska accept a Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Nebraska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nebraska Board of Nursing (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit), verify your Illinois license, and meet Nebraska's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Illinois to Nebraska?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$123 (endorsement application (check/money order to DHHS - Nebraska Board of Nursing); reduced to $30.75 in the final six months of the two-year cycle; + $55 criminal background check (effective 2025-08-01)) (endorsement application (check/money order to DHHS - Nebraska Board of Nursing); reduced to $30.75 in the final six months of the two-year cycle; + $55 criminal background check (effective 2025-08-01)).
How long will it take?
board does not publish a processing timeframe — board does not publish a processing timeframe.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Nebraska DHHS — Nursing License Endorsement Application Information (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nebraska DHHS — Nurse License Applications ↗ (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]