Nursing License from Illinois to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does New Mexico accept an Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Nursing, verify your Illinois license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys or by the state where you passed the NCLEX.
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 New Mexico is a member. Endorse into New Mexico, 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 New Mexico
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into New Mexico. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to New Mexico (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
New Mexico 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 New Mexico.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; New Mexico is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by New Mexico does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
New Mexico lists $150 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
New Mexico and Illinois carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- New Mexico (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys or by the state where you passed the NCLEX
- Illinois (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
What changes, Illinois → New Mexico
| Illinois (current) | New Mexico (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) | $150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + IdentoGO fingerprint background check ($59 in-state; $67 fingerprint-card processing for out-of-state applicants); optional temporary license $60; $50 multistate compact license fee effective June 1, 2026) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline; a $60 temporary license is listed on the board's fee schedule |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | New Mexico Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Mexico Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete a fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check through IdentoGO (Idemia).
- Provide verification of licensure from the state where you were licensed by exam, or through Nursys.
- Apply online through the NM Nurse Portal — paper applications are not accepted.
- Complete all licensure steps within one year; endorsement applications are valid for 1 year.
- 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 New Mexico?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- NM Board of Nursing — RN & LPN (endorsement steps) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NM Board of Nursing — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NM Board of Nursing — Fingerprinting/Idemia ↗ (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