Nursing License from Illinois to Utah: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Utah Board of Nursing (Utah Division of Professional Licensing) ↗
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Utah by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Utah Board of Nursing (Utah Division of Professional Licensing), verify your Illinois license, and meet Utah'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 Utah is a member. Endorse into Utah, 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 → Utah
| Illinois (current) | Utah (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) | $60 (RN application fee per DOPL fee schedule FY 2025-26 (latest verifiable); + $12 FBI and $20 BCI fingerprint search fees) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | ~3 weeks (DOPL states typical processing of a complete application is 21 days) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Utah Board of Nursing (Utah Division of Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Utah sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Utah's current requirements on the Utah Board of Nursing (Utah Division of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Utah Board of Nursing (Utah Division of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit fingerprints for FBI and Utah BCI criminal background checks with the application.
- Request official license verification through Nursys, including education and exam information.
- Hold the equivalent license, active and in good standing, for at least one year.
- Pay the fees ($60 (RN application fee per DOPL fee schedule FY 2025-26 (latest verifiable); + $12 FBI and $20 BCI fingerprint search fees)) and allow ~3 weeks (DOPL states typical processing of a complete application is 21 days).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Utah accept a Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Utah by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Utah Board of Nursing (Utah Division of Professional Licensing), verify your Illinois license, and meet Utah's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Illinois to Utah?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$60 (RN application fee per DOPL fee schedule FY 2025-26 (latest verifiable); + $12 FBI and $20 BCI fingerprint search fees) (RN application fee per DOPL fee schedule FY 2025-26 (latest verifiable); + $12 FBI and $20 BCI fingerprint search fees).
How long will it take?
~3 weeks (DOPL states typical processing of a complete application is 21 days) — DOPL states typical processing of a complete application is 21 days.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Utah DOPL — Apply for an RN or LPN License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Utah DOPL — Endorsement to Utah RN/LPN (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Utah DOPL — Fee Schedule FY 2025-26 (PDF) ↗ (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]