Nursing License from Illinois to Utah: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Utah accept an 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.
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 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's different between Illinois and Utah
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Utah. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Utah (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Utah 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 Utah.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; Utah is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Utah does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Utah lists $60 for an out-of-state applicant and Illinois lists $50–$75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Utah lists about 3 weeks; Illinois has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Illinois and Utah 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 → 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 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 Utah?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Illinois 2026-10-29, Utah 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 2026-10-29)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Illinois 2026-10-29, Utah 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com