Nursing License from Illinois to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Vermont accept an Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to Vermont by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Vermont State Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Regulation), verify your Illinois license, and meet Vermont'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 Vermont is a member. Endorse into Vermont, 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 Vermont
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Vermont. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to Vermont (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Vermont 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 Vermont.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; Vermont is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Vermont does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Vermont lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and Illinois lists $50–$75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Vermont lists 1–2 weeks; Illinois has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Illinois and Vermont 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 → Vermont
| Illinois (current) | Vermont (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 (OPR fee schedule updated 7/1/2025); + $100 multistate (compact) specialty; fingerprinting fee paid to vendor) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | 1–2 weeks (OPR states 3-5 business days once documents are complete; fingerprint results can take up to 12 weeks - a 90-day provisional license is available while pending) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | Vermont State Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Vermont's current requirements on the Vermont State Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Vermont State Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a license in good standing in another U.S. state or jurisdiction.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check (VCIC and FBI) for all first-time applicants.
- Nursys verification of your original license and your most recent state of practice (Quick Confirm report not accepted).
- Licensed 3+ years: apply via Fast Track Endorsement; under 3 years: standard endorsement.
- 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 Vermont?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Vermont OPR — Nursing Applications & Renewals ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Vermont OPR — Nursing FAQs (endorsement processing, Nursys) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Vermont OPR — Background Checks (VCIC fingerprinting, 6-12 week results) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Vermont OPR — RN Application Instructions (Feb 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Vermont OPR — Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates (updated 7/1/2025; read via Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-16, outside.vermont.gov returned HTTP 403) ↗ (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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