Nursing License from Illinois to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does West Virginia accept an Illinois nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Illinois to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses, verify your Illinois license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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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 West Virginia is a member. Endorse into West Virginia, 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 West Virginia
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into West Virginia. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Illinois to West Virginia (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
West Virginia 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 West Virginia.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Illinois is not in the NLC; West Virginia is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by West Virginia does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
West Virginia lists $125 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
Illinois and West Virginia 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 → West Virginia
| Illinois (current) | West Virginia (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) | $125 (board fee item is 'RN & APRN Endorsement (Includes Temporary Permit)'; background-check fees paid separately) |
| Processing time | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials | board does not publish a processing timeframe; the $125 endorsement fee includes a temporary permit |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) | West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active RN license in another state.
- Nursys license verification sent to West Virginia.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check.
- Provide proof of primary state of residence (driver's license, voter registration card, or tax return).
- Submit the application through the WV Nurse Portal.
- 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 West Virginia?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- WV RN Board — Licensure Requirements (RN by Endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WV RN Board — Fees and Waivers (official schedule of fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WV RN Board — Multistate Licensure (NLC) ↗ (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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