Nursing License from Iowa to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Illinois accept an Iowa nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Iowa to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing), verify your Iowa license, and meet Illinois'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
Moving from Iowa into Illinois means leaving the compact's coverage: Illinois does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Iowa easy stops at the border. File Illinois's endorsement application as early as the board allows — this direction of the move is paperwork-first, and starting after you arrive is the classic way to lose weeks of income. Note that while your primary residence remains in Iowa, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Illinois.
What's different between Iowa and Illinois
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Illinois. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Iowa to Illinois (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Illinois to Iowa (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Iowa matter?
Coming from Iowa does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Illinois.
- NLC membership
Iowa is an NLC member state; Illinois is not in the NLC.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Iowa does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Illinois lists $50–$75 for an out-of-state applicant and Iowa lists $119 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Iowa and Illinois 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, Iowa → Illinois
| Iowa (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $119 (board collects $169 total: $119 endorsement application + $50 criminal history background check) | $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) |
| Processing time | board's current endorsement and licensure pages publish no processing time; application status is tracked in the Board of Nursing online portal | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials |
| Licensing authority | Iowa Board of Nursing | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check through the Illinois State Police or its designated agent.
- Hold a current license in at least one other U.S. jurisdiction.
- Request license verification through Nursys (or the CT-NUR form if your state does not participate).
- Submit proof of nursing education (ED form signed by your program director or official sealed transcripts).
- 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 Iowa to Illinois?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- Iowa DIAL — Apply for a Nursing License by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Iowa DIAL — Nursing Licensure Fees and Fee Waivers ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Iowa DIAL — Nurse Licensure Compact ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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