Nursing License from Kentucky to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Kentucky to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing, verify your Kentucky license, and meet Michigan'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 Kentucky into Michigan means leaving the compact's coverage: Michigan does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Kentucky easy stops at the border. File Michigan'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 Kentucky, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Michigan.
What changes, Kentucky → Michigan
| Kentucky (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $165 (endorsement application, non-refundable; + IdentoGO background check fee and $30 Nursys verification fee) | $212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) |
| Processing time | ~3 weeks (board states licenses may be issued within 14 business days after all documents are received; up to 3 months with disciplinary/conviction disclosures; 6-month temporary permit available) | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline |
| Licensing authority | Kentucky Board of Nursing | Michigan Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after applying via MiPLUS).
- Complete a one-time human trafficking victim identification training.
- Complete 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years before licensure.
- Submit verification of licensure from every state where you hold or ever held a license.
- Have final official transcripts sent directly from your nursing program to the Bureau.
- Demonstrate English language proficiency.
- Pay the fees ($212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately)) and allow board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Kentucky nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Kentucky to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing, verify your Kentucky license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Kentucky to Michigan?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately).
How long will it take?
board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline — board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Michigan LARA/BPL — Michigan Nursing Licensing Guide ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Board of Nursing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Board of Nursing — RN Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Board of Nursing — Fees for Licensure Applications and Services (PDF) ↗ (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]