Nursing License from Massachusetts to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) ↗
A nursing license transfers from Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Massachusetts nor Illinois participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Illinois's board verifies the license you already hold and issues its own. Nothing about Massachusetts speeds it up or slows it down — the timeline below is Illinois's standard out-of-state queue.
What changes, Massachusetts → Illinois
| Massachusetts (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $275 (reciprocity application; + $30 Nursys license verification fee per license held) | $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 does not publish a timeline; no temporary licenses issued; expedited processing policies exist for critical public-health needs | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials |
| Licensing authority | Massachusetts Board of Registration in 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 ($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)) and allow no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a Massachusetts nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Massachusetts to Illinois?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$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) ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor).
How long will it take?
no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials — no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov — Apply for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov — Check eligibility for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov BORN — Implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact ↗ (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]