Nursing License from Michigan to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) ↗
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health), verify your Michigan license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are verified through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a silver lining. Michigan is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Connecticut is a member. Endorse into Connecticut, 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 changes, Michigan → Connecticut
| Michigan (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) | $180 (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement) |
| Processing time | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline | no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Nursing | Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current RN license from a US state or territory that required passing the NCLEX (non-NCLEX licensees must apply by examination instead).
- Arrange verification of all RN licenses held, current or expired, through Nursys (written verification form for non-participating states).
- Apply online through the eLicense portal — paper applications are not accepted.
- Pay the fees ($180 (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement)) and allow no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut accept a Michigan nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing (licensing administered by the Department of Public Health), verify your Michigan license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Michigan to Connecticut?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; all RN licenses held (current or expired) are verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$180 (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement) (endorsement application fee; Nursys verification fee additional; no fingerprint background check listed for RN endorsement).
How long will it take?
no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application — no overall time published; a 120-day temporary permit is issued within 15 business days of a complete, approved application.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- CT DPH — RN Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Nursys — participating boards (Connecticut) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA/BPL — Michigan Nursing Licensing Guide ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Board of Nursing ↗ (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]