Nursing License from Michigan to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Mexico Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Nursing, verify your Michigan license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys or by the state where you passed the NCLEX.
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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 New Mexico is a member. Endorse into New Mexico, 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 → New Mexico
| Michigan (current) | New Mexico (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) | $150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $59 IdentoGO fingerprint background check; optional temporary license $60; $50 multistate compact license fee effective June 1, 2026) |
| Processing time | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline; a $60 temporary license is listed on the board's fee schedule |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Nursing | New Mexico Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Mexico Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete a fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check through IdentoGO (Idemia).
- Provide verification of licensure from the state where you were licensed by exam, or through Nursys.
- Apply online through the NM Nurse Portal — paper applications are not accepted.
- Complete all licensure steps within one year; endorsement applications are valid for 1 year.
- Pay the fees ($150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $59 IdentoGO fingerprint background check; optional temporary license $60; $50 multistate compact license fee effective June 1, 2026)) and allow board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline; a $60 temporary license is listed on the board's fee schedule.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Mexico accept a Michigan nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Nursing, verify your Michigan license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys or by the state where you passed the NCLEX.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Michigan to New Mexico?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys or by the state where you passed the NCLEX.
What does the move cost?
$150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $59 IdentoGO fingerprint background check; optional temporary license $60; $50 multistate compact license fee effective June 1, 2026) (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $59 IdentoGO fingerprint background check; optional temporary license $60; $50 multistate compact license fee effective June 1, 2026).
How long will it take?
board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline; a $60 temporary license is listed on the board's fee schedule — board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline; a $60 temporary license is listed on the board's fee schedule.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- NM Board of Nursing — RN & LPN (endorsement steps) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NM Board of Nursing — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NM Board of Nursing — Fingerprinting/Idemia ↗ (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]