Nursing License from Michigan to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Ohio accept a Michigan nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Board of Nursing, verify your Michigan license, and meet Ohio'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
This direction has a silver lining. Michigan is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Ohio is a member. Endorse into Ohio, 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's different between Michigan and Ohio
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Ohio. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Michigan to Ohio (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Ohio to Michigan (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Michigan matter?
Coming from Michigan matters here: only 11 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Ohio.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Michigan is not in the NLC; Ohio is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Ohio does not cover practice in Michigan.
- Application fee
Ohio lists $75 for an out-of-state applicant and Michigan lists $212.90 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Michigan and Ohio 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, Michigan → Ohio
| Michigan (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $212.90 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) | $75 (non-refundable endorsement (reciprocity) application; + eLicense system transaction fee and BCI/FBI fingerprinting costs paid to vendors) |
| Processing time | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline | board does not publish a stated range; application is void and fee forfeited if incomplete for one year |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Nursing | Ohio Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Ohio's current requirements on the Ohio Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Ohio Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete a BCI (state) and FBI (federal) fingerprint-based criminal records check.
- Provide verification of your original licensure by examination and of a current, valid, unrestricted license via Nursys or directly from that NCSBN jurisdiction.
- Submit documentation of 2 contact hours of Category A continuing education on the Ohio Nurse Practice Act and Board rules.
- Provide evidence of completing an RN pre-licensure education program approved by the Board or another NCSBN jurisdiction.
- 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 Michigan to Ohio?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Michigan 2026-07-21, Ohio 2026-10-29.
- Ohio BON — RN Licensure by Endorsement application instructions (official sample application, eLicense) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nursys — participating boards of nursing (Ohio listed) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Michigan 2026-07-21, Ohio 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com