Nursing License from Michigan to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does South Dakota accept a Michigan nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Michigan to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Board of Nursing, verify your Michigan license, and meet South Dakota'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 South Dakota is a member. Endorse into South Dakota, 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 South Dakota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into South Dakota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Michigan to South Dakota (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
South Dakota 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 South Dakota.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
Michigan is not in the NLC; South Dakota is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by South Dakota does not cover practice in Michigan.
- Application fee
South Dakota lists $100 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 South Dakota 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 → South Dakota
| Michigan (current) | South Dakota (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) | $100 (endorsement application (ARSD 20:48:06:01); optional temporary permit $25; fingerprint background check fee paid separately) |
| Processing time | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeframe; temporary permit available while the background check and endorsement are pending |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Nursing | South Dakota Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit fingerprints on board-provided cards for a state and federal criminal background check through the SD Division of Criminal Investigation.
- Request license verification through Nursys from your original state of licensure.
- Show at least 140 hours of nursing employment in any 12-month period within the past 6 years, or meet reentry standards (480 hours over 6 years or a board-approved refresher course).
- Apply online through the SD Board of Nursing Nurse Portal.
- 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 South Dakota?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Michigan 2026-07-21, South Dakota 2026-10-29.
- SD Board of Nursing — New LPN/RN License Application ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- ARSD 20:48:06:01 — Fees required of registered nurses (amended effective 2026-08-03) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- ARSD 20:48:03:07 — Application for license by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- ARSD 20:48:03:16 — Eligibility for active status licensure, reentry standards ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 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, South Dakota 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com