Nursing License from Missouri to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Illinois accept a Missouri nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Missouri 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 Missouri license, and meet Illinois'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
Moving from Missouri into Illinois means leaving the compact's coverage: Illinois does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Missouri easy stops at the border. File Illinois's endorsement application as early as the board allows — this direction of the move is paperwork-first, and starting after you arrive is the classic way to lose weeks of income. Note that while your primary residence remains in Missouri, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Illinois.
What's different between Missouri and Illinois
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Illinois. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Missouri to Illinois (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Illinois to Missouri (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Missouri matter?
Coming from Missouri does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Illinois.
- NLC membership
Missouri is an NLC member state; Illinois is not in the NLC.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Missouri does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Illinois lists $50–$75 for an out-of-state applicant and Missouri lists $105 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Missouri and Illinois 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, Missouri → Illinois
| Missouri (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $105 (endorsement application (20 CSR 2200-4.010), non-refundable; + separate fingerprint vendor fee paid through MACHS) | $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 timeframe; a single-state temporary permit valid up to six months may be issued while the application is pending if you are otherwise eligible | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials |
| Licensing authority | Missouri State Board of 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 listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Missouri to Illinois?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri State Board of Nursing — RN Licensure (Apply Online) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri State Board of Nursing — Online Initial License Application Checklist (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri State Board of Nursing — Fingerprint Background Checks ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Code of State Regulations 20 CSR 2200-4.010 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Code of State Regulations 20 CSR 2200-4.020 — Requirements for Licensure (endorsement, temporary permit) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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