Nursing License from New Jersey to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Virginia accept a New Jersey nursing license?
Yes — both New Jersey and Virginia are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If New Jersey is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Virginia now; if you are moving your residence to Virginia, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Virginia your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
This is the move the compact was built for. Both New Jersey and Virginia are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Virginia while living in New Jersey — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Virginia means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Virginia and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between New Jersey and Virginia
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Virginia. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New Jersey to Virginia (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Virginia to New Jersey (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from New Jersey matter?
New Jersey gets Virginia's most common result: 39 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (11).
- NLC membership
New Jersey and Virginia are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by New Jersey covers practice in Virginia, and one issued by Virginia covers practice in New Jersey.
- Application fee
Virginia lists $190 for an out-of-state applicant and New Jersey lists $200 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Virginia and New Jersey carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Virginia (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
- New Jersey (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys or directly by your previous state boards
What changes, New Jersey → Virginia
| New Jersey (current) | Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $200 (total due at application — $120 license fee + $75 nonrefundable application fee + $5 mandatory Alternative to Discipline fee; + $58.69 Morpho Trust fingerprint-card fee for applicants outside the metropolitan NJ area) | $190 (application fee, same for exam or endorsement; fingerprint background-check fee paid separately to vendor) |
| Processing time | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeframe |
| Licensing authority | New Jersey Board of Nursing | Virginia Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Virginia: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Virginia Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Virginia as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Virginia's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from New Jersey to Virginia?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
What does the move cost?
If you are only working across the border, nothing. If you are relocating your residence to Virginia: $190 (application fee, same for exam or endorsement; fingerprint background-check fee paid separately to vendor).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (board does not publish an endorsement processing timeframe).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Fees (read via Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-07; dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve on 2026-10-29) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Virginia Board of Nursing — Registered Nurse application wizard, endorsement path (read via Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-09) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nursys — Nurse License Verification participating boards ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NJ Board of Nursing — Instructions for Licensure by Endorsement (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NJ Board of Nursing — Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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