Nursing License from New Mexico to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) ↗
A nursing license transfers from New Mexico 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 New Mexico license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from New Mexico into Illinois means leaving the compact's coverage: Illinois does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made New Mexico 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 New Mexico, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Illinois.
What changes, New Mexico → Illinois
| New Mexico (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $150 (endorsement application (nonrefundable); + $59 IdentoGO fingerprint background check; optional temporary license $60; $50 multistate compact license fee effective June 1, 2026) | $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 an endorsement processing timeline; a $60 temporary license is listed on the board's fee schedule | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials |
| Licensing authority | New Mexico 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 ($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)) and allow no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a New Mexico nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from New Mexico 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 New Mexico license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from New Mexico to Illinois?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$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) ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor).
How long will it take?
no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials — no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]