Nursing License from New York to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Massachusetts accept a New York nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from New York to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, verify your New York license, and meet Massachusetts'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
Neither New York nor Massachusetts participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Massachusetts's board verifies the license you already hold and issues its own. Nothing about New York speeds it up or slows it down — the timeline below is Massachusetts's standard out-of-state queue.
What's different between New York and Massachusetts
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Massachusetts. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New York to Massachusetts (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Massachusetts to New York (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from New York matter?
Coming from New York does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Massachusetts.
- NLC membership
New York is not in the NLC; Massachusetts has enacted the NLC but is not issuing under it yet.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
- Application fee
Massachusetts lists $275 for an out-of-state applicant and New York lists $143 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Massachusetts and New York carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Massachusetts (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
- New York (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; your out-of-state license is verified to NYSED through Nursys (or Form 3 if your state does not participate)
What changes, New York → Massachusetts
| New York (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $143 (licensure and first registration fee (Form 1); NYSED's $35 limited permit is only for applicants who have never taken the NCLEX-RN, so it is not available to nurses already licensed by exam; NYSED RN checklists list no fingerprint background check) | $275 (reciprocity application; + $30 Nursys license verification fee per license held) |
| Processing time | NYSED does not publish processing times for RN licensure applications | board does not publish a timeline; no temporary licenses issued; expedited processing policies exist for critical public-health needs |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions | Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Verify every nursing license you hold through Nursys.
- Provide proof of graduation from a board-approved nursing program.
- Meet Massachusetts Good Moral Character requirements.
- Hold a valid Social Security number (applications without an SSN are not accepted).
- 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 New York to Massachusetts?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Mass.gov — Apply for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov — Check eligibility for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov BORN — The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov BORN — Implementation of the Nursing Licensure Compact (memorandum, PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov BORN — Licensure Policy 10-03, Expedited Processing of Reciprocal License Applications (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — RN Pathway #3 (licensed in another state) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — RN License Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — How do I apply for Licensure by Endorsement? ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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