Nursing License from New York to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Minnesota accept a New York nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from New York to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Nursing, verify your New York license, and meet Minnesota'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 Minnesota participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so this is a classic endorsement move: Minnesota'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 Minnesota's standard out-of-state queue.
What's different between New York and Minnesota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Minnesota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New York to Minnesota (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Minnesota 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 Minnesota.
- NLC membership
Neither New York nor Minnesota is in the NLC.
- Application fee
Minnesota lists $105 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
Minnesota and New York carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Minnesota (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 → Minnesota
| New York (current) | Minnesota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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) | $105 (endorsement application (Minn. Stat. 148.243, subd. 3); + criminal background check fee set by the BCA and FBI, paid to the Board) |
| Processing time | NYSED does not publish processing times for RN licensure applications | board does not publish a timeline; optional temporary permit valid up to 60 days (non-renewable) while the application is under review |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions | Minnesota Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Minnesota's current requirements on the Minnesota Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Minnesota Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check, completed after you submit the application.
- Submit verification of licensure from your state of original licensure and, if different, the state where you most recently practiced.
- Have your nursing employer complete the Board's form verifying your nursing practice dates.
- If you have neither practiced nor graduated from a nursing program in the past 2 years, complete continuing education (1 contact hour per month out of practice, up to 60 for RNs); after more than 5 years, complete a Board-approved refresher course.
- 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 Minnesota?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Minnesota Board of Nursing — Licensure by Endorsement process ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minnesota Board of Nursing — Licensure Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minnesota Statutes 148.211 — Licensing (endorsement; border-state license recognition) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota Statutes 148.212 — Temporary permit ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota Statutes 148.243 — Fee amounts (licensure by endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota Statutes 214.075 — Health-related licensing boards; criminal background checks ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota Rules 6305.0500 — Requirements for professional and practical nurse licensure by endorsement ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com