Nursing License from New York to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Montana accept a New York nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from New York to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry), verify your New York license, and meet Montana'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
This direction has a silver lining. New York is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Montana is a member. Endorse into Montana, establish it as your primary residence, meet the uniform licensure requirements, and the license you receive is multistate: one application turns into practice privileges across the whole compact.
What's different between New York and Montana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Montana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New York to Montana (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Montana 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 matters here: only 11 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Montana.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
New York is not in the NLC; Montana is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Montana does not cover practice in New York.
- Application fee
Montana lists $200 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
Montana and New York carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Montana (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 → Montana
| New York (current) | Montana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| 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) | $200 (endorsement fee set by ARM 24.159.401(3), payable when you apply and retained if the application is withdrawn; + separate fingerprint background-check fee paid to the Montana Department of Justice) |
| Processing time | NYSED does not publish processing times for RN licensure applications | board does not publish a current processing timeframe for online endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions | Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana Board of Nursing (Department of Labor and Industry) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active license in good standing in another jurisdiction.
- Apply online through the Montana eBiz licensing portal (ebiz.mt.gov).
- Submit fingerprints for a background check through the Montana Department of Justice.
- If you hold another compact state's multistate license and make Montana your primary state of residence, apply for a Montana license within 60 days of the move.
- 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 Montana?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Montana Board of Nursing — License Information (endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Administrative Rules of Montana 24.159.401 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Montana Code Annotated 37-1-304 — Licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Montana Board of Nursing — home page (NLC rule 402(2), 60-day relocation rule) ↗ (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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