Nursing License from New York to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does North Dakota accept a New York nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from New York to North Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Dakota Board of Nursing, verify your New York license, and meet North Dakota'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 North Dakota is a member. Endorse into North Dakota, 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 North Dakota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into North Dakota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New York to North Dakota (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
North Dakota 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 North Dakota.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
New York is not in the NLC; North Dakota is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by North Dakota does not cover practice in New York.
- Application fee
North Dakota lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and New York lists $143 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
North Dakota lists 1–2 weeks; New York has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
North Dakota and New York carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- North Dakota (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 → North Dakota
| New York (current) | North Dakota (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) | $150 (nonrefundable endorsement fee set by NDAC 54-02-06-01; + $43 Criminal History Record Check fee payable to the ND Attorney General, plus local fingerprinting agency charges) |
| Processing time | NYSED does not publish processing times for RN licensure applications | 1–2 weeks (board asks 5-10 business days once all items are received; a 90-day temporary permit is issued automatically at no extra fee while the CHRC pends) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions | North Dakota Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the North Dakota Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a U.S. Social Security number (ITIN not accepted).
- Provide Nursys verification of your initial exam license and an active license.
- Have your nursing school send an official transcript directly to the board.
- Show 400 hours of licensed nursing practice in the past 4 years, or program completion or a board-approved refresher course within 4 years.
- Complete a fingerprint-based Criminal History Record Check (ND BCI and FBI).
- 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 North Dakota?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- ND Board of Nursing — Endorsement, US Educated ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- ND Board of Nursing — Criminal History Record Check (CHRC) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- ND Administrative Code 54-02-06 — License 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
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