Nursing License from New York to Wyoming: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Wyoming accept a New York nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from New York to Wyoming by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wyoming State Board of Nursing, verify your New York license, and meet Wyoming'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 Wyoming is a member. Endorse into Wyoming, 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 Wyoming
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Wyoming. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New York to Wyoming (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Wyoming 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 Wyoming.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
New York is not in the NLC; Wyoming is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Wyoming does not cover practice in New York.
- Application fee
Wyoming lists $135 for an out-of-state applicant and New York lists $143 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Wyoming lists 6–9 weeks; New York has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Wyoming and New York carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Wyoming (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 → Wyoming
| New York (current) | Wyoming (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) | $135 (endorsement application (WSBN Rules ch. 5, effective 5/26/2026); + $60 DCI background check and 2.4% card processing fee; optional $25 temporary permit) |
| Processing time | NYSED does not publish processing times for RN licensure applications | 6–9 weeks (board states 45-60 days once ALL documents are received (DCI fingerprint processing is 15-30 days of that); one-time 90-day temporary permit available) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions | Wyoming State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Wyoming sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Wyoming's current requirements on the Wyoming State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Wyoming State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active RN license in another state.
- Nursys license verification (board verification form only if your state does not participate in Nursys).
- Submit two fingerprint cards for a DCI and FBI criminal background check.
- Apply and pay through the Wyoming Nurse Portal (credit/debit card only).
- 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 Wyoming?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Wyoming State Board of Nursing — Licensing (fee rules linked on page) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WSBN Rules ch. 5 — Fees (effective 2026-05-26; linked from wsbn.wyo.gov/licensing) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- WSBN — Criminal Background Check FAQs (two FBI cards, DCI and FBI; linked from wsbn.wyo.gov/licensing) ↗ (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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