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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Nursing License to North Dakota: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: North Dakota Board of Nursing ↗

North Dakota honors multistate licenses under the Nurse Licensure Compact — compact nurses need no North Dakota application at all. From a non-compact state such as California or New York, the path is licensure by endorsement through the North Dakota Board of Nursing, without retaking the NCLEX.

Moving to North Dakota from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

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Verdict

NLC member — multistate license honored

Whether you need to do anything at all depends on the license in your pocket. If you hold a multistate license and your primary residence stays in another compact state — a travel contract, a border commute, telehealth — North Dakota requires nothing from you. If you are actually moving to North Dakota, you are changing your primary state of residence, and that means an endorsement application to the North Dakota Board of Nursing to re-home your multistate license.

NLC member — nurses with an active multistate license from another compact state may work in North Dakota with no ND application; nurses declaring ND as primary state of residence receive a compact multistate license automatically at no extra fee. Apply via the ND Nurse Portal (ORBS); paper applications not accepted.

North Dakota requirements at a glance

Out-of-state nursing license transfer requirements for North Dakota, verified 2026-07-21
ExamNCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
Additional requirements
  • 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)
Fees$150 (nonrefundable endorsement fee set by NDAC 54-02-06-01; + $40 Criminal History Record Check fee payable to the ND Attorney General, plus local fingerprinting agency charges)
Processing time1–2 weeks (board asks 5-10 business days once all items are received; the CHRC itself takes 10-14 business days; a 90-day temporary permit is issued automatically at no extra fee while the CHRC pends)

Step by step

  1. Confirm North Dakota's current requirements on the North Dakota Board of Nursing website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the North Dakota Board of Nursing (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a U.S. Social Security number (ITIN not accepted).
  5. Provide Nursys verification of your initial exam license and an active license.
  6. Have your nursing school send an official transcript directly to the board.
  7. Show 400 hours of licensed nursing practice in the past 4 years, or program completion or a board-approved refresher course within 4 years.
  8. Complete a fingerprint-based Criminal History Record Check (ND BCI and FBI).
  9. Pay the fees ($150 (nonrefundable endorsement fee set by NDAC 54-02-06-01; + $40 Criminal History Record Check fee payable to the ND Attorney General, plus local fingerprinting agency charges)) and allow 1–2 weeks (board asks 5-10 business days once all items are received; the CHRC itself takes 10-14 business days; a 90-day temporary permit is issued automatically at no extra fee while the CHRC pends).

Official links

North Dakota Board of Nursing ↗North Dakota application ↗License verification ↗Nurse Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into North Dakota:

Alabama → North DakotaArizona → North DakotaArkansas → North DakotaCalifornia → North DakotaColorado → North DakotaConnecticut → North DakotaDelaware → North DakotaFlorida → North DakotaGeorgia → North DakotaIdaho → North DakotaIllinois → North DakotaIndiana → North DakotaIowa → North DakotaKansas → North DakotaKentucky → North DakotaLouisiana → North DakotaMaine → North DakotaMaryland → North DakotaMichigan → North DakotaMississippi → North Dakota
All 43 origin states
Missouri → North DakotaMontana → North DakotaNebraska → North DakotaNew Hampshire → North DakotaNew Jersey → North DakotaNew Mexico → North DakotaNew York → North DakotaNorth Carolina → North DakotaOhio → North DakotaOklahoma → North DakotaPennsylvania → North DakotaRhode Island → North DakotaSouth Carolina → North DakotaSouth Dakota → North DakotaTennessee → North DakotaTexas → North DakotaUtah → North DakotaVermont → North DakotaVirginia → North DakotaWashington → North DakotaWest Virginia → North DakotaWisconsin → North DakotaWyoming → North Dakota

Frequently asked questions

Does my nursing license transfer to North Dakota?

North Dakota honors multistate licenses under the Nurse Licensure Compact — compact nurses need no North Dakota application at all. From a non-compact state such as California or New York, the path is licensure by endorsement through the North Dakota Board of Nursing, without retaking the NCLEX.

Do I have to retake the NCLEX to get licensed in North Dakota?

No. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys. No state requires a second NCLEX.

How much does it cost to transfer an RN license to North Dakota?

$150 (nonrefundable endorsement fee set by NDAC 54-02-06-01; + $40 Criminal History Record Check fee payable to the ND Attorney General, plus local fingerprinting agency charges) (nonrefundable endorsement fee set by NDAC 54-02-06-01; + $40 Criminal History Record Check fee payable to the ND Attorney General, plus local fingerprinting agency charges).

How long does North Dakota take to process an endorsement application?

1–2 weeks (board asks 5-10 business days once all items are received; the CHRC itself takes 10-14 business days; a 90-day temporary permit is issued automatically at no extra fee while the CHRC pends) — board asks 5-10 business days once all items are received; the CHRC itself takes 10-14 business days; a 90-day temporary permit is issued automatically at no extra fee while the CHRC pends.

Is North Dakota in the Nurse Licensure Compact?

Yes — North Dakota is an NLC member as of 2026-07-21. A multistate license from another member state is valid in North Dakota without any application, as long as your primary residence stays in a member state.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]