Nursing License from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Massachusetts accept a Pennsylvania nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Massachusetts'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
Moving from Pennsylvania into Massachusetts means leaving the compact's coverage: Massachusetts does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Pennsylvania easy stops at the border. File Massachusetts's endorsement application as early as the board allows — this direction of the move is paperwork-first, and starting after you arrive is the classic way to lose weeks of income. Note that while your primary residence remains in Pennsylvania, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Massachusetts.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Massachusetts
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Massachusetts. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Massachusetts (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Massachusetts to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Massachusetts.
- NLC membership
Pennsylvania is an NLC member state; Massachusetts has enacted the NLC but is not issuing under it yet.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Pennsylvania does not cover practice in Massachusetts.
- Application fee
Massachusetts lists $275 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $120–$180 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts carry the same exam note for a licensee arriving from another state; any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Massachusetts
| Pennsylvania (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $120–$180 ($120 single-state endorsement / $180 multistate endorsement (multistate requires PA primary residence); + fingerprinting costs; $105 to convert an existing PA license to multistate) | $275 (reciprocity application; + $30 Nursys license verification fee per license held) |
| Processing time | board's licensure guide states no fixed timeframe; delays are reduced by having schools and boards send documents directly to the Board | board does not publish a timeline; no temporary licenses issued; expedited processing policies exist for critical public-health needs |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing | Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Verify every nursing license you hold through Nursys.
- Provide proof of graduation from a board-approved nursing program.
- Meet Massachusetts Good Moral Character requirements.
- Hold a valid Social Security number (applications without an SSN are not accepted).
- 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 Pennsylvania to Massachusetts?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Mass.gov — Apply for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov — Check eligibility for a nursing license by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov BORN — The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov BORN — Implementation of the Nursing Licensure Compact (memorandum, PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Mass.gov BORN — Licensure Policy 10-03, Expedited Processing of Reciprocal License Applications (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- PA Department of State — Nurse Licensure Compact (implementation and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- PA Department of State — Nursing Licensure Guide (background check, Act 31 CE, verifications) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 49 Pa. Code § 21.5 — Fees (licensure by endorsement $120) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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