Nursing License from Pennsylvania to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Michigan accept a Pennsylvania nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Pennsylvania to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Michigan'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 Michigan means leaving the compact's coverage: Michigan does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Pennsylvania easy stops at the border. File Michigan'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 Michigan.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Michigan
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Michigan. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Michigan (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Michigan 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 Michigan.
- NLC membership
Pennsylvania is an NLC member state; Michigan is not in the NLC.
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 Michigan.
- Application fee
Michigan lists $212.90 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 Michigan 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 → Michigan
| Pennsylvania (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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) | $212.90 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) |
| 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 an endorsement processing timeline |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing | Michigan Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after applying via MiPLUS).
- Complete a one-time human trafficking victim identification training.
- Complete 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years before licensure.
- Submit verification of licensure from every state where you hold or ever held a license.
- Have final official transcripts sent directly from your nursing program to the Bureau.
- Demonstrate English language proficiency.
- 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 Michigan?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Pennsylvania 2026-10-29, Michigan 2026-07-21.
- Michigan LARA/BPL — Michigan Nursing Licensing Guide ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Board of Nursing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 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 Pennsylvania 2026-10-29, Michigan 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com