Nursing License from Pennsylvania to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Oregon accept a Pennsylvania nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Pennsylvania to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon State Board of Nursing, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; license verification is sent to OSBN from the state where you took the exam.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Pennsylvania into Oregon means leaving the compact's coverage: Oregon does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Pennsylvania easy stops at the border. File Oregon'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 Oregon.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Oregon
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Oregon. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Oregon (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Oregon 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 Oregon.
- NLC membership
Pennsylvania is an NLC member state; Oregon 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 Oregon.
- Application fee
Oregon lists $295 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
Oregon and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Oregon (this move): NCLEX is not retaken; license verification is sent to OSBN from the state where you took the exam
- Pennsylvania (the reverse move): NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys
What changes, Pennsylvania → Oregon
| Pennsylvania (current) | Oregon (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) | $295 (RN License by Endorsement fee per OAR 851-002-0010 (amended effective 2026-08-22); + $9 Oregon Nursing Advancement Fund surcharge on endorsement applications; + $61 fingerprinting fee (OAR 851-002-0055 temporary rule text in effect through 2026-10-31; a permanent amendment takes effect 2026-11-01, confirm the amount with OSBN)) |
| Processing time | board's licensure guide states no fixed timeframe; delays are reduced by having schools and boards send documents directly to the Board | no processing time stated in the board's endorsement application directions |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing | Oregon State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oregon 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, or a previously held license plus required continuing education per OAR 851-031-0008.
- Complete 1 hour of pain management training from the Oregon Pain Management Commission within the last 36 months.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check via Fieldprint, submitted only after the application.
- Have your nursing program send official transcripts directly to OSBN.
- Have license verification from your exam state sent to OSBN.
- 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 Oregon?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- OSBN — LPN or RN by Endorsement Application Steps (official directions, as of 6-30-26) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Oregon Administrative Rules ch. 851 div. 2 — Board of Nursing agency fees (OAR 851-002-0010, 851-002-0055) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nursys — participating boards of nursing (Oregon listed) ↗ (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 2026-10-29
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