Nursing License from Pennsylvania to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Tennessee accept a Pennsylvania nursing license?
Yes — both Pennsylvania and Tennessee are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If Pennsylvania is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Tennessee now; if you are moving your residence to Tennessee, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Tennessee your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
This is the move the compact was built for. Both Pennsylvania and Tennessee are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Tennessee while living in Pennsylvania — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Tennessee means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Tennessee and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Tennessee
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Tennessee. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Tennessee (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Tennessee to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Pennsylvania gets Tennessee's most common result: 39 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (11).
- NLC membership
Pennsylvania and Tennessee are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by Pennsylvania covers practice in Tennessee, and one issued by Tennessee covers practice in Pennsylvania.
- Application fee
Tennessee lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and Pennsylvania lists $120–$180 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Tennessee lists about 6 weeks; Pennsylvania has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Pennsylvania and Tennessee 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 → Tennessee
| Pennsylvania (current) | Tennessee (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| 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) | $150 ($140 endorsement + $10 biennial state regulatory fee (rules effective 2026-04-08); + fingerprint background check vendor fee) |
| Processing time | board's licensure guide states no fixed timeframe; delays are reduced by having schools and boards send documents directly to the Board | ~6 weeks (board instructions state to allow six weeks for processing) |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing | Tennessee Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Tennessee: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Tennessee Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Tennessee as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Tennessee's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Pennsylvania to Tennessee?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
If you are only working across the border, nothing. If you are relocating your residence to Tennessee: $150 ($140 endorsement + $10 biennial state regulatory fee (rules effective 2026-04-08); + fingerprint background check vendor fee).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (~6 weeks (board instructions state to allow six weeks for processing)).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- TN BON — Instructions for Licensure by Endorsement (RN and LPN, PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Nursing, ch. 1000-01 (revised April 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Nursing ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com