Nursing License from Tennessee to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Mississippi accept a Tennessee nursing license?
Yes — both Tennessee and Mississippi are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If Tennessee is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Mississippi now; if you are moving your residence to Mississippi, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Mississippi 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 Tennessee and Mississippi are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Mississippi while living in Tennessee — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Mississippi means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Mississippi and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between Tennessee and Mississippi
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Mississippi. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Tennessee to Mississippi (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Mississippi to Tennessee (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Tennessee matter?
Tennessee gets Mississippi'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
Tennessee and Mississippi are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by Tennessee covers practice in Mississippi, and one issued by Mississippi covers practice in Tennessee.
- Application fee
Mississippi lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Tennessee lists $150 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Tennessee lists about 6 weeks for the reverse move; Mississippi has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Tennessee and Mississippi 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, Tennessee → Mississippi
| Tennessee (current) | Mississippi (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $150 ($140 endorsement + $10 biennial state regulatory fee (rules effective 2026-04-08); + fingerprint background check vendor fee) | $100 (endorsement application; + $75 criminal background check fee paid to the Board) |
| Processing time | ~6 weeks (board instructions state to allow six weeks for processing) | board states there is no timetable for issuing licenses; applications are processed first-in, first-out |
| Licensing authority | Tennessee Board of Nursing | Mississippi Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi 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 Mississippi: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Mississippi Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Mississippi as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Mississippi'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 Tennessee to Mississippi?
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 Mississippi: $100 (endorsement application; + $75 criminal background check fee paid to the Board).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (board states there is no timetable for issuing licenses; applications are processed first-in, first-out).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Mississippi Board of Nursing — Licensure By Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Nurse Licensure Compact — official commission site ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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