Nursing License from Tennessee to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: South Carolina Board of Nursing ↗
Yes — both Tennessee and South Carolina 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 South Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to South Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare South Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
This is the move the compact was built for. Both Tennessee and South Carolina are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in South Carolina while living in Tennessee — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to South Carolina means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into South Carolina and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What changes, Tennessee → South Carolina
| Tennessee (current) | South Carolina (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; $110 if adding a 60-day temporary license; fingerprint background check fee paid separately) |
| Processing time | ~6 weeks (board instructions state to allow six weeks for processing) | board does not publish a timeframe; applications processed in order received and valid for one year; 60-day single-state temporary license available while pending |
| Licensing authority | Tennessee Board of Nursing | South Carolina Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina 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 South Carolina: apply for licensure by endorsement with the South Carolina Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare South Carolina as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete South Carolina'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
Does South Carolina accept a Tennessee nursing license?
Yes — both Tennessee and South Carolina 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 South Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to South Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare South Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Tennessee to South Carolina?
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 South Carolina: $100 (endorsement application; $110 if adding a 60-day temporary license; fingerprint background check fee paid separately) (endorsement application; $110 if adding a 60-day temporary license; fingerprint background check fee paid separately).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (board does not publish a timeframe; applications processed in order received and valid for one year; 60-day single-state temporary license available while pending).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- SC Board of Nursing — Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SC BON — RN/LPN Licensure by Endorsement requirements and application (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- SC BON — RN Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- TN BON — Instructions for Licensure by Endorsement (RN and LPN, PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Nursing, ch. 1000-01 (revised April 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Nursing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]