Nursing License from Texas to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Michigan Board of Nursing ↗
A nursing license transfers from Texas to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing, verify your Texas 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 Texas into Michigan means leaving the compact's coverage: Michigan does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Texas 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 Texas, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Michigan.
What changes, Texas → Michigan
| Texas (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $150 ($125 endorsement + $25 nursing jurisprudence exam fee; + DPS/FBI fingerprint fee paid to vendor (amount set by DPS/CJIS)) | $212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) |
| Processing time | ~3 weeks (board reviews for permanent licensure within 15 business days of receiving the last required item; one-time 120-day temporary license issued within 15 business days of application receipt) | board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline |
| Licensing authority | Texas 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 ($212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately)) and allow board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Texas nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Texas to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing, verify your Texas license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Texas to Michigan?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
$212.9 ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately) ($212.90 combined application fee + 2-year license fee; fingerprint background-check vendor fee paid separately).
How long will it take?
board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline — board does not publish an endorsement processing timeline.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Michigan LARA/BPL — Michigan Nursing Licensing Guide ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Board of Nursing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Texas BON — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Texas BON — Schedule of Fees (Chapter 223) ↗ (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]