Nursing License from Wisconsin to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Illinois accept a Wisconsin nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from Wisconsin to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing), verify your Wisconsin license, and meet Illinois'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 Wisconsin into Illinois means leaving the compact's coverage: Illinois does not participate, so the multistate privilege that made Wisconsin easy stops at the border. File Illinois'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 Wisconsin, your multistate license keeps working in the compact states; you only lose it when you establish residence in Illinois.
What's different between Wisconsin and Illinois
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Illinois. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Wisconsin to Illinois (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Illinois to Wisconsin (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Wisconsin matter?
Coming from Wisconsin does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into Illinois.
- NLC membership
Wisconsin is an NLC member state; Illinois is not in the NLC.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Wisconsin does not cover practice in Illinois.
- Application fee
Illinois lists $50–$75 for an out-of-state applicant and Wisconsin lists $73 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Wisconsin and Illinois 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, Wisconsin → Illinois
| Wisconsin (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $73 (Registered Nurse initial credential fee per the DSPS Credential Fees list; DSPS calculates the total at the end of the LicensE application and notes additional fees may apply) | $50–$75 ($50 non-refundable endorsement fee, or $75 with the optional 6-month temporary permit (+$25); fingerprint fee paid separately to a licensed livescan vendor) |
| Processing time | DSPS states application materials are reviewed within approximately 10 days; total processing time varies (the LicensE dashboard shows current review dates) | no processing range stated in IDFPR application materials |
| Licensing authority | Wisconsin Board of Nursing | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Board of Nursing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check through the Illinois State Police or its designated agent.
- Hold a current license in at least one other U.S. jurisdiction.
- Request license verification through Nursys (or the CT-NUR form if your state does not participate).
- Submit proof of nursing education (ED form signed by your program director or official sealed transcripts).
- 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 Wisconsin to Illinois?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- IDFPR — Registered Nurse Instruction Sheet (Examination/Endorsement/Restoration), rev. 4/24 ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- IDFPR — Nurses profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Registered Nurse: Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Registered Nurse: Nursing Licensure Compact (Multistate) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Registered Nurse: Licensure by Temporary License ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Credential Fees and Renewal Dates ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Bridge Temporary Credential ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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