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For registered nurses moving to District of Columbia

How to Transfer Your Nursing License to District of Columbia

Is District of Columbia a nurse compact state? Not yet. District of Columbia is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC); a bill to join is pending (NCSBN: "Pending legislation for NLC: B69."). For now a nurse needs a District of Columbia license from the District of Columbia Board of Nursing, by endorsement for a nurse licensed in another state.

No
Compact state
224
RN jobs in District of Columbia
$52.36
Median posted RN pay

What the District of Columbia Board of Nursing asks

Licensure by endorsement for a registered nurse licensed in another state, as the board's own page states it (read 9 Nov 2026).

Fee
$280 application and criminal background check fee, non-refundable, payable by Visa or MasterCard only; the Nursys verification is a separate $30 fee.
Fingerprints
A fingerprint-based criminal background check is required.
License verification
Official verification from the original state through Nursys, which the page gives as a $30.00 fee; the page lists California, Michigan and Pennsylvania as boards outside Nursys, whose verification is sent by email to the DC Board.
How long it takes
The page says to allow 30 business days after applying before checking the status.
Requirements
A current RN license from a US state or territory, original licensure from an approved nursing program, a passing NCLEX-RN or State Board Test Pool score, and good standing in every jurisdiction where the applicant has held a license.
“Pay the application and criminal background check fee of $280.00 by Visa or MasterCard only.”

From the District of Columbia Board of Nursing's own page, read 9 Nov 2026: dchealth.dc.gov (source: District of Columbia Board of Nursing). Fees change: the board's page on the day you apply is the one that counts.

The steps

What every move takes; the board's page above says what it asks in each.

  1. Check whether your home state and the new state are both in the Nurse Licensure Compact: if both are and you keep living in your home state, your multistate license already lets you work there.
  2. If you are moving your home to the new state and it is a compact state, apply for its multistate license; if it is outside the compact, apply to its board of nursing for a license by endorsement.
  3. Have your current license verified to the new board, through Nursys where your state takes part in it.
  4. Complete the background check the board asks for (most ask for fingerprints) and any state exam or course it names.
  5. Pay the board's fee and, where the board offers one, ask for a temporary permit so you can start work while the application is processed.

Nurses alerts

Nurses in District of Columbia: new openings every week

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Nursing jobs in District of Columbia today

224 registered nurse and 6 LPN jobs are open in District of Columbia on this board, read every night from each employer's own job board.

Transferring a nursing license to District of Columbia: common questions

Is District of Columbia a nurse compact state?

Not yet. District of Columbia is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC); a bill to join is pending (NCSBN: "Pending legislation for NLC: B69."). For now a nurse needs a District of Columbia license from the District of Columbia Board of Nursing, by endorsement for a nurse licensed in another state.

How do I transfer my nursing license to District of Columbia?

Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Nursing for a license by endorsement ($280 by its own page): a multistate license from a compact state does not cover District of Columbia. Have your current license verified through Nursys, complete the background check it asks for and any state exam or course it names, and pay the fee.

How do I transfer an LPN or LVN license to District of Columbia?

The same way: apply for a license by endorsement to the District of Columbia Board of Nursing. Its own page states the LPN fee, which differs from the RN fee above. LPN jobs in District of Columbia.

How long does a District of Columbia nursing license by endorsement take?

By the District of Columbia Board of Nursing's own page: The page says to allow 30 business days after applying before checking the status.

How much do registered nurses make in District of Columbia?

Open registered nurse jobs in District of Columbia that post an hourly rate pay $49.75–$53.98 an hour in the middle half, median $52.36 (138 jobs from 13 employers on this board today).

Do employers in District of Columbia offer relocation assistance?

15 open healthcare jobs in District of Columbia offer relocation help in their own posting today, each quoting the offer (a set amount, reimbursement or a package); ask for the terms in writing before you accept.

Who is hiring registered nurses in District of Columbia?

By open jobs on this board today: Universal Health Services (99), Children's National Hospital (41), Johns Hopkins Medicine (25), Capital Caring Health (9), Cross Country Healthcare (7), Allegheny Health Network (4). Every RN job in District of Columbia.

Sources and method

The compact status is NCSBN's map on the day read. The board's rules are its own page's words, shown only where the page states them; a sentence of it is checked against the page every week, and a change is read again. The jobs and pay are the registered nurse jobs open on this board in District of Columbia.

  1. NCSBN Nurse Licensure Compact map (nursecompact.com), read 9 Nov 2026, published 9 Nov 2026
  2. District of Columbia Board of Nursing: licensure by endorsement, read 9 Nov 2026; checked again every week for the sentence quoted, published 9 Nov 2026
  3. CareJobs.Now job board: open jobs read every night from each employer's own careers site

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). How to Transfer Your Nursing License to District of Columbia. Data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://carejobs.now/transfer-nursing-license/district-of-columbia

How the board counts