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For registered nurses moving to North Dakota

How to Transfer Your Nursing License to North Dakota

Is North Dakota a nurse compact state? Yes. North Dakota is in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC): a nurse whose home state is a compact state and who holds its multistate license can work in North Dakota without another license, and a nurse who lives in North Dakota applies for the multistate license there. A nurse from a state outside the compact needs a North Dakota license from the North Dakota Board of Nursing, by endorsement for a nurse licensed in another state. (NCSBN, read 9 Nov 2026.)

Yes
Compact state
498
RN jobs in North Dakota
$41
Median posted RN pay

What the North Dakota 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).

Temporary permit
A 90-day nonrenewable temporary permit is issued once the endorsement application, transcript and license verifications are received, with no additional fee, and it is valid only for practice in North Dakota.
Fingerprints
A fingerprint-based criminal background check is required.
License verification
License verification of the initial exam license and of an active license must be sent through Nursys (www.nursys.com); the page does not state a Nursys fee.
How long it takes
The board says to allow 5-10 business days for processing of all items; a temporary permit is typically issued within three to five working days per its FAQ.
Requirements
Worked 400 hours of licensed nursing practice in the last four (4) years for the level of license sought, or evidence of refresher course or nursing program completion within the past four (4) years; completed a nursing program within the past four (4) years with an official transcript; and a Criminal History Record Check.
Renewal
The license is renewed with 12 contact hours of continuing education completed within the preceding two years, per the board's CE renewal page.
“Worked 400 hours of licensed nursing practice in the last four (4) years for the level of license sought”

From the North Dakota Board of Nursing's own page, read 9 Nov 2026: ndbon.org (source: North Dakota 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 North Dakota: new openings every week

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Nursing jobs in North Dakota today

498 registered nurse and 121 LPN jobs are open in North Dakota on this board, read every night from each employer's own job board.

Transferring a nursing license to North Dakota: common questions

Is North Dakota a nurse compact state?

Yes. North Dakota is in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC): a nurse whose home state is a compact state and who holds its multistate license can work in North Dakota without another license, and a nurse who lives in North Dakota applies for the multistate license there. A nurse from a state outside the compact needs a North Dakota license from the North Dakota Board of Nursing, by endorsement for a nurse licensed in another state. (NCSBN, read 9 Nov 2026.)

How do I transfer my nursing license to North Dakota?

If your home state is another compact state and you keep living there, your multistate license already lets you work in North Dakota. If you move to North Dakota, apply to the North Dakota Board of Nursing for its multistate license. If your license is from a state outside the compact, apply to the North Dakota Board of Nursing for a license by endorsement: have your license verified through Nursys, complete the background check, and pay the fee.

How do I transfer an LPN or LVN license to North Dakota?

The same way: the compact covers LPN/VNs too, so a multistate LPN license from a compact home state works in North Dakota; otherwise apply for a license by endorsement to the North Dakota Board of Nursing. Its own page states the LPN fee. LPN jobs in North Dakota.

Can I work in North Dakota while my license is processed?

By the North Dakota Board of Nursing's own page: A 90-day nonrenewable temporary permit is issued once the endorsement application, transcript and license verifications are received, with no additional fee, and it is valid only for practice in North Dakota.

How long does a North Dakota nursing license by endorsement take?

By the North Dakota Board of Nursing's own page: The board says to allow 5-10 business days for processing of all items; a temporary permit is typically issued within three to five working days per its FAQ.

How much do registered nurses make in North Dakota?

Open registered nurse jobs in North Dakota that post an hourly rate pay $38.99–$42.25 an hour in the middle half, median $41 (317 jobs from 16 employers on this board today).

Do employers in North Dakota offer relocation assistance?

32 open healthcare jobs in North Dakota 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 North Dakota?

By open jobs on this board today: Sanford Health (257), CommonSpirit Health (46), Cross Country Healthcare (32), TRS Healthcare (31), Altru Health System (26), Advantis Medical (24). Every RN job in North Dakota.

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 North Dakota.

  1. NCSBN Nurse Licensure Compact map (nursecompact.com), read 9 Nov 2026, published 9 Nov 2026
  2. North Dakota 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 North Dakota. Data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://carejobs.now/transfer-nursing-license/north-dakota

How the board counts