Wishing to work in California, from another state

[suzanne4]

since there have been so many threads started on this, thought that a sticky would answer most questions about this.

1. you must endorse to california, you do not transfer a license. you will continue to maintain an active license in the original state until it expires if you do not renew it.

2. you need to follow the license by endorsement application, you can find it on ca brn website.

3. california requires a completed set of transcripts from your nursing school before they will issue you a permanent license.

4. they need verification from your state licensing authority. if ca has received that or the state is part of nursys, then you can actually go to the brn in sacramento and get a temporary license issued that same day.

5. otherwise, expect it to take about one month for you to receive the license once they have received all documents.

[selby08]

I also wanted to add that you can apply for your original licensure to be in CA even if you went to school in another state. However, CA will need to receive and evaluate your transcripts before even issuing your ATT which is needed to schedule your NCLEX. A classmate of mine chose to go this route instead of endorsement like I did and it ended up taking her about 2 months longer to get permanently registered in CA.

[c_beshore_rn]

MMGM76....It's so amazing to me that Cali is not hiring. Here in MO there are so many travel agencies trying to get new grads and old grads to work if So cal. Why is that?? Locals are unable to find jobs but they are rucruting travel nurses for twice what they could pay a local. A friend of mine just took a job and went on a 16wk assignment outside of LA for about $60/hr??? It blew my mind.

[c_beshore_rn]

continues.....and the agency took care of all the nightmares these poor folks look like their enduring to be licensed to work in California??? WHAT fiscal sense does this make??

[newtress, LPN]

Another endorser here, 2 questions: I am seeking endorsement of my current Louisiana LPN license over to Cali LNV license. Went to the bvnpt gov website and the licensure by endorsement application was available to download. Great, okay. Now looking over all the forms and exactly everything that CA is requesting I did not see any page indicating any request for transcripts what so ever. I hope not to assume, but is the transcript request only for RN licensure/endorsements or for requesting application to sit for NCLEX in CA? I just don't see a request for my transcripts on my application paperwork. And would like to know how long a temporary LVN license is valid for in Cali. Thanx for any replies to clear up my confusion!

[thekid]

I'm endorsing from Hawaii to California, my RN license is active in nursys now, I have requested transcripts from the college.

I plan to visit

California in a couple of weeks, if CA can verify that I am an active RN in Hawaii, will just a live scan of fingerprints be enough to get a temporary license? Anything else needed to get a same day temporary license issued in person? Are appointments needed?

aloha

[sasyone]

For the LVN endorsement you do not need a transcript unless you qualified through military with your original licensure state. They take the verification either from Nursys or your state board.

To get a temporary for a LVN, they are not a walk in board. You have to be approved and fingerprints must be cleared. To get a temporary, you have to go to their office and pay the license fee and ask for a temporary. Your regular license will come in about 2 weeks from then.

Another endorser here, 2 questions: I am seeking endorsement of my current Louisiana LPN license over to Cali LNV license. Went to the bvnpt gov website and the licensure by endorsement application was available to download. Great, okay. Now looking over all the forms and exactly everything that CA is requesting I did not see any page indicating any request for transcripts what so ever. I hope not to assume, but is the transcript request only for RN licensure/endorsements or for requesting application to sit for NCLEX in CA? I just don't see a request for my transcripts on my application paperwork. And would like to know how long a temporary LVN license is valid for in Cali. Thanx for any replies to clear up my confusion!

[newtress, LPN]

Well, thank you for the reply!

[sasyone]

You're welcome. I posted that pretty late last night and reading it now, my answer is a little confusing to me and I wrote it!

It's been awhile so I don't know if LA is a member of NURSYS or not. If they are, you pay them and the LVN Board gets your licensure verification off their site. If LA is not a part of NURSYS, then you would send the verification from to the LA Board and have them complete and mail to the CA LVN Board with their seal. You need to submit the application page with fee, photo, proof of 12th grade completion, Record of Conviction form and fingerprints (if in CA, you would send a copy of the completed form to show you had it done) or if you have an out of state address, hard cards with the fingerprint fee to the Board.

Once the application is reviewed (takes approx 2- 3 weeks) and verification of LA license is verified and prints have cleared (this is where the time is spent--maybe 2 more weeks), you will get a licensing notice (another fee which I heard just went up). You can send in the fee and wait 2-3 weeks for your license or go into their office, pay the fee there and request a temporary. Remember, state offices are closed on Fridays now! I work for another agency now and have today off also.

Good luck!

[newtress, LPN]

This sounds a little better than the time frame given on the website stating 8-10 wks for DOJ background and hard card prints. Would be nice if it was less than 2 months, but as you said lots of state businesses closed on Fri from the furloughs. I have family in NorCal anxiously awaiting for me to return to Cali. I have been gone for close to 20 years now, and when I go out to visit for holidays I'm a wreck trying to drive in the traffic and feel out of place. Folks in stores will say to me "Oh I love your accent" and I say really you think I have an accent, naw I don't think I have an accent. But evidently it is enough to be noticable! I'm going to have a hard time ahead of me making this move. I've lived in the south a long time and love it. My Daddy is from Alabama and I would go there to live in a heartbeat. I hope and pray I can re-adapt to Cali. So much has changed, and gotten so populated since I was a beach bum living on the coast.

[sasyone]

I asked my friend who use to work there and they said

application-make sure ss# on it, signed and dated with fee

photo

Conviction form-make sure you check yes or no if any convictions and put your LPN information on number 9

sign and date

12th grade graduation or GED proof

verification of current license either through NURSYS or the state sends to CA

If you can, visit CA to do livescan and send a copy of the completed form to the CA LPN Board

they told me that the hardcards can slow it down as it takes awhile to get those results

They also said that if you say yes to any convictions or one comes up on your prints, it takes awhile longer to go through their enforcement unit for review which is understandable.

She told me that it takes at least 4 weeks and usually no less. If items aren't included, it can take longer and hardcards make it go longer.

She also told me that of all the places she has worked in the state, that was the one office where everyone worked their tails off and were swamped. She said to keep in mind, CA is one of the few that license people who don't graduate from a practical nursing program so they get people from other states plus the CA people.

I love CA, especially northern CA so hopefully you can move back here.

[newtress, LPN]

May I ask what is meant by "people who don't graduate from a practical nursing program" I'm so lost on that part.

[sasyone]

May I ask what is meant by "people who don't graduate from a practical nursing program" I'm so lost on that part.

Hi Newtress, my friend who use to work there and is now in nursing school with me is here spending the night (studying) told me I shouldn't have brought that up in the endorsement area as it doesn't pertain to people coming to CA with a LPN license in another state. But since I brought it up, here's the jist...

CA is one of the few states (if not the only one) who approves people to sit for the LVN NCLEX not only as a graduate of a LVN school but also through paid experience, foreign education, partial education/paid experience, military. If you go to Pearson Vue's site or see the NCLEX booklet, you can see how many approved CA LVN schools there are compared to other states. She said to imagine all the graduates of those schools plus all the paid experience people applying, CA gets alot of applications daily. Then you add ALOT of people applying from other states who can't qualify in their state because their state doesn't allow paid experience and you get ALOT of applicants. The word gets around that CA licenses paid experience and they all come from other states hoping to get an endorsement back to their original state after CA licenses them. She said to stress ALOT LOL

Since you have a current LPN license in LA, don't worry about any of this-it doesn't pertain to you and I've learned my lesson to keep on track when trying to answer a question for someone.

**This is the friend----

Hi all!!

CA has a disclaimer that endorsement is not guaranteed if you have a CA license and want to endorse to another state especially if you qualified by means other than graduating from an accredited vocational nursing school. The people who come from other states with paid experience hoping to get a CA license and then endorse that back to their original state are finding it hard or impossible to do. CA sends the qualifying method to the endorsement state with the licensure information so the state sees how you qualified to take the exam (graduate, paid experience, military, etc). For example: Say you live in Oregon and OR will only approve people to sit for the exam if you graduated from a LPN school. You only have paid experience and a couple of classes and you hear CA will approve you to take the test. You apply to CA for their LVN license, take the test, pass and get their LVN license. You never wanted to live in CA, you want to stay in OR so you apply to OR for endorsement as you have a CA license now. CA sends OR your licensure information and also sends them how you qualified (equivalency). OR then has the right to tell you no, they will only accept an endorsement from those licensees who graduated from an approved LVN/LPN school. That is each state's perogative. CA generally will endorse most LPN licensees as long as they are not revoked/citations pending. If they qualified through military, the military person would have to get a transcript showing if they took the short or long program. All others, it's just pretty much the license verification from their licensure state or NURSYS. Good luck. I still have friends that work there and they are swamped with these 3 days off a month. Just keep in mind what I told her to write a few days ago

application, record of conviction (#7 and #9), photo, high school/GED,fingerprints (preferably livescan IN California), verification either from your state board or NURSYS and the application fee. Send it certified so you know they got it as it has to go through the cashiering area first and since those are locked up until worked on, no one will go checking to see if they received it.

Once they have reviewed it and received your fingerprint clearance, you will receive a licensing fee letter. You can either return the letter with the fee and you'll receive your license in the mail about 3 weeks later or you can go into their office and pay the fee and ask for a temporary. Temporaries cannot be asked for through mail as you would receive the temp about the same time as the license.

Hope that helps you to make it smooth sailing for you to get your CA license. Best wishes! Back to studying