California RN License

pro-student · Apr 26, 2017

California is not a compact state so you would have to obtain a new license there. The easiest way to do that if by getting a license in your home state and then applying for a license for a license by endorsement in California. This process is pretty simple, you just need to fill out an application, pay the fee, and for California, you need to send in a picture and get fingerprinted.

Licensure by Endorsement

Extra Pickles · Apr 26, 2017

Maybe I can help :)

Nebraska being a compact state means you can work in the other states in the compact agreement while still maintaining your residence in Nebraska. Helpful for those who live near a state line so they work in one and live in another. It no longer applies when you move out of that state however.

California is not part of a compact agreement, so it's not part of that picture. If you want to work in California you need to get a license in California. You would have the choice at the time you are ready to take the NCLEX which state you are going to apply to for a license, Nebraska or California. Of course you have to meet the licensing requirements for the state so you might want to check out the Board of Nursing website to be sure.

California is a land stuffed to the sky with nursing students and new graduates. Looking through the student and NCLEX forums here it seems to be that it can take anywhere from weeks to months to get an ATT (Authorization To Test) for the state of California, so you might want to keep that in mind. If you have a Nebraska license at the time you are looking to move to California you would then apply for an endorsement to your license (you keep the Nebraska, get "another" one for California). THAT can take quite some time too, depending on the time of year. The BON can get swamped. And you need that license before you can start work.

If you are absolutely certain you are moving to California for that first job, you should just apply to CAlifornia and save the time and expense of two licenses and application fees.

And yes, SUPER competitive :)

Good luck!

Sour Lemon · Apr 26, 2017

Hello all the Nurses across America, I have a situation with no clear answers. Currently I'm finishing my BSN program by end of May 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska. The school is accredited pretty good with about 88% NCLEX passing results. As we all know Nebraska is a part of compact state, my question if I were to pass my NCLEX here in Nebraska and move to California for first job then is that possible ? I read something about nursing license obtain by endorsement but am I eligible since I will be starting out fresh. I also heard in California it is super competitive for fresh graduate to obtain a Job ?

You can take NCLEX in any state and apply for a license in any state. They don't have to be the same state. California is super-competitive for new graduates, though ....and their BON is exceptionally slow. California is not a compact state, so your Nebraska license (if you obtain one) would not allow you to practice here.

Here are their current wait times:

Processing Times

And that's if everything goes smoothly.

There is no point to getting licensed in a state you don't plan to work in unless you just want to pay even more in fees. California will require the same documentation from you whether you have a previous license, or not.