endorsement?

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 8, 2015

I am currently in florida. I plan to relocate to Colorado in June 2016. In the meantime, I must maintain a Florida RN license to work here. Is my only option to wait and endorse once the Summer time comes?

That's what I would do. My understanding is that in order to have a Colorado license, you must have a permanent Colorado address.

_zoubisoubisou_ · Oct 8, 2015

I have a friends address I could use, but am I correct to assume you can't hold licensure in two states at once?

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 8, 2015

That's what I would do. My understanding is that in order to have a Colorado license, you must have a permanent Colorado address.

Not true. You can have multiple licenses as long as you pay the fees and meet the CE requirements. The only thing you cannot do is if you are a resident of a nursing license compact state you can only have a NLC license in the state you reside (which makes sense since your NLC license is valid in all the other NLC states). Since Florida is not a compact state you can apply for a CO license whenever you are ready. You keep both licenses

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 8, 2015

I have a friends address I could use, but am I correct to assume you can't hold licensure in two states at once?

You are not correct in your assumption. The only caveat being is if you live in a NLC state you can only hold a compact license in the state you reside. Otherwise if you live in a non-compact state you can have 50 different nursing licenses as long as you pay the fees & meet the BoN requirements

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 8, 2015

Not true. You can have multiple licenses as long as you pay the fees and meet the CE requirements. The only thing you cannot do is if you are a resident of a nursing license compact state you can only have a NLC license in the state you reside (which makes sense since your NLC license is valid in all the other NLC states). Since Florida is not a compact state you can apply for a CO license whenever you are ready. You keep both licenses

Ah, that just must be if you're going from one compact state to another. In order to make the Colorado license your "home" license, you must have a permanent address. While I was able to work in Colorado as soon as I moved there from Arizona, using my AZ license, I remember that I couldn't relinquish my AZ license and switch it to Colorado without a permanent CO address.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 8, 2015

Ah, that just must be if you're going from one compact state to another. In order to make the Colorado license your "home" license, you must have a permanent address. While I was able to work in Colorado as soon as I moved there from Arizona, using my AZ license, I remember that I couldn't relinquish my AZ license and switch it to Colorado without a permanent CO address.

Yes compact is the difference

canigraduate · Oct 10, 2015

You can apply for a license without a permanent address in CO. Make sure you apply at least 2 months before you need it. Three months is better. It takes forever.

I can't remember if it was CO or AZ, but one of them took 30 days just to send you back a fingerprint card after processing your application. Then, it took another thirty days to process the prints. So, two months, minimum to get a license. I'm pretty sure it was CO.

_zoubisoubisou_ · Oct 10, 2015

So when the time comes, I can be applying for licensure in CO (with a permanent address) and still continue to work in Florida for those 2-3 months?

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 10, 2015

So when the time comes, I can be applying for licensure in CO (with a permanent address) and still continue to work in Florida for those 2-3 months?

Exactly. You will have two licenses as long as you meet the requirements and pay fees