Multiple State Licenses right out of school?

Nurses General Nursing

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So I will be graduating soon and have applied to both my home state and a nearby state. Neither are compact states. I am unsure where I will be working come graduation and wanted to be licensed in both states right out of school (and I wanted to maintain licenses in both states just for future use).

Is this possible? I don't want to get a license in my home state if I end up getting my dream job in the nearby state. Nobody has been able to answer this question so please help me!!

Specializes in NICU.

I'm pretty sure you can't be licensed by examination in two different states, but there's nothing preventing you from applying for licensure by endorsement in the second state straight after passing the NCLEX and getting licensed in the first one.

ab197

42 Posts

Am I eligible to be licensed by endorsement once I pass NCLEX? I am worried about missing out on a job (which I heard happen to some people) because I chose the wrong state to be licensed in.

Does it take very long/do some states offer temporary licenses while they're processing information if you have a job lined up?

Thank you so much, nobody has been able to help me with these questions!

chare

4,236 Posts

Yes, it is possible to be licensed in multiple states. After you receive your initial license, you can then apply for licensure be endorsement in as many states as wish, with the exception of only being allowed to hold one eNLC license with multi-state privileges. While many apply for initial licensure in their home state, you can actually apply for licensure in whichever state you wish, so long as you meet their educational requirements.

A number if states issue temporary permits, you should find this information on the state's board of nursing website. As fir processing time, if you post that question in that states forum, you should quickly receive an answer.

Best wishes.

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