Working in Alabama on an out-of-state nursing license
Last verified against Alabama Board of Nursing.
The five facts
- Compact status
- Member (implemented), January 1, 2020
- Endorsement fee
- $125 single-state · $225 multistate (+$3.50 transaction fee)
- Temporary permit
- 180 days, issued once, non-renewable, no extra fee, issue timing not stated by the board.
- Processing
- There is no timetable for issuing licenses. A license will only be issued when all requirements are completed.
- Portal
- ABN online application
Check your own licence against Alabama
Your Texas multistate license already authorizes practice in Alabama.
- No Alabama application, fee, or verification is required.
- You practice under Alabama's nurse practice act while your patient is located there.
- Keep your Texas license active and unencumbered; a restriction in any state suspends the multistate privilege everywhere.
- Earliest start
- Today
- Fee
- $0
Data as of September 2, 2026.
Nothing you enter here is stored. Trust keeps credentials on your phone, not on our servers.
If you hold a multistate license
Alabama honors it. You can work in Alabama today, in person or by telehealth, with no Alabama application, fee, or verification. You follow the Alabama nurse practice act while your patient is located in Alabama.
If you move your primary residence to Alabama you have 60 days after the move to apply for a Alabama license by endorsement (NLC Rule 402(2), effective January 2, 2024). Your former multistate license is deactivated when the Alabama license issues — you do not hold two.
Licensure by endorsement in Alabama
- 01
Open a ABN online application account
Create your ABN online application account and start the RN licensure-by-endorsement application with the Alabama Board of Nursing.
- 02
Request Nursys verification
Request license verification through Nursys for every state that applies to you. Alabama accepts Nursys verification.
- 03
Complete fingerprints and the background check
Alabama requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check: Fieldprint fingerprint check for all endorsement and multistate applicants (since January 1, 2020); application must be on file first.
- 04
Clear the course requirements
24 contact hours of CE within the past 24 months (no specific mandated course) (24 hours)
- 05
Pay the application fee
The endorsement fee is $125 single-state · $225 multistate (+$3.50 transaction fee). Confirm the amount on the board's fee page before you pay.
- 06
Request the temporary permit
Request the temporary permit: 180 days, issued once, non-renewable, no extra fee, issue timing not stated by the board.
- 07
Wait for the permanent license
There is no timetable for issuing licenses. A license will only be issued when all requirements are completed. Verify the license on the board's public lookup, then store the expiration in Trust.
Alabama requires a valid U.S. Social Security number on the endorsement application.
Alabama is one of the few states that asks for general CE hours at endorsement.
What it costs, all in
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Endorsement application | $125 single-state · $225 multistate (+$3.50 transaction fee) |
| Transaction fee | $3.5 |
| Fieldprint fingerprinting | varies |
| Nursys verification | $30 |
How long it takes
There is no timetable for issuing licenses. A license will only be issued when all requirements are completed.
The temporary permit is the difference between waiting and working: 180 days, issued once, non-renewable, no extra fee, issue timing not stated by the board. Request it with the endorsement application.
EMTs and paramedics
Alabama — EMS Compact: Member (operational), since May 17, 2017.
If your home state is also an operational member and you are not relocating, your EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic license carries a privilege to practice in Alabama with no application and no fee — provided you are 18 or older, unrestricted, working under a physician medical director, and affiliated with an EMS agency authorized in Alabama. Moving there means applying for a Alabama license.
After you’re licensed
A new license starts a new renewal clock. The Alabama RN renewal guide covers the cycle length, the CE the board counts, and the fee — read it once, then let Trust hold the date.
Questions people ask
Is Alabama a compact state?
Yes. Alabama is an implemented member of the Nurse Licensure Compact as of January 1, 2020, so a multistate license from another implemented member state authorizes practice there.
Can I work in Alabama with a multistate license from another state?
Yes, if your primary state of residence issued the multistate license and it is active and unencumbered. No Alabama application or fee is required, and you practice under Alabama's nurse practice act while your patient is there. Moving your residence to Alabama starts a 60-day clock to apply by endorsement.
How much does it cost to transfer an RN license to Alabama?
The Alabama Board of Nursing endorsement fee is $125 single-state · $225 multistate (+$3.50 transaction fee). Budget for the extras too: Transaction fee $3.5, Fieldprint fingerprinting (varies), Nursys verification $30.
Does Alabama offer a temporary permit while my endorsement is pending?
Yes. 180 days, issued once, non-renewable, no extra fee, issue timing not stated by the board. Request it with the endorsement application.
How long does Alabama RN endorsement take?
There is no timetable for issuing licenses. A license will only be issued when all requirements are completed.
Do I need fingerprints for a Alabama nursing license?
Yes. Fieldprint fingerprint check for all endorsement and multistate applicants (since January 1, 2020); application must be on file first
What courses does Alabama require before it issues an endorsement license?
24 contact hours of CE within the past 24 months (no specific mandated course) (24 hours)
Sources
Last verified .
- https://www.abn.alabama.gov/licensing/apply/licensure-by-endorsement/
- https://www.abn.alabama.gov/licensing/apply/licensure-by-endorsement/endorsement-basic-requirements/
- https://www.abn.alabama.gov/licensing/faqs/
- https://www.abn.alabama.gov/licensing/fingerprinting/
- https://www.nursecompact.com/
- https://www.emscompact.gov/