Working in Pennsylvania on an out-of-state nursing license
Last verified against Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
The five facts
- Compact status
- Member (implemented), July 7, 2025
- Endorsement fee
- $120
- Temporary permit
- 1 year or until the permanent license issues, $70, issue timing not stated by the board.
- Processing
- The board publishes phase-based status timelines, not an overall estimate. (not a board figure)
- Portal
- PALS
Check your own licence against Pennsylvania
Your Texas multistate license already authorizes practice in Pennsylvania.
- No Pennsylvania application, fee, or verification is required.
- You practice under Pennsylvania'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
Pennsylvania honors it. You can work in Pennsylvania today, in person or by telehealth, with no Pennsylvania application, fee, or verification. You follow the Pennsylvania nurse practice act while your patient is located in Pennsylvania.
If you move your primary residence to Pennsylvania you have 60 days after the move to apply for a Pennsylvania license by endorsement (NLC Rule 402(2), effective January 2, 2024). Your former multistate license is deactivated when the Pennsylvania license issues — you do not hold two.
Licensure by endorsement in Pennsylvania
- 01
Open a PALS account
Create your PALS account and start the RN licensure-by-endorsement application with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
- 02
Request Nursys verification
Request license verification through Nursys for every state that applies to you. Pennsylvania accepts Nursys verification.
- 03
Complete fingerprints and the background check
Pennsylvania requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check: IdentoGO FBI fingerprint check plus state criminal history checks (dated within 90 days) from every state of residence, work, or training in the past 10 years.
- 04
Clear the course requirements
Child abuse recognition and reporting CE (Act 31) from a DHS-approved provider (3 hours)
- 05
Pay the application fee
The endorsement fee is $120. Confirm the amount on the board's fee page before you pay.
- 06
Request the temporary permit
Request the temporary permit: 1 year or until the permanent license issues, $70, issue timing not stated by the board.
- 07
Wait for the permanent license
The board publishes phase-based status timelines, not an overall estimate. (not a board figure) Verify the license on the board's public lookup, then store the expiration in Trust.
Pennsylvania will not issue a single-state endorsement to a nurse who holds a multistate license in another compact state — use the multistate license instead.
The 10-year, every-state criminal history requirement is the slow step; start it first.
What it costs, all in
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Endorsement application | $120 |
| Temporary practice permit | $70 |
| IdentoGO FBI fingerprinting | varies |
| Criminal history checks from every state lived or worked in during the past 10 years | varies |
| Nursys verification | $30 |
How long it takes
The board publishes phase-based status timelines, not an overall estimate. (not a board figure)
The temporary permit is the difference between waiting and working: 1 year or until the permanent license issues, $70, issue timing not stated by the board. Request it with the endorsement application.
The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing publishes no processing commitment, so treat any timeline you read — including this one — as an estimate.
EMTs and paramedics
Pennsylvania — EMS Compact: Member (operational), since July 7, 2022.
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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania. Moving there means applying for a Pennsylvania license.
After you’re licensed
A new license starts a new renewal clock. The Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania a compact state?
Yes. Pennsylvania is an implemented member of the Nurse Licensure Compact as of July 7, 2025, so a multistate license from another implemented member state authorizes practice there.
Can I work in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania application or fee is required, and you practice under Pennsylvania's nurse practice act while your patient is there. Moving your residence to Pennsylvania starts a 60-day clock to apply by endorsement.
How much does it cost to transfer an RN license to Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing endorsement fee is $120. Budget for the extras too: Temporary practice permit $70, IdentoGO FBI fingerprinting (varies), Criminal history checks from every state lived or worked in during the past 10 years (varies), Nursys verification $30.
Does Pennsylvania offer a temporary permit while my endorsement is pending?
Yes. 1 year or until the permanent license issues, $70, issue timing not stated by the board. Request it with the endorsement application.
How long does Pennsylvania RN endorsement take?
The board publishes phase-based status timelines, not an overall estimate. (not a board figure) Treat it as an estimate, not a board commitment.
Do I need fingerprints for a Pennsylvania nursing license?
Yes. IdentoGO FBI fingerprint check plus state criminal history checks (dated within 90 days) from every state of residence, work, or training in the past 10 years
What courses does Pennsylvania require before it issues an endorsement license?
Child abuse recognition and reporting CE (Act 31) from a DHS-approved provider (3 hours)
Sources
Last verified .
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/resources/professional-licensing-resources/licensure-processing-guides-and-timelines/nursing-guide
- https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/department-and-offices/bpoa/boards-commissions/nursing/registered-nurses-licensure-snapshot
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/pennsylvania/49-Pa-Code-SS-21-5
- https://www.nursecompact.com/
- https://www.emscompact.gov/