Working in Texas on an out-of-state nursing license
Last verified against Texas Board of Nursing.
The five facts
- Compact status
- Member (implemented), January 19, 2018
- Endorsement fee
- $150 (confirm on the BON fee schedule)
- Temporary permit
- 120 days, not renewable, no extra fee, issued within 15 working days of a complete application and fee (board-stated).
- Processing
- Board targets 15 business days from receipt of the last required item.
- Portal
- Texas Nurse Portal
Check your own licence against Texas
Your Texas multistate license already authorizes practice in Texas.
- No Texas application, fee, or verification is required.
- You practice under Texas'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
Texas honors it. You can work in Texas today, in person or by telehealth, with no Texas application, fee, or verification. You follow the Texas nurse practice act while your patient is located in Texas.
If you move your primary residence to Texas you have 60 days after the move to apply for a Texas license by endorsement (NLC Rule 402(2), effective January 2, 2024). Your former multistate license is deactivated when the Texas license issues — you do not hold two.
Licensure by endorsement in Texas
- 01
Open a Texas Nurse Portal account
Create your Texas Nurse Portal account and start the RN licensure-by-endorsement application with the Texas Board of Nursing.
- 02
Request Nursys verification
Request license verification through Nursys for every state that applies to you. Texas accepts Nursys verification.
- 03
Complete fingerprints and the background check
Texas requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check: IdentoGO electronic fingerprinting (DPS and FBI).
- 04
Clear the course requirements
Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Examination — online, open book, 75% to pass, required before the permanent license issues
- 05
Pay the application fee
The endorsement fee is $150 (confirm on the BON fee schedule). Confirm the amount on the board's fee page before you pay.
- 06
Request the temporary permit
Request the temporary permit: 120 days, not renewable, no extra fee, issued within 15 working days of a complete application and fee (board-stated).
- 07
Wait for the permanent license
Board targets 15 business days from receipt of the last required item. Verify the license on the board's public lookup, then store the expiration in Trust.
Must have worked in nursing or passed NCLEX within the four years before applying.
Texas requires a valid U.S. Social Security number on the endorsement application.
Verification is required from every state where a license was ever held.
If you ever held a Texas license you cannot endorse — you reactivate instead.
What it costs, all in
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Endorsement application | $150 (confirm on the BON fee schedule) |
| IdentoGO fingerprinting | varies |
| Nursys verification | $30 |
| Nursing Jurisprudence Exam | varies |
Amounts marked “varies” come from a secondary source rather than a current board page — confirm them in the application before you budget.
How long it takes
Board targets 15 business days from receipt of the last required item.
The temporary permit is the difference between waiting and working: 120 days, not renewable, no extra fee, issued within 15 working days of a complete application and fee (board-stated). Can be issued before the background check and verifications finish, but not if eligibility is in question.
EMTs and paramedics
Texas — EMS Compact: Member (operational), since September 1, 2015.
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 Texas 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 Texas. Moving there means applying for a Texas license.
After you’re licensed
A new license starts a new renewal clock. The Texas 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 Texas a compact state?
Yes. Texas is an implemented member of the Nurse Licensure Compact as of January 19, 2018, so a multistate license from another implemented member state authorizes practice there.
Can I work in Texas 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 Texas application or fee is required, and you practice under Texas's nurse practice act while your patient is there. Moving your residence to Texas starts a 60-day clock to apply by endorsement.
How much does it cost to transfer an RN license to Texas?
The Texas Board of Nursing endorsement fee is $150 (confirm on the BON fee schedule). Budget for the extras too: IdentoGO fingerprinting $41.95, Nursys verification $30, Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (varies).
Does Texas offer a temporary permit while my endorsement is pending?
Yes. 120 days, not renewable, no extra fee, issued within 15 working days of a complete application and fee (board-stated). Can be issued before the background check and verifications finish, but not if eligibility is in question.
How long does Texas RN endorsement take?
Board targets 15 business days from receipt of the last required item.
Do I need fingerprints for a Texas nursing license?
Yes. IdentoGO electronic fingerprinting (DPS and FBI)
What courses does Texas require before it issues an endorsement license?
Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Examination — online, open book, 75% to pass, required before the permanent license issues
Do I need recent nursing practice to endorse into Texas?
Must have worked in nursing or passed NCLEX within the four years before applying.