Getting a New Hampshire nursing license by endorsement

Reviewed by Keegan, RN · ER & NICU travel nurse

Endorsement timeline, fees & requirements · Verified 2026-06-18

Not published. You have up to 180 days to complete the process, after which an incomplete application is purged.

New Hampshire endorsement at a glance

What the board publishes

Board-sourced

How it works: New Hampshire (OPLC) grants licensure by endorsement to an applicant who has never held a New Hampshire license but holds an active license elsewhere and passed the NCLEX. Since a 2023 law, endorsement applicants no longer submit transcripts, exam results, experience evidence, or reference letters.
Processing time: Not published. You have up to 180 days to complete the process, after which an incomplete application is purged.
Work while waiting: Yes, but limited. Temporary licenses go to nurses endorsing from paper-verification states, usually only when verification from a non-Nursys state is delayed, issued once the application is complete (including background-check results) and valid up to 120 days. A license must issue before you begin any job, including orientation.
Requirements: Nursys verification ($30, valid to the board for 90 days) or paper verification from non-Nursys states; an FBI and state background check (valid up to 6 months); and either 400 practice hours in the prior 4 years or NCLEX passage within the prior 2 years. No state jurisprudence exam.
Fees: $116 RN application fee, which includes a mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; $20 temporary license; $30 Nursys verification paid separately.
Compact rules: New Hampshire is a compact state. If you hold a multistate license in another party state you do not need a New Hampshire license. To get a New Hampshire multistate license, New Hampshire must be your primary residence (include the residency declaration and your NH driver's license); otherwise an out-of-state single-state licensee must endorse.
Military spouse: Under state law the board accepts military training toward licensure and expeditiously approves a military spouse licensed elsewhere; spouses applying for initial licensure pay only inspection or examination fees, if any.

Source: New Hampshire OPLC Board of Nursing, RN applications and fees, last checked 2026-06-18. Fees and timelines change; confirm with the board before you rely on a date.

Steps to endorse into New Hampshire

1Check whether you even need New Hampshire endorsement: if your primary residence stays in another compact state, your multistate license may already cover you.
2Verify every nursing license you have held through Nursys (or the board's paper verification form for non-Nursys states).
3Complete the required criminal background check and fingerprinting.
4Submit the New Hampshire Board of Nursing endorsement application and fee, plus any transcripts, state coursework, or jurisprudence exam the board requires.
5Apply for a temporary or interim permit if the state offers one and you need to work before the permanent license issues.

Start at the source: New Hampshire Board of Nursing or the online licensing portal. Not sure if you even need to endorse? The compact eligibility quiz sorts compact privilege from a required license in two minutes.

New Hampshire endorsement FAQ

How long does it take to get a New Hampshire nursing license by endorsement?: Not published. You have up to 180 days to complete the process, after which an incomplete application is purged.
Can I work in New Hampshire while my endorsement application is processing?: Yes, but limited. Temporary licenses go to nurses endorsing from paper-verification states, usually only when verification from a non-Nursys state is delayed, issued once the application is complete (including background-check results) and valid up to 120 days. A license must issue before you begin any job, including orientation.
Do I need a New Hampshire license if I already hold a compact multistate license?: New Hampshire is a compact state. If you hold a multistate license in another party state you do not need a New Hampshire license. To get a New Hampshire multistate license, New Hampshire must be your primary residence (include the residency declaration and your NH driver's license); otherwise an out-of-state single-state licensee must endorse.
How much does New Hampshire endorsement cost?: $116 RN application fee, which includes a mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; $20 temporary license; $30 Nursys verification paid separately.

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New Hampshire endorsement at a glance

What the board publishes

Board-sourced

How it works: New Hampshire (OPLC) grants licensure by endorsement to an applicant who has never held a New Hampshire license but holds an active license elsewhere and passed the NCLEX. Since a 2023 law, endorsement applicants no longer submit transcripts, exam results, experience evidence, or reference letters.
Processing time: Not published. You have up to 180 days to complete the process, after which an incomplete application is purged.
Work while waiting: Yes, but limited. Temporary licenses go to nurses endorsing from paper-verification states, usually only when verification from a non-Nursys state is delayed, issued once the application is complete (including background-check results) and valid up to 120 days. A license must issue before you begin any job, including orientation.
Requirements: Nursys verification ($30, valid to the board for 90 days) or paper verification from non-Nursys states; an FBI and state background check (valid up to 6 months); and either 400 practice hours in the prior 4 years or NCLEX passage within the prior 2 years. No state jurisprudence exam.
Fees: $116 RN application fee, which includes a mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; $20 temporary license; $30 Nursys verification paid separately.
Compact rules: New Hampshire is a compact state. If you hold a multistate license in another party state you do not need a New Hampshire license. To get a New Hampshire multistate license, New Hampshire must be your primary residence (include the residency declaration and your NH driver's license); otherwise an out-of-state single-state licensee must endorse.
Military spouse: Under state law the board accepts military training toward licensure and expeditiously approves a military spouse licensed elsewhere; spouses applying for initial licensure pay only inspection or examination fees, if any.

Source: New Hampshire OPLC Board of Nursing, RN applications and fees, last checked 2026-06-18. Fees and timelines change; confirm with the board before you rely on a date.

Steps to endorse into New Hampshire

1Check whether you even need New Hampshire endorsement: if your primary residence stays in another compact state, your multistate license may already cover you.

2Verify every nursing license you have held through Nursys (or the board's paper verification form for non-Nursys states).

3Complete the required criminal background check and fingerprinting.

4Submit the New Hampshire Board of Nursing endorsement application and fee, plus any transcripts, state coursework, or jurisprudence exam the board requires.

5Apply for a temporary or interim permit if the state offers one and you need to work before the permanent license issues.

New Hampshire endorsement FAQ

How long does it take to get a New Hampshire nursing license by endorsement?

Not published. You have up to 180 days to complete the process, after which an incomplete application is purged.

Can I work in New Hampshire while my endorsement application is processing?

Yes, but limited. Temporary licenses go to nurses endorsing from paper-verification states, usually only when verification from a non-Nursys state is delayed, issued once the application is complete (including background-check results) and valid up to 120 days. A license must issue before you begin any job, including orientation.

Do I need a New Hampshire license if I already hold a compact multistate license?

New Hampshire is a compact state. If you hold a multistate license in another party state you do not need a New Hampshire license. To get a New Hampshire multistate license, New Hampshire must be your primary residence (include the residency declaration and your NH driver's license); otherwise an out-of-state single-state licensee must endorse.

How much does New Hampshire endorsement cost?

$116 RN application fee, which includes a mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; $20 temporary license; $30 Nursys verification paid separately.

Getting a New Hampshire nursing license by endorsement

New Hampshire endorsement at a glance

Steps to endorse into New Hampshire

New Hampshire endorsement FAQ

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Getting a New Hampshire nursing license by endorsement

New Hampshire endorsement at a glance

Steps to endorse into New Hampshire

New Hampshire endorsement FAQ

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