Getting a New York nursing license by endorsement

How it works

New York does not use true endorsement and is not a compact state. An already-licensed out-of-state RN applies for full New York licensure under what the state calls RN Pathway 3, using a Nursys Verification for Endorsement to prove the existing license. It is a brand-new license, not a transferred or recognized one.

Processing time

Not published. No New York State Education Department page states a processing timeframe; the Department only notes that an application cannot be processed until every required document has been received. Do not rely on any specific week count you see on a non-state site.

Work while waiting

Generally no. New York limited permits are not available to anyone who has ever taken the NCLEX, which covers essentially every US-educated out-of-state RN, so there is no work-while-waiting permit for ordinary endorsement applicants. The one exception is the military-spouse temporary practice permit (see below).

Requirements

File Form 1 online and pay the fee. Complete New York's mandatory child-abuse identification and infection-control coursework (or claim a qualified exemption). Have your school submit Form 2 or transcripts. Verify your other-state license through Nursys, or Form 3 for non-Nursys states. New York does not list a fingerprint requirement for nursing licensure.

Fees

$143 for the license and first registration. (The $35 limited permit does not apply to most endorsement applicants. Reconfirm fees against the Office of the Professions fee chart, since amounts drift.)

Compact rules

New York is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a multistate license from another state does not authorize practice in New York. You must obtain a New York license.

Military spouse

New York offers expedited licensure to military spouses with a substantially-equivalent out-of-state license, including a 50 percent reduced application fee and a no-fee temporary practice permit valid up to six months. A separate temporary certification covers military members and spouses for the duration of a New York deployment.

Source: NYSED Office of the Professions, RN licensure (Pathway 3), last checked 2026-06-18. Fees and timelines change; confirm with the board before you rely on a date.