Getting a Ohio nursing license by endorsement

How it works

Ohio calls this licensure by reciprocity, its term for endorsement. A nurse who holds a current, valid, unrestricted RN license obtained by examination in another NCSBN jurisdiction, from a Board-approved pre-license program, applies through the Ohio eLicense system and selects the Nursing Board, Registered Nurse, application type Reciprocity (Ohio Administrative Code 4723-7-04).

Processing time

Not published. The Board does not state an overall reciprocity turnaround; the application only describes status states and a rule that an incomplete application is void after one year. The out-of-state fingerprint check alone can take four weeks or longer when an in-depth review is needed.

Work while waiting

Generally no for a routine out-of-state applicant. The reciprocity application does not offer a temporary permit to the standard endorsement applicant. By statute (Ohio Revised Code 4723.09) the Board may grant a nonrenewable temporary permit, expiring at the earlier of 180 days or license issuance, to an applicant holding a current, valid, unrestricted out-of-state license, but it is discretionary and the rule's temporary-permit language is written mainly for foreign-educated graduates. Do not assume you can work while it processes.

Requirements

Verify your original licensure by examination plus a current unrestricted license through Nursys, or have a non-Nursys board email the verification to the Board directly. Complete a BCI and FBI criminal records check, required for all applicants; out-of-state applicants mail ink fingerprint cards to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation using reason code ORC 4723.091. Complete two contact hours of Board-approved Category A continuing education on the Ohio Nurse Practice Act and Board rules. Provide evidence of the qualifying pre-license program, usually included in the Nursys report or by transcript. There is no separate Ohio nursing exam.

Fees

$75 nonrefundable application fee, paid online at submission, plus an Ohio eLicense system transaction fee whose amount the Board does not publish on a current page. The out-of-state BCI and FBI fingerprint check by mailed ink cards is $47.25, payable to the Treasurer, State of Ohio; in-state WebCheck fingerprinting is priced by the WebCheck site and is not a fixed published amount. Confirm the live fee at submission.

Compact rules

Ohio is a compact state and began issuing multistate licenses on January 1, 2023. If your primary residence stays in another compact state and you hold a multistate license, that license already covers Ohio practice, no endorsement needed, and the employer rather than the Board confirms it is current and unencumbered. Make Ohio your primary residence and you must obtain an Ohio license.

Military spouse

Ohio offers expedited or priority processing, temporary licensure, extended time allowances, and possible fee waivers to service members and their eligible spouses, elected in the application's Military Service section.

Category A continuing education is two contact hours. A nurse relocating from a compact state may not need an Ohio endorsement license at all for compact practice; endorsement applies once Ohio becomes the primary residence. The nursing.ohio.gov HTML pages are JS-rendered, so the binding details live in the official eLicense reciprocity application and the Ohio Administrative and Revised Codes.

Source: Ohio Board of Nursing reciprocity application and Ohio Administrative/Revised Code 4723, last checked 2026-06-19. Fees and timelines change; confirm with the board before you rely on a date.