Nursing Licensure - Approximate Timeframes

One of the core requirements of a travel nursing job is having a current state license from the destination you wish to travel to. Nursing licensure timeframes vary from state-to-state, making it easier to obtain a nursing license from some states over others. This table below out lines which states accept compact licensure and which ones offer expedited walk-through licensure, as well as the standard time frame to obtain a nursing license from the state's board of nursing. You may want to bookmark this page or print it using the icon below as nursing licensure timeframes may change throughout the course of the year.

 

State	Compact	Walk Through	Time Frame
AL			2 weeks
AK^			2 weeks
AZ^			License issued 48-72hrs after walk through
AR			10 days for new
CA^			6-8 weeks via mail
CO			4 weeks for new
CT			2 weeks
DE			2 weeks for new
DC
FL			4-6 weeks
GA			4-6 weeks
HI			Varies
ID
IL			4-6 weeks
IN
IA			2-6 weeks for new
KS			2 weeks
KY**			2 weeks for new
LA			Walk through is for temp license; 4-6 weeks via mail
ME**			2 weeks for new
MD**			2 weeks for new
MA			4-6 weeks
MI			6-8 weeks
MN			6-8 weeks
MS
MO
MT
NE
NV			6-8 weeks
NH**			2-8 weeks for new
NJ			4-6 weeks
NM**			2 weeks for new
NY			6-8 weeks
NC**			2 weeks for new
ND			1 week for new
OH** ^			4-6 weeks
OK			4-5 weeks
OR			4-6 weeks
PA^			2-3 weeks
RI
SC
SD
TN			4-6 weeks for new
TX**			3-4 weeks for new
UT			3 weeks for new
VT
VA			4 weeks for new
WA**			4-6 weeks
WV			1-2 weeks
WI			2 weeks for new
WY			2-3 weeks

** Paperless

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