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Open a jurisdiction to review its dated requirements and official sources. Use the compact tables to compare which states participate.

Nurse state crossing · North Dakota licensing · NLC status table · LPN/LVN list

ND

RN work list: North Dakota

What an RN has to do to work in North Dakota. Pick where you live and the page shows your route.

Pick your home state to see which route applies. Both are listed below.

North Dakota: Nurse Licensure Compact state

State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

Source quotation
Nurses who are residents of NLC states that hold an active multistate license in their PSOR coming to work in North Dakota for a temporary amount of time are not required to obtain ND licensure.

ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

Route A: practise on your multistate licence

For a nurse whose home state and North Dakota are both compact states in force, holding a multistate licence.

  1. Look yourself up on Nursys QuickConfirm. NCSBN: “If you already have a license and you are unsure if your license is single-state or multistate, use Quick Confirm at nursys.com at no cost.”

    NCSBN · nursecompact.com · checked 10 Nov 2026

    Source quotation
    If you already have a license and you are unsure if your license is single-state or multistate, use Quick Confirm at nursys.com at no cost.

    nursecompact.com · NCSBN

  2. Only the compact state you actually live in can issue your multistate licence. NCSBN: “If a nurse's PSOR is a compact state, that nurse may be eligible for a multistate license.”

    NCSBN · nursecompact.com · checked 10 Nov 2026

    Source quotation
    If a nurse's PSOR is a compact state, that nurse may be eligible for a multistate license.

    nursecompact.com · NCSBN

  3. NCSBN defines the privilege to practise as the authority “permitting the practice of nursing as either an RN or LPN/VN in a remote state”.

    NCSBN · nursecompact.com · checked 10 Nov 2026

    Source quotation
    permitting the practice of nursing as either an RN or LPN/VN in a remote state

    nursecompact.com · NCSBN

  4. Yes — a qualifying multistate license permits RN/LPN practice here

    Conditions & source context

    Licensure route for temporary work on valid home-stateMSL, no NDrestriction.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    They are able to work in North Dakota on their current multistate license without any additional requirements.

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

If you move for good, not just for a contract: NCSBN says “when your PSOR changes by permanently relocating to another compact state, apply for licensure by endorsement” and “You have 60 days from the time you move to apply for your license.”

NCSBN · nursecompact.com · checked 10 Nov 2026

Source quotation
You have 60 days from the time you move to apply for your license.

nursecompact.com · NCSBN

Route B: get a North Dakota licence by endorsement

For everyone else. Each step comes from North Dakota’s own licensing sources; tick it off as you go.

    • Endorsement application in the Nurse Portal

      Detail
      Incomplete applications remain active for one year.

    • Official transcript sent directly by the school

      Detail
      Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse preferred; applicant-sent, unofficial, faxed, and emailed copies not accepted.

    • Nursys verification of the initial license by exam and at least one active license

      Detail
      An active exam-state license satisfies both verification items.

    • Practice requirement of 400 hours in the past four years, or program completion or refresher course within the past four years

      Detail
      Attested in the application subject to audit.

    • Criminal History Record Check items as one packet

      Detail
      Required for issuance of the license, but not for a temporary permit.
    Conditions & source context

    U.S.-educated RN/LPN pathway; applicant-specific education/eligibility and fullCHRC checklist remain separate. Endorsement refresher lookback4years differs from renewal lookback1year.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    Send verification of license for both your initial license by exam as well as an active license. All verifications must be sent through Nursys: www.nursys.com

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

  2. ndbon.boardsofnursing.org

    Conditions & source context

    Exact portal URI printed and linked; mandatory online applications stated in surrounding instructions.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    To access the Nurse Portal, click the “Nurse Portal” button located in the main navigation of our website or visit: https://ndbon.boardsofnursing.org/ndbn/

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

  3. Required
    Yes
    State check
    Yes
    FBI check
    Yes
    Fingerprints
    Yes
    Fee
    43
    From out of state
    Contact local law enforcement or a private fingerprinting agency; standard FBI Applicant card FD-258; mail the packet to the Board, which forwards it to BCI.
    Conditions & source context

    Current43mandatoryBCIfee separate from application and variable fingerprintcollection charges. Current form changedSeptember2026; use updatedform. StandardFD258card, packet mailed to Board, thenBCI. No named vendor inferred.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    Contact your local law enforcement agency or a private agency that provides fingerprinting services to make an appointment to be fingerprinted Fee for fingerprinting will vary depending upon agency charges Agencies and law enforcement must use the standard FBI Applicant card (FD-258) for fingerprints Download and complete the Criminal History Record Check form (SFN 60688) and the Fingerprint Identity Verification Form (SFN 62550) available by clicking here Complete the last section titled “To be Completed by Subject of Record Check” only Sign and date the form Completed fingerprint cards (from the law enforcement agency/private agency) TWO completed fingerprint cards if ink and roll ONE completed fingerprint card if electronic (electronic means the fingerprints are electronically scanned and printed onto the fingerprint cards. Applicants are still required to mail in the hard copy of the fingerprint cards) Do not fold fingerprint cards Money Order, Cashier Check, or personal check for $43.00, with a current date, and must be made payable to ND Attorney General (Please do not send cash as your payment – cash is not accepted) Please note this is a separate, mandatory fee for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and not included/part of your original application fee. Mail the completed packet to the North Dakota Board of Nursing North Dakota Board of Nursing 919 S 7th Street, Suite 504 Bismarck, ND 58504 Note: NDBON will submit the completed form, fee, and fingerprint cards to Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI). BCI will return the background check results to NDBON

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

  4. Required
    Yes
    Verification for endorsement
    Yes
    Conditions & source context

    Required verification of originalexam and at leastoneactive license underU.S.-educated pathway. One activeexam-stateverification satisfiesboth. Nursysfee unknown; outgoingverification guidance is not used as inboundevidence.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    Send verification of license for both your initial license by exam as well as an active license. All verifications must be sent through Nursys: www.nursys.com

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

  5. Available
    Yes
    Type
    Single-state90day nonrenewable temporary permit
    Term days
    90
    Additional fee usd
    0
    Extendable
    No
    Conditions & source context

    Only after application/transcript and license-verification review; previous unfinished permit application can block another. CHRC completion is pending, not prerequisite to permit. Single-state full in-scopeNDpractice only.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    90-day Temporary Permit: Upon receipt and processing of your endorsement application, official transcript, and license verification of both your initial exam license and an active license, your application will be reviewed for issuance of a 90-day nonrenewable temporary permit. There is no additional fee, application, or request required to receive a temporary permit, all applications are issued one when eligible after review. All temporary permits are issued as single-state and good for only practice in North Dakota and cannot be used as verification for applying for licensure in other states. The temporary permit is good for full practice as a nurse within the appropriate scope of practice and is issued to allow practice while your CHRC is being processed. Extensions will not be granted. A temporary permit may not be issued if you have previously received a temporary permit for an application that you did not complete the requirements to receive full licensure/registry for, the application will be reviewed for full licensure issuance instead.

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

    • RN

      Regular requirement hours
      12
      Lookback years
      2
      Credited alternatives
      • Initial examination coursework meets first-renewal requirement
      • Reactivation refresher-course contact hours can count for first renewal cycle

    • LPN

      Regular requirement hours
      12
      Lookback years
      2
      Credited alternatives
      • Initial examination coursework meets first-renewal requirement
      • Reactivation refresher-course contact hours can count for first renewal cycle
    Conditions & source context

    RN/LPN regular12hours over2years with coursework/refresher credit exceptions. No universal12freshcourse-hours inferred; APRNpharmacotherapy requirement excluded.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    The Board determined in Section 54-02-05-08 that continuing education for purposes of relicensure must meet or exceed twelve (12) contact hours within the preceding two (2) years. An APRN with Prescriptive Authority must complete 15 contact hours of pharmacotherapy education related to scope of practice during the previous two (2) years. These contact hours fulfill the registered nurse renewal continuing education requirement. NDAC 54-05-03.1-11 An applicant that obtained initial RN or LPN licensure through examination will not need to complete additional contact hours of approved continuing education before the first renewal of a nursing license. The requirements have been met through the academic coursework. An applicant for reactivation of a license can use the refresher course contact hours for the first renewal cycle after reactivation of a license.

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

    • 400

      Lookback years
      4
      Alternatives
      • Refresher completed in preceding1year
      • Undergraduate/graduate nursing graduation in preceding4years

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    Conditions & source context

    Renewal refresher lookback1year, not endorsement4years. Other regulated-profession hours cannot satisfy nursingpractice. Complete attestation checklist not swept.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    Nursing practice for the purposes of relicensure must meet or exceed 400 hours within the preceding four (4) years. Hours practiced in another regulated profession cannot be used for nursing practice hours. Nurses who have completed a refresher course within the preceding year or graduated from a nursing undergraduate or nursing graduate program in the last four (4) years with less than 400 hours of nursing practice will be able to renew their license without meeting this requirement.

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

  8. Fastest published
    7
    Slowest published
    10
    Basis
    published_by_state
    Unit
    business_days
    Clock start
    Board receives all completed documents, fees and CHRC report
    Conditions & source context

    FAQ7–10business days applies after complete receipt, includingCHRC. Current endorsement page also gives5–10business-day document processing. Neither is a typical total elapsed application-to-license time or guaranteed maximum; CHRC is separate.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

    Source quotation
    Once all of the completed paperwork, including Criminal History Record Check (CHRC) report, and fees are received in the Board office, allow a least seven (7) to 10 business days for full licensure.

    ndbon.org · State Board of Nursing

  9. Our North Dakota record has nothing sourced for RNs on: the fee, any jurisprudence exam. Get those from the board directly: ndbon.org.

    State Board of Nursing · ndbon.org · checked 9 Oct 2026

Built from the North Dakota nursing licensing record and the compact status table. A step appears only when the record has a sourced answer for it; anything else points to the board. Informational only: confirm with the board of nursing before you apply.