California Temporary Nursing License: Requirements, Costs, and Application

To work as a nurse in California while your permanent RN license is pending, you apply for a California temporary nursing license through the Board of Registered Nursing’s BreEZe online system. The board issues two versions: an Interim Permit for new graduates waiting on NCLEX-RN results, and a Temporary License for nurses already licensed in another U.S. state, territory, or Canada. Either one costs $100 on top of your regular application fee, lasts up to six months, and won’t be issued until your fingerprint results clear.

Which Credential Fits Your Situation

The two credentials aren’t interchangeable, and the BreEZe system ties each to a specific application track.

The Interim Permit (IP) is for new graduates who have finished an approved nursing program and are waiting to take or receive results from the NCLEX-RN. The BRN issues it only after approving your examination application and confirming you’ve completed the educational requirements for licensure.

The Temporary License (TL) is for endorsement applicants who hold a current, active RN license in another U.S. state, territory, or Canada and have already passed the NCLEX-RN or the older State Board Test Pool Examination. You can request the TL at the same time you apply for endorsement or at any point before your permanent California license comes through.¹

For both credentials, the BRN must receive and process your criminal background check results from the California Department of Justice and the FBI before issuing anything.¹

Coming From a Compact State

If you’re moving from a state that participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, your multistate license does not authorize you to practice in California. Although 43 jurisdictions currently participate in the NLC, California is not among them. A bill that would have enacted the compact (AB 3232) failed in the 2023-2024 legislative session. Every nurse relocating here needs a California-specific license, and the Temporary License exists precisely to bridge the gap while your endorsement application processes.²

What It Costs

You pay two fees: the base application fee for your permanent license and a separate $100 fee for the temporary credential.³ Base application fees range from $300 for California graduates sitting for the exam to $750 for international graduates, so the full outlay runs from $400 to $850 depending on your pathway.

If you live outside California and need to submit fingerprints by mail using an FD-258 hard card, add a $49 processing fee payable to the BRN.⁴ Live Scan users within California pay a separate DOJ/FBI processing fee plus a rolling fee charged by the vendor, which typically runs $20 to $40. All application fees must be paid by credit card when applying online through BreEZe.

How to Apply Through BreEZe

The temporary credential piggybacks on your permanent licensure application, so you need everything for the full application assembled before requesting either the IP or TL. Your application requires a U.S. Social Security Number and a complete history of all professional licenses you’ve ever held, including any disciplinary actions taken against them.

Register for a BreEZe account at the BRN’s website if you don’t already have one. From your account homepage, select the appropriate application type: “RN Initial Exam Application” for examination applicants or the endorsement application for nurses licensed elsewhere.⁵ During the application process, you’ll see the option to add the Interim Permit or Temporary License request. Endorsement applicants must submit the endorsement application first before requesting the TL.¹

At the end of the application, attach supporting documents directly and pay all fees with a credit card. The BRN won’t begin processing the temporary credential request until your permanent licensure application is complete, fees are paid, and fingerprint results have come back clean.

Fingerprinting Requirements

Every applicant must submit fingerprints for a state and federal criminal history check. The method depends on where you live when you apply.

If you’re in California, use the Live Scan process at any approved vendor location. Live Scan captures your fingerprints electronically and transmits them directly to the DOJ and FBI, so results come back faster.

If you’re outside California, you must use the FD-258 hard card process. Request a card from the BRN either through your BreEZe account (allow 10 to 14 business days for delivery) or by mailing a Fingerprint Request Form (allow up to three weeks). Take the card to a local law enforcement agency to have your prints rolled, then mail the completed card and the $49 processing fee to the BRN. Don’t fold the card.⁴ This is the single biggest source of delay for out-of-state applicants. Between waiting for the card, getting prints rolled, mailing it back, and waiting for the BRN to process it manually, the hard card path can add weeks to your timeline.

Disclosing Convictions and Prior Discipline

The BRN application asks whether you’ve ever been convicted of a crime or had a professional license disciplined. Getting this wrong, even by omission, can cost you the license.

You must disclose all felony and misdemeanor convictions, including no-contest pleas; expunged or set-aside convictions, even if officially deleted from court records; infractions where the fine was $1,000 or more, or any infraction involving alcohol or controlled substances; traffic tickets only if the fine exceeded $1,000; military convictions or dishonorable discharges; convictions from before age 18 if you were tried as an adult; and any discipline on another healthcare license, including suspension, revocation, voluntary surrender, or probation.

You don’t need to disclose arrests that didn’t lead to a conviction, infractions under $1,000 not involving alcohol or controlled substances, or non-payment of child support.⁶

If you have anything to disclose, attach a signed and dated letter of explanation to your application, along with supporting documents like letters of recommendation, out-of-state discipline records, and evidence of rehabilitation. The BRN evaluates whether a conviction is “substantially related” to your ability to practice safely, considering factors like assaultive conduct, theft, fraud, or failure to meet mandatory reporting requirements.⁶ A conviction doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but failing to disclose one almost certainly will trigger disciplinary action for falsifying your application.

How Long Processing Takes

The two credentials move at very different speeds. The Interim Permit is typically issued within 24 to 48 hours after your examination application is approved. As of early 2026, the Temporary License for endorsement applicants takes two to three weeks.⁷

Those timelines assume clean fingerprints and a complete application. Prior convictions, missing documents, or hard card fingerprint submissions can push things back considerably. Check your credential status through the BRN’s online License Search tool or your BreEZe account homepage at any time.

What You Can Do While Holding One

A temporary credential is not a full license, and the restrictions differ depending on which one you hold.

Interim Permit Holders

If you hold an IP, you must practice under the direct supervision of a registered nurse who is physically present and available on the patient care unit the entire time you’re providing care. The supervising RN may delegate any function that was taught in your basic nursing program, as long as the supervising nurse judges you capable of performing it.⁸

You’re also restricted in how you identify yourself. The only titles you may use are “I.P.,” “permittee,” “nurse permittee,” or “nurse interim permittee.” Using “RN” or any variation of “registered nurse” while holding an IP is not permitted.

Temporary License Holders

The Temporary License carries fewer restrictions because you’ve already passed the NCLEX-RN and hold an active license in another jurisdiction. The BRN authorizes TL holders to work as RNs pending issuance of their permanent California license.¹ The direct-supervision requirement that applies to IP holders does not appear in the TL provisions, though individual employers may impose their own orientation or supervision policies.

When Your Credential Expires

Both temporary credentials have a maximum life of six months, but each can end sooner under specific circumstances.⁹

Interim Permit

Your IP becomes void the moment your NCLEX-RN results are mailed, whether you passed or failed. The permit is not renewable.⁸ If you pass, you transition to your permanent California RN license once the BRN processes the results. If you fail, you must return the IP to the BRN immediately and stop practicing.¹⁰ There is no second Interim Permit for retake attempts. You cannot work as a nurse again until you retake and pass the NCLEX and receive your permanent license.

Temporary License

The TL expires when your permanent California RN license is issued, even if the six-month window hasn’t closed. It also terminates immediately if the BRN denies your permanent application or discovers the TL was issued in error.⁹

Unlike the Interim Permit, the Temporary License can be reissued. If your permanent licensure has been excusably delayed and your TL is about to expire, submit a written request to the BRN for reissuance. The board uses its discretion to decide whether the delay qualifies, and it can reissue the TL up to two times for the same applicant.⁹ Endorsement applications occasionally stall over transcript evaluations or verification delays that aren’t the applicant’s fault. If your six months are running out and the holdup is on someone else’s end, apply for reissuance rather than letting the credential lapse.

1
California Board of Registered Nursing. Temporary Licenses
2
California Board of Registered Nursing. Licensure by Endorsement
3
California Board of Registered Nursing. Fee Schedule
4
California Board of Registered Nursing. Applicant Fingerprint Information
5
California Board of Registered Nursing. Licensure by Examination
6
California Board of Registered Nursing. License Discipline and Convictions
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California Board of Registered Nursing. Processing Times
8
Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 16 1414 – Interim Permits
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California Legislative Information. California Business and Professions Code BPC 2733
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California Board of Registered Nursing. Request for Reapply and Repeat Examination