If you already hold an active nursing license in another U.S. state or territory, you can get an Alaska nursing license by endorsement without retaking the NCLEX. The total cost is $375 for an RN or LPN ($500 for an APRN), and the Alaska Board of Nursing typically completes its initial review within four to six weeks of receiving a complete application.
One thing to clear up first: Alaska has not joined the Nurse Licensure Compact. Companion bills HB 131 and SB 124 were introduced for the 2025–2026 session but have not been signed into law.1Alaska Board of Nursing. Nurse Licensure Compact If you hold a multistate license from a compact state, it does not let you practice in Alaska. You still need an Alaska-issued license, and endorsement is the route.
Who Qualifies
You need a current, active, and unencumbered nursing license in another U.S. state or territory. That license has to be based on graduation from an approved nursing program and passage of the NCLEX or a state-accepted equivalent exam.2eLaws. Alaska Statutes Section 08.68.200 – License by Endorsement
You also have to show recent practice: at least 320 hours of nursing-related employment within the five years before you apply.3Cornell Law School. 12 AAC 44.305 – License by Endorsement If you fall short, you can either complete a board-approved refresher course or satisfy the Board’s continuing competency requirements instead.2eLaws. Alaska Statutes Section 08.68.200 – License by Endorsement Nurses who have been away from bedside work for a few years sometimes get caught here, so count your hours carefully before you file.
Documents You Need to Gather
Several items come from third parties rather than from you, so start requesting them before you open the online application.
- A notarized signature page certifying your application is accurate and authorizing the background check. This page has to be mailed in physically even though the rest of the application is online.3Cornell Law School. 12 AAC 44.305 – License by Endorsement
- Verification of your current license. If your state participates in Nursys, that is the fastest method. Otherwise, your state board must send a direct board-to-board verification to Alaska.
- Official transcripts sent directly from your nursing school to the Alaska Board of Nursing. Copies you send yourself will not be accepted.
- An employment verification form, completed by a previous employer, confirming your 320 hours of practice within the past five years.4Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Alaska Nursing Statutes and Regulations
Employment verification tends to be the slowest piece. Large HR departments can take weeks to return the form, so make that request first.
Fingerprints and Background Check
Every applicant has to clear a criminal history check. You submit a completed FBI Form FD-258 fingerprint card, filled out in blue or black ink by an authorized agency such as local law enforcement. The Board forwards the card to the Alaska Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Smudged, incomplete, or improperly prepared cards get rejected and can set your application back by weeks, so take the time to get a clean set.
The $75 fingerprint processing fee is included in your application payment. Alaska treats some convictions as permanent bars to licensure: felonies involving violence, domestic violence, crimes against children, arson, and sex offenses. Less serious convictions may create time-limited barriers instead. Disclose any criminal history on your application. The Board treats nondisclosure more seriously than most underlying convictions.
Fees and How to Submit
Total fee for RN or LPN endorsement is $375:
- Application fee: $100 (nonrefundable)
- Biennial license fee: $200
- Fingerprint processing fee: $75 (nonrefundable)
APRN endorsement runs $500 instead of $375.
The application itself is filed online through Alaska’s professional licensing portal. The notarized signature page and the physical fingerprint card have to be mailed separately to the Board of Nursing. Your file does not move forward until the Board has both the online submission and the mailed materials.
Once a complete package is in, expect an initial status update within four to six weeks. If the Board asks for additional documentation, allow another four to six weeks after you respond.5Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Applications and Forms You can track progress through the “MY LICENSE” online portal.
Working While You Wait: The Temporary Permit
The Board may issue a nonrenewable temporary permit while your full application is being processed, usually while the criminal background check results are still pending. The temporary permit is valid for 180 days, and the Board has discretion to grant a one-time 180-day extension. There is no additional fee beyond what you paid with your application.
The temporary permit lets you start work right away. Keep an eye on the expiration date. If the permit lapses before your permanent license issues, you have to stop practicing until the full license comes through.
If You Are an APRN
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses have a few extra steps. If you hold a valid federal DEA registration, you must show you completed at least two hours of education on pain management, opioid use, and addiction within the two years before your application date.6Cornell Law School. 12 AAC 44.445 – Controlled Substance Prescriptive and Dispensing Authority
You also have to register with Alaska’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) before you can prescribe controlled substances. Initial registration and biennial renewal are both $0, so there is no cost, but the registration itself is mandatory.7Cornell Law School. 12 AAC 02.107 – Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Registration Fees
If You Were Educated Outside the United States
Foreign-educated nurses face additional requirements. If your nursing education was not conducted in English, you must satisfy one of the following before the Board will process your application:
- Pass an approved English proficiency exam covering reading, speaking, writing, and listening. Accepted exams include TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, and PTE Academic, among others.
- Complete a credential evaluation through TruMerit (formerly CGFNS). A full course-by-course report confirming your program was taught in English satisfies the language requirement.
All foreign documents must include certified English translations.8Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Foreign Educated Nurse Requirements The TruMerit route also involves a qualifying nursing exam and verification of your foreign nursing license, so plan on several months of lead time.
Military Members and Spouses
Alaska offers expedited processing for military service members and their spouses. Under the state’s universal temporary licensing provisions, applicants who hold a substantially equivalent license in good standing from another U.S. or Canadian jurisdiction and who are relocating under military orders can receive a 180-day temporary license while their full application is processed, with the possibility of a 180-day extension.9Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Military Licensing The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act provides additional license portability protections. Email the Board at MilitaryLicense@Alaska.Gov to flag your application for priority review.