To get an Illinois nursing license by endorsement, you apply through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) online portal, pay a $50 fee, and submit verification of your out-of-state license, proof of your nursing education, a Supporting Document PHQ, and a fingerprint-based background check. Processing usually takes four to six weeks once the file is complete. This route applies to every nurse moving to Illinois from another U.S. state or territory, because Illinois does not participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact.
A Multistate License Will Not Cover You in Illinois
If you hold a multistate license from a compact state, it does not authorize you to practice in Illinois. As of 2025, 43 jurisdictions participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, and Illinois is not one of them. Legislation to join (HB1706) was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly in 2025 but stalled in the House Rules Committee. Until that changes, you need an Illinois-specific license by endorsement even if your current multistate license is active and in good standing.
Who Qualifies
Three things have to be true before IDFPR will endorse your license:
- You hold an active, unencumbered nursing license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction. “Unencumbered” means no restrictions, probation, suspension, or pending discipline. If you’ve held licenses in more than one state in the past five years, every one of them must be unencumbered.
- You graduated from a nursing education program that meets standards comparable to Illinois-approved programs.
- You passed the NCLEX for your license type (RN or LPN).
If you were educated outside the United States, you need a credentials evaluation report from one of IDFPR’s approved services: CGFNS, ERES, Josef Silny & Associates, SpanTran, or IEE. The report must include proof of licensure in the country where you were educated.
What to Gather Before You Apply
Assembling everything up front is the single best way to keep processing on the four-to-six-week end of the range.
License verification. If your current licensing state participates in Nursys (the national database run by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing), you must request verification through Nursys rather than from the state board directly. Nursys charges $30 per license type per board you’re verifying to. If your state does not participate, have your original licensing board complete IDFPR’s CT-NUR form and mail it directly to the department.
Education documentation. Submit either an official transcript bearing the school seal or the ED-NUR form signed by your nursing program director. International graduates submit the credentials evaluation report described above.
Supporting Document PHQ. This supplemental questionnaire accompanies every application. IDFPR will not process your file without it.
Fingerprint-based background check. All initial licensure applicants must complete a fingerprint criminal background check through both the Illinois State Police and the FBI. Go to an IDFPR-approved livescan vendor, have your fingerprints scanned, then submit a copy of the fingerprint receipt with your application. Vendor fees vary. One exception: if you already hold an active Illinois LPN license and are applying for your RN, you do not need another background check.
Fees. The endorsement application fee is $50 for both RN and LPN. If you also want a temporary practice permit, add $25 for a combined $75. Nursys verification and livescan fees are paid separately to those vendors.
Submitting Through the IDFPR Portal
Illinois requires all nursing endorsement applications to go through the IDFPR Online Services Portal. Create an account, select the endorsement application for your license type, and enter your personal information, education, and license history. Make sure your name matches exactly across every document. If it has changed since nursing school through marriage or court order, have the legal supporting documents ready to upload.
After payment and submission, the portal generates a confirmation receipt and lets you track progress on your dashboard. IDFPR will email you if something is missing. Processing generally runs four to six weeks when the file is complete. The most common cause of delay is a name mismatch across your application, your license verification, and your education records. The second most common is slow verification from another state’s board.
Working in Illinois Before Your Permanent License Arrives
You don’t have to wait out the full processing time before starting work. Under Section 60-11 of the Illinois Nurse Practice Act, IDFPR can issue a temporary practice permit to endorsement applicants, and it must issue or deny that permit within 14 working days of receiving a complete temporary permit application.
To request one, submit four items alongside your endorsement application: the completed licensure application, proof that every active license you’ve held in the past five years is current and unencumbered, a separate temporary permit application, and the $25 temporary permit fee. The permit is valid for six months from the date issued, or until your permanent Illinois license is granted or denied, whichever comes first.
IDFPR can refuse a temporary permit if you were convicted of a felony or a nursing-related misdemeanor within the past five years, or if another state revoked, suspended, or placed your license on probation in that same window. If IDFPR intends to deny your endorsement application, it can also deny or revoke the temporary permit.
If You’re an APRN
Advanced practice registered nurses have additional requirements. You must first hold, or simultaneously obtain, an Illinois RN license, because APRN licensure in Illinois sits on top of an active RN credential. Beyond that, you need an active APRN license in another U.S. jurisdiction, a graduate degree from a clinical advanced practice nursing program, and current national certification in your specialty.
Accepted certifying bodies by role:
- Nurse Practitioners: AACN, AANP, ANCC, NCC, or PNCB
- Nurse Midwives: AMCB
- Nurse Anesthetists: NBCRNA
- Clinical Nurse Specialists: AACN or ANCC
If you plan to prescribe controlled substances, apply separately for an Illinois mid-level practitioner controlled substance license through the IDFPR portal. Full Practice Authority applications for qualifying APRNs go through the same portal.
Your First Renewal Comes Sooner Than You Might Expect
All Illinois RN licenses expire on May 31 of every even-numbered year, regardless of when they were issued. If your endorsement license is granted in October 2025, your first renewal is still May 31, 2026. LPN licenses follow a different cycle.
For the renewal cycle running through May 31, 2026, RNs must complete 20 hours of approved continuing education, and APRNs 80 hours, from approved CE providers. Practicing on a lapsed license exposes you to disciplinary action, so set a reminder well ahead of the deadline. The window between a fresh endorsement and your first expiration can be short.