You cannot get a compact nursing license in Illinois. Illinois is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), so nurses licensed here hold a single-state license that only authorizes practice within Illinois, and nurses holding a multistate license from another state cannot use it to practice in Illinois. To work here, you’ll need to apply for licensure by endorsement through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, unless you qualify for a narrow federal exception for military spouses.
What Illinois’s Non-Compact Status Actually Means
The NLC is an agreement among 43 jurisdictions that lets a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse hold one multistate license and practice in every participating state without a separate license in each one. Illinois has never joined.
That produces two rules you need to internalize before you plan anything. If you hold an Illinois license, it works only in Illinois. If you hold a multistate license issued by a compact state, it does not cover Illinois, and you’ll need a separate Illinois license before treating a single patient here, in person or through telehealth.
Getting an Illinois License by Endorsement
Any nurse already licensed in another U.S. state or territory, including nurses with a multistate compact license, must apply for licensure by endorsement to legally practice in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) handles these applications through its online portal.1IDFPR. Nurses
You’ll need to submit:
- License verification through Nursys, the national nurse licensure database, which sends verification directly to IDFPR.
- Official transcripts from every nursing education program you attended, bearing the school seal.
- A fingerprint-based criminal background check through the Illinois State Police and FBI.
- A personal history disclosure covering any criminal history or disciplinary actions by any licensing board.
These requirements sit in the Illinois Administrative Code.2Cornell Law Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 68, 1300.320 – RN Licensure by Endorsement
Fingerprinting
Your fingerprints must be taken within 60 days before you submit your application. If you live in Illinois, you’ll go to an Illinois-licensed vendor for a LiveScan session. If you live out of state, have your fingerprints taken on an FBI fingerprint card at a local agency such as a police department, then mail the card to an Illinois vendor that offers card-scan service. That vendor processes the prints through both the ISP and FBI systems and transmits the results to IDFPR electronically.3IDFPR. Fingerprint Background Check Guide Vendor fees generally run between $20 and $100.
Fees, Temporary Permits, and Timing
The endorsement application fee for RNs is $50, and a temporary permit costs an additional $25.4Cornell Law Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 68, 1300.30 – Fees The temporary permit is worth requesting if you need to start working before your permanent license arrives. It’s valid for six months from the date of issuance, or until your permanent license is granted or denied, whichever comes first.5IDFPR. Instruction Sheet – RN Endorsement You’re responsible for completing the full endorsement process before it expires.
Once every required document is on file, expect roughly two to four weeks of processing. Delays are common when transcripts or fingerprint results arrive out of sync. You can track your application through the IDFPR portal.
If You Were Educated Outside the United States
Foreign-educated nurses need a credentials evaluation from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Credentials Evaluation Service, the Educational Records Evaluation Service (ERES), or another Division-approved service confirming your education is equivalent to a U.S. program. Alternatively, you can submit proof of a CGFNS Certificate or VisaScreen certificate, as long as it was based on licensure in the country where you were educated. Any documents not in English need a certified translation.2Cornell Law Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 68, 1300.320 – RN Licensure by Endorsement
If English is not your first language, you’ll also need to pass either the TOEFL or the IELTS Academic Module. Minimum TOEFL scores are 560 (paper), 220 (computer), or 83 (internet-based). For the IELTS, you need at least a 6.5 overall and a 7.0 on the spoken band. IDFPR may waive this requirement if your nursing program was taught in English or you passed a licensing exam given in English.
Telehealth Is Where Nurses Most Often Get This Wrong
Under the Illinois Telehealth Act, any health care professional treating a patient located in Illinois through telehealth must be licensed in Illinois.6Justia. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 150 – Telehealth Act Your own location does not matter. If the patient is in Illinois, you need an Illinois license, and a multistate compact license from another state does not qualify.
The mirror image applies too. If you hold only an Illinois license and provide telehealth to a patient in another state, that state’s board considers you to be practicing within its borders. You’d need licensure there, whether by endorsement or, if it’s a compact state, through a multistate license issued by a compact state where you have residency.
The Military Spouse Exception
One federal carve-out lets some nurses skip endorsement. A 2023 amendment to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act created a license portability provision for service members and their spouses who relocate due to military orders.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 4025a – Portability of Professional Licenses of Servicemembers and Their Spouses
You have to meet all five conditions:
- You relocated outside the jurisdiction that issued your license because of military orders.
- You provide a copy of the military orders to the Illinois licensing authority.
- You actively used your license during the two years immediately before the move.
- You’re in good standing with every licensing authority that issued you a similar license.
- You agree to follow Illinois standards of practice, discipline requirements, and continuing education rules.
If you qualify, your out-of-state nursing license is treated as valid in Illinois for the duration of the orders. The federal provision does not apply where both states are NLC members and the compact would govern portability, but since Illinois isn’t in the compact, that carve-out doesn’t affect spouses moving here.
Penalties for Practicing Without an Illinois License
Working as a nurse in Illinois without proper licensure carries criminal and civil consequences, and IDFPR investigates these cases.
Knowingly practicing nursing without an Illinois license is a Class A misdemeanor on the first offense. A second conviction becomes a Class 4 felony.8Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 65 – Nurse Practice Act, Section 70-75 Separately, IDFPR can impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per offense after a formal hearing.9Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 65 – Nurse Practice Act, Section 50-20 IDFPR can also revoke, suspend, or place a license on probation, and that mark travels with you to every future licensing application in any state.
If You Hold an Illinois License and Want To Work in a Compact State
You have two options. The straightforward route is to apply for a single-state license by endorsement in that state, the same way an out-of-state nurse applies in Illinois.
The more useful long-term route is to establish residency in a compact state and apply for a multistate license there. A single multistate license then covers every other compact state. To qualify, you generally need to pass the NCLEX, hold an unencumbered license, complete a fingerprint-based background check, have no felony convictions, and hold a valid Social Security number, among other requirements. If you later move from one compact state to another, you have 60 days to apply for a new multistate license in your new home state; your old one converts to a single-state license once residency changes.10NCSBN. Nurse Licensure Compact
Could Illinois Join the Compact Soon?
House Bill 1706, introduced in January 2025 during the 104th General Assembly, would amend the Illinois Nurse Practice Act to ratify the Nurse Licensure Compact. The bill was assigned to the Health Care Licenses Committee in February 2025, re-referred to the House Rules Committee on March 21, 2025, and gained a co-sponsor in August 2025. No further substantive action has been recorded.11Illinois General Assembly. Bill Status of HB1706 – 104th General Assembly
The bill also carries Illinois-specific limitations. It would bar the state from sharing criminal background check results with the Interstate Commission, require employers to give nurses time to complete continuing education, and exclude advanced practice registered nurses from compact coverage. Watch the legislative calendar if you want to know when things change, but don’t build a plan around it. For now, the endorsement process is the only way in.