Apply for licensure by endorsement if you were licensed in another state or U.S. jurisdiction and want a Kentucky RN or LPN license.
Applications and documents are reviewed within 14 days. However, if you respond "Yes" to the disciplinary or conviction questions it can take up to 3 months to process your application.
Fee Payment Update: Effective July 6, 2020, fees assessed by the banking industry will be charged for each transaction. Payments made with a credit card will have an additional 2.75% of the payment added to the total. Payments made by ACH (online check) will have a $1.00 charge attached to the payment. The banking fees will be in addition to the fees due the Kentucky Board of Nursing.
Click on the following
If you:
RN/LPN Requirements
NOTE: The endorsement application is valid for six months. You have six (6) months to complete the endorsement process before the application expires; if the application expires before a temporary permit or license has been issued you will have to submit a new application, fingerprint card and fees. Click on the following link to check your Application status after applying to see what is needed to complete the endorsement process.
Requirements for RN/LPN License:
- Endorsement Application and $165.00 fee (fees are non-refundable).
Application is best viewed using Internet Explorer or Firefox
-
Kentucky Criminal Background Report from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).
KBN will receive an electronic copy of the report, if you request the report online and follow the
AOC Fastcheck Instruction [PDF Format - 337KB].
- Fingerprint Card (federal background check) and $13.25 fee payable to KSP.
Instructions for completing the fingerprint card [PDF Format - 16KB]
NOTE: Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing once the card is sent to KSP.
Please mail the card and fee to:- Kentucky State Police
- Records Branch
- 1266 Louisville Rd
- Frankfort, KY 40601
Click on the following link to request fingerprint card will be mailed within 1-2 business days.
- Complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam online after completing the endorsement application.
- Verification of Original Licensure
(Verification of licensure is required from the state in which you took and passed NCLEX/Boards)
Transcripts: If you were licensed from one of the following states, you must request your nursing program to send
KBN an official transcript, with degree and graduation date posted.
- California*
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Washington
NOTE: A temporary permit will not be issued to nurses who completed a program of nursing in and were originally licensed
in CA until the transcript is received.
Mail transcript to: Kentucky Board of Nursing
Attn: Endorsement
312 Whittington Pkwy, Suite 300
Louisville, KY 40222
Reporting Criminal History
Click here for more information on reporting criminal convictions.
KRS 314.011(21) defines conviction as an unvacated adjudication of guilt, pleading no contest or nolo contendere, entering an Alford plea, or entering a guilty plea pursuant to a pretrial diversion order regardless of whether the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated.
Temporary Permit
Click on temporary permit below:
Paper Application Request Form
The application requires an additional fee when the application is submitted via paper. There is no additional fee if these forms are submitted electronically. Please fill out and submit the request form along with the additional fee.
Paper Application Request Form - Endorsement [PDF Format - 94KB]