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
NOTE: IN AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE A PAPERLESS PROCESS, THE INFORMATION PACKETS CONTAINING LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS AND BACKGROUND CHECK INFORMATION ARE POSTED BELOW.
If you:
RN/LPN Requirements
NOTE: Effective February 1, 2021, all applicants will need
to complete their state and federal fingerprint process through IdentoGO.
Instructions that are included in the packet information.
List of requirements, additional instructions and
background check information are provided here: Endorsement Requirements Checklist
Requirements for RN/LPN License:
- Endorsement Application and $165.00 fee (fees are non-refundable).
Application is best viewed using Internet Explorer or Firefox
- State
and Federal Background Checks
- 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)
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