District of Columbia Nursing License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees

The District of Columbia is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from another compact state does not authorize practice in DC. A registered nurse moving to the District must apply for licensure by endorsement rather than simply carrying over a home-state multistate license. The DC board uses Nursys mainly to send outbound verifications to other states' boards and through e-Notify, not to grant DC nurses multistate recognition.

To qualify by endorsement, an RN must hold a current license issued after graduating from a board-approved program and passing the NCLEX-RN or State Board Test Pool exam, with a continuous history of good standing. Applicants apply online, pay $280 for the application and criminal background check, and complete Fieldprint fingerprinting. The board requires Nursys verification from the original licensing state, and from the current state if the original license has expired. It does not name a separate jurisprudence exam, English test, or temporary permit.

Applicants must complete a board-approved registered nursing program that carries national nursing accreditation, USDE accreditation, or both, or a program approved by another US nursing board with substantially equivalent standards; Canadian applicants from a provincial board-approved program qualify as well, except from Quebec. DC's rules do not distinguish between associate, bachelor's, or diploma degrees, so any of these paths can meet the education requirement. After completing an approved program, candidates must pass the NCLEX-RN through Pearson VUE; the board names no separate DC jurisprudence exam.