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RN license verification: Nursys or the board's lookup?

A free Nursys QuickConfirm lookup checks an RN license; applying in a new state needs Nursys Verification for Endorsement, US$30 per license type.

Checked November 15, 2026
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Short answer: To check whether an RN license is valid, use a free lookup: Nursys QuickConfirm or the issuing board's own website. When you apply for a license in a new US state, that board needs a formal verification, which you order through Nursys Verification for Endorsement for US$30 per license type, or directly from your board if it does not use the Nursys service.

A decision tree: to check a license use a free lookup (Nursys QuickConfirm or the board's site); to apply in a new US state use Nursys Verification for Endorsement at US$30; for another country or an APRN or temporary license, ask your board

Lookup or verification: two different jobs

People use "verification" for two different things.

A lookup answers one question: is this license real and current? Anyone can do it, any time, for free. Employers, patients and nurses themselves use it. For the steps and what each status word means, see Nursing license lookup: how to verify any nurse's license.

A verification for endorsement is a formal record sent from one board to another. Licensure by endorsement means a state grants you a license because you already hold one elsewhere. The new board needs official proof of every license you hold or have held. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) calls this "the official process of requesting a license verification for endorsement".

The tools compared

Tool Cost Who uses it What it shows or does
Nursys QuickConfirm Free Employers, the public, nurses License type, number, active or not, issue and expiration dates, compact status, discipline
Board's own lookup Free Anyone The same board record, sometimes with extra items such as permits
Nursys Verification for Endorsement US$30 per license type A nurse applying in a new US state Sends all your licenses of that type from participating boards to the new board
Nursys e-Notify Free Employers and nurses Email alerts when a license status or expiration date changes
Board's own verification form Set by the board Nurses going to another country or to a non-nursing agency An official letter or form from the board

The US$30 Nursys fee covers every license of the same type that you hold or held at participating boards. NCSBN gives this example: an Idaho RN who also held RN licenses in Oregon and Alaska pays US$30 once to send all of them to Arizona. The report is available to the new board as soon as you pay, and Nursys emails you a receipt. You need an email address to use the service.

Which boards take part, and where to go if yours does not

On November 15, 2026, Nursys listed 58 boards for QuickConfirm and 58 for Verification for Endorsement. Every board on the QuickConfirm list shares RN and PN license data, covering the boards of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and four territories. The count is above 55 because California, Louisiana and West Virginia have separate RN and PN boards.

NCSBN explains that a board can share data for lookups but choose not to take part in online verification for endorsement. If your board is not on the Verification for Endorsement list when you apply, contact that board and ask for its own verification. The Texas Board of Nursing, for example, now sends no verifications of its own to other US boards: everything goes through Nursys.

Some things Nursys does not verify for endorsement:

  • APRN licenses. Ask the board that issued it. Texas, for example, says a new board can read Texas APRN details in Nursys.
  • Temporary licenses.
  • Verifications to another country or to a non-nursing agency. Nursys serves US boards only. Your board handles these. Texas, for example, asks for an emailed form and allows up to 20 business days.

Before you order a verification

  1. Apply to the new state first, or at least choose it. You must pick the receiving board when you pay.
  2. Check that every license you ever held appears in QuickConfirm. If one is missing, send a Nursys Missing Record Inquiry before you pay.
  3. Check your name. If Nursys shows an old name, ask the issuing board to update it.
  4. Keep the emailed receipt. Some boards accept a copy with your application.

What to do next

  1. Look up your own license on QuickConfirm today and confirm it is correct.
  2. If you hold a multistate license and are moving to another compact state, read Compact nursing states: the 2026 list before you order anything: you may need a new license by endorsement within 60 days.
  3. If you are an internationally educated nurse, your first US board may also ask for a credentials report: see What is CGFNS?.

Common questions

Does a Nursys verification include my transcript?

No. It includes the degree type, graduation date and program name from your first state of licensure. NCSBN says it "is not considered an official transcript". Some boards ask the school for a transcript too.

Can I use a paper form my new board sent me?

For boards on the Nursys list, no. NCSBN says verification must be done online and it does not forward paper forms.

Do I pay again if I already sent a verification to one state?

Each order goes to the board or boards you select when you pay. NCSBN's fee example covers one receiving state, so check the total at checkout if you select more than one.

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