Last updated: October 14, 2026.
This is general information from Texas Board of Nursing pages, 22 TAC Chapters 216, 217, 221, 222, and 223, and Occupations Code Chapters 157 and 301, reviewed October 14, 2026. It is not legal advice and not a licensing decision. The fee due is the one on the Board’s schedule when the application is received.
“Texas nursing license by endorsement” and “transfer nursing license to Texas” are the same RN or LVN application. Rule 217.1(12) means Texas issues a permanent license without another exam once you meet the same standards as nurses educated in Texas.
Nurse practitioners do not use that path. The APRN practice FAQ says endorsement is not available for APRN licensure. An out-of-state NP needs a Texas RN license or a compact RN privilege, then a separate APRN application under Rule 221. Prescribing is a further Board authorization.
What the Board charges
The current RN and LVN U.S. endorsement instructions, marked V7.2025, specify a $150 nonrefundable application fee including the nursing jurisprudence exam. The application and fee remain valid for one year from receipt; after that, a new filing and fee are required. Fingerprints and external verification are additional costs.
| Application | Published Board fee |
|---|---|
| RN or LVN endorsement, including jurisprudence exam | $150 |
| Initial APRN licensure | $100 |
| Initial APRN prescriptive authority | $50 |
| APRN licensure with prescriptive authority | $150 |
Use the APRN application page for APRN amounts. The fee page has an unresolved inconsistency between its combined APRN/RN renewal summary and separate renewal lines, so obtain the renewal total from the current portal rather than adding those lines yourself. Confirm the six-month refresher-permit fee with the Board before applying; this guide does not supply an unverified amount.
Who can endorse an RN or LVN license
Education, examination, and recent practice are separate eligibility checks under Rule 217.5. A Board-hosted administrative decision, footnote 10, confirms the education-standard amendment adopted in October 2022 (47 Tex. Reg. 6581). The education standard includes an approved Texas program or a program the Board determines has substantially equivalent education standards. An out-of-state license alone does not establish that the education meets Texas requirements. You cannot endorse if you already held a Texas nursing license. Renew or reactivate that license instead. Applicants still need qualifying nursing education and an accepted national licensing examination. International programs have added requirements. Check the Board’s non-approved international schools list before you pay.
File in the Texas Nurse Portal. The page lists four instruction sets, split by RN or LVN and by U.S. education versus international education. Puerto Rico uses the international set. The two U.S. files say “8.22” in the URL and V7.2025 on the document. The RN portal name is “Endorsement RN – U.S. Educated but not Puerto Rico Educated.”
A completed U.S. file is the portal application, the full fee, fingerprints, a passing Nursing Jurisprudence Exam, and license verifications. Disclose the complete license/authorization history requested by the application. The V7.2025 instructions separately direct applicants to obtain verification of permanent licenses, excluding temporary or pending licenses. Select Texas as the Nursys recipient and use the current instructions for any jurisdiction not available in that service. Disclosure and ordering a verification report are different steps; ask the Board to resolve an unusual authorization rather than omitting it. See how to verify a nursing license.
Both U.S. files require didactic and clinical hours in medical-surgical, geriatric, maternal/child, and pediatric nursing. RN files also require mental-health clinical hours. The LVN file requires mental-health theory only, and a partial RN program does not qualify. The exam is a passing NCLEX or a State Board Test Pool Examination score of 350 or above. The Board Constructed Examination is not accepted. You must hold or have held a license, in the same role, in another U.S. state or territory with requirements substantially equivalent to Texas. Disclose status and any discipline accurately; a prior license does not remove the Board’s eligibility review. Occupations Code §301.260(a)(3), as the instructions cite it, requires proof that some state licensed you by examination.
The Nursing Jurisprudence Exam has been required before permanent licensure since September 2008. It is two hours on the Nursing Practice Act and Board rules. Register on the jurisprudence page. A result already on file is not repeated, and the fee sits inside the $150. The V7.2025 sheets allow 15 business days to process an item and up to 15 more after the last item. An Enforcement case takes longer, and the Board waits for that decision.
The 120-day temporary license
The V7.2025 RN and LVN instructions use one application for the temporary license and the permanent license. Staff review temporary eligibility within 15 business days. The temporary license lasts 120 calendar days, is issued once per lifetime, is not renewed, and is electronic only. It can be delayed when you disclose an eligibility issue, when the criminal-history report is positive, when Nursys shows discipline, or when education documents are still missing. An active multistate license covers practice while the permanent license is pending.
Fingerprints
Follow the Board’s current fingerprint instructions for your location and identification circumstances. Results must reach the Board through its authorized process; a background check performed for an employer or another agency is not a substitute. If the Board already has your fingerprints, follow its instructions before paying for another submission.
The licensure FAQ directs Texas residents to IdentoGO. Use the Board’s current registration instructions, service details, and outside-Texas or no-Social-Security-number route where applicable. Older effective dates and vendor names on historical pages do not change the steps for a new application.
When a multistate license is enough
Texas participated in the original compact from January 1, 2000. The current NLC implementation table gives January 19, 2018 for the enhanced compact; these dates describe different versions of the agreement. A Texas compact license requires Texas as your legal and primary residence, an active RN or LVN license without current discipline, and Texas licensure requirements. nursecompact.com listed 43 jurisdictions on October 14, 2026. Connecticut fully implemented the compact on October 1, 2025. See how to get a multistate nursing license, plus the Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Hawaii guides.
NLC rule 402(2), effective January 2, 2024, gives 60 days after a move to another party state to apply in the new home state. A valid multistate license already covers Texas practice when you are not moving. If you are establishing Texas as your legal home, provide the residency evidence required by the Board, such as a driver license, voter registration, tax return, or qualifying military/government record. Merely owning a Texas address does not make Texas your primary state of residence. NLC rule 403 permits continued practice on a valid former-home-state multistate license while the new application is processed; the new license deactivates the former multistate license. Use the current address. Check compact eligibility first. The compact does not cover APRN practice. A multistate RN privilege can meet the RN prerequisite only.
The four-year rule
The V7.2025 instructions require practice in the role, or a passing exam, within the four years before the application. If the NCLEX or State Board Test Pool Examination is older than that and you have not practiced in another U.S. state or territory in those four years, Rule 217.5(c) applies. The RN instructions also count practice in a Canadian province. The LVN instructions do not list that Canadian-practice allowance. Read the file for your role before relying on experience outside the United States.
Rule 217.5(c) requires a six-month permit before a Texas refresher, extensive orientation, or academic clinical courses. The permit lasts six months. Endorsement can be filed, and the temporary or permanent license waits until the program is done. A jurisprudence exam passed for the refresher can count.
APRN licensure under Rule 221
The APRN FAQ says endorsement is not available, even with an APRN license in another state. Approval waits for a current Texas RN license or a compact privilege. You may send both applications together.
The APRN application page charges $100, or $150 with prescriptive authority. Both are non-refundable. It also requires a Texas or compact RN license, a program that meets Rule 221.3, and national certification matching the role and population. If the certification expired more than four years ago, leave the date blank and fax copies to (512) 305-7401, Attn: APRN Office. Practice must include 400 hours in that role and population within 24 months, or program completion in that window, plus 20 contact hours in the same window or recent graduation.
The certification list, revised January 2025, says Rule 221 requires current national certification when APRN education was completed on or after January 1, 1996, unless Rule 221.7(c) provides a waiver. Examples from that document:
| Role | Credentials the Board’s list names |
|---|---|
| Family NP | ANCC FNP, or AANP Certification Board FNP |
| Adult-gerontology primary care NP | ANCC A/GPCNP, or AANPCB adult-gerontology NP |
| Psychiatric-mental health NP | ANCC PMHNP across the lifespan, or AANPCB PMHNP |
| Nurse-midwife | American Midwifery Certification Board, CNM |
| Nurse anesthetist | NBCRNA |
| Adult-gerontology CNS | ANCC Adult-Gerontology CNS, or AACN ACCNS—Adult/Gerontology |
Rule 221.7(c) is a narrow certification waiver, not a general alternative to certification. The Board’s published rules compilation distinguishes qualifying programs completed before January 1, 1996 from later programs for which no appropriate certification examination exists. A written request is required, and the Board may identify an alternate examination. Applicants under investigation or a current Board order are ineligible for a waiver. Do not assume an expired certification qualifies.
AACN’s ACCNS credential is a clinical nurse specialist exam. A star on the PDF means the initial exam is closed and the row is for renewal. Rule 221.11 requires the RN credential plus the licensure title, such as “RN, FNP.” Texas licenses each role and population separately.
From January 1, 1998, the program needs separate courses in advanced assessment, pathophysiology, pharmacotherapeutics, role, and a supervised clinical practicum. From January 1, 2003, it also needs at least 500 separate clinical hours in each role and population. Someone out of the role more than four years completes the Board’s refresher: supervised clinical time, a current Texas or compact RN license, at least 400 clinical hours, and 45 pharmacotherapeutics hours in the prior two years. During that refresher the APRN title and prescription signature are off limits, and the instructor is on site. Those 45 hours are not the renewal total below.
APRNs with some recent practice but fewer than 400 hours
A separate Board supervised-practice pathway addresses APRNs who practiced within the last four years but lack 400 hours in the preceding 24 months. It applies to initial licensure as well as renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement.
The supervised experience must bring the total to at least 400 qualifying hours within 24 months; an instructor may require more based on learning needs. The candidate must meet the RN, certification, and other APRN requirements. The instructor must be qualified for the role and population focus, remain physically present and immediately available, and review/sign the documentation. The candidate may not hold themselves out as a currently licensed APRN or issue or sign prescription orders during the supervised experience. Submit the Board’s completion-verification form.
This pathway differs from the full-scope refresher for someone out of APRN practice for more than four years. Confirm the appropriate route before arranging clinical hours.
Prescriptive authority for nurse practitioners
Texas is restricted practice on the map in NP full practice authority states. Occupations Code §157.0512 lets a physician delegate prescribing or ordering a drug or device through a written prescriptive authority agreement, with adequate physician supervision, after the Board has approved that APRN’s authority to prescribe. The Board fee is $50, so the combined APRN application is $150. The authorization is specific to each role and population. Population limits are in independent practice by NP specialty. The prescribing roadmap is the short checklist.
22 TAC §222.5 and §157.0512 require a signed, dated agreement with names, addresses, license numbers, locations, drug categories, consultation and emergency plans, and any alternate physician. The APRN and physician set how many charts are reviewed. Meetings are at least monthly, in a form they choose, and documented. Sign again at least annually and keep a copy for two years after it ends. The APRN needs a valid prescriptive-authorization number and must disclose prior discipline. A contract cannot waive §157.0512, §157.0513, or Rule 222.5.
The APRN FAQ sets the ratios. Hospital facility-based practice and a medically underserved practice have no cap on APRNs and physician assistants. A facility-based protocol is one licensed hospital, or no more than two long-term care facilities. Everywhere else the cap is seven full-time-equivalent APRNs and physician assistants per physician, with no waiver. One APRN may have more than one delegating physician.
22 TAC §222.8 requires the authorization number and a federal DEA registration before controlled substances. Schedules III through V, including refills, stop at a 90-day supply. A later refill, and any Schedule III–V prescription for a child under two, needs consultation with the delegating physician in the chart. The FAQ repeats that consultation every 90 days.
Schedule II is limited to hospital facility-based care under medical-staff policies, for an intended stay of 24 hours or more or treatment in that hospital’s emergency department, and to hospice after a written terminal-illness certification and an election of hospice. The FAQ says the Schedule II prescription is filled inside that hospital setting, and a freestanding emergency department is not a Schedule II site.
DEA registration is federal. See how nurse practitioners get a DEA number. Senate Bill 195 ended the Department of Public Safety controlled-substance registration on September 1, 2016. The Texas Medical Board prescribing page still says so. Before an opioid, benzodiazepine, barbiturate, or carisoprodol, the APRN FAQ requires a prescription-monitoring check, dated March 1, 2020, under Health and Safety Code §§481.0764 and 481.0765. The printed exceptions are cancer, sickle cell disease, and hospice, noted on the prescription record.
Renewal and continuing education
22 TAC §216.3(c) requires 20 contact hours in the APRN role and population each licensing period, or the national certification the Board already recognizes. Those hours also cover RN renewal. The APRN FAQ says certification does not cover prescriptive-authority education or two contact hours in jurisprudence and ethics. Prescriptive authority adds five pharmacotherapeutics hours per period. 22 TAC §222.3 requires that attestation on top of Chapter 216. If the agreement authorizes opioids, §216.3(c)(4) adds two hours a year on safe pain management and controlled-substance prescribing, counting toward the 20, for renewal on or after January 1, 2021. The renewal surcharge is not to exceed $15. See APRN CE by state and the continuing-education tool.
File RN endorsement first if you lack a Texas RN license or a compact privilege, and send the APRN application with it. Approval of the APRN license waits. Add the $50 prescriptive-authority request, then DEA registration and the signed agreement, before prescribing. LVN endorsement does not lead to an APRN license. Renewal timing for the RN and LVN license is in nursing license renewal by state.
Build a file around the correct nursing role
Use a separate checklist for RN/LVN endorsement, APRN licensure, and prescriptive authority. Record the required document, sending organization, request date, receipt status, and any deficiency. Keep the Board’s one-year application validity in view when coordinating transcripts, certification, or a refresher.
Before scheduling work, verify the issued temporary/permanent license or valid compact privilege. An application receipt is not authority to practice. For an NP role, verify the APRN record and prescribing authority separately from the RN record. Disclosures referred for enforcement review can take longer than routine processing estimates.
Frequently asked questions
How do I transfer an RN license to Texas?
Use the U.S.-educated RN endorsement instructions if you graduated from a qualifying U.S. nursing program outside Puerto Rico; internationally educated and Puerto Rico-educated applicants use the separate instructions. The Board total is $150, including the jurisprudence exam, plus fingerprints and Nursys verification of permanent licenses sent to Texas.
Is the temporary license 120 days?
The V7.2025 RN and LVN instructions say 120 calendar days from issuance, once per lifetime, with no separate form and no renewal. A multistate license can cover practice while the permanent license is pending.
Can I endorse an APRN license into Texas?
The APRN FAQ says no. Rule 221 still requires a Texas or compact RN license, matching national certification, and the 24-month practice and education tests or recent graduation.
What does a prescriptive authority agreement include?
Section 157.0512 and 22 TAC §222.5 require the parties, sites, drug categories, consultation and emergency plans, chart review, and monthly meetings. Outside hospital and medically underserved settings, the FAQ caps one physician at seven full-time-equivalent APRNs and physician assistants.
Where can a Texas NP prescribe Schedule II drugs?
22 TAC §222.8 limits it to a patient admitted for an intended stay of at least 24 hours, that hospital’s emergency department, or hospice after a written terminal-illness certification. The Board’s FAQ says the prescription stays inside the hospital setting, and a freestanding emergency department is not a Schedule II site.
Does Texas require a state controlled-substance registration?
The Department of Public Safety registration ended September 1, 2016. Controlled substances still need a federal DEA registration and the Board’s $50 prescriptive-authority approval.
Help with the application
Full Service preparation of an APRN license application is $275 per application. An RN or LVN endorsement on its own is a custom quote. The published $100 add-on applies when a non-compact RN license is filed with that nurse practitioner application. Texas is a compact state, so that add-on is not the Texas RN fee. DEA registration support is $100 per registration. Self-Service Tracking is $35 per month after the credential exists. Board fees are separate: $150 for RN or LVN endorsement, $100 for APRN licensure, and $50 for initial prescriptive authority. Service fees are non-refundable once intake is submitted. Compare plans on the services page and in what a medical licensing service costs.
Sources
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Endorsement, RN instructions (PDF), and LVN instructions (PDF), both marked V7.2025.
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Compact page and nursecompact.com, 43 jurisdictions on October 14, 2026.
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APRN application, APRN FAQ, and certification exams (PDF), revised January 2025.
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22 TAC §216.3, §222.3, §222.5, §222.8, and Occupations Code §157.0512.
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Texas BON, supervised APRN practice within the last four years.