If you are licensed as a Practical/Vocational Nurse in another U.S. State or Territory, you will be eligible for licensure in California without examination, pursuant to Section 2872.1 of the Business and Professions Code, provided that you present satisfactory proof of a current and valid license as a vocational nurse or practical nurse, or in an equivalent capacity, by another state, a territory of the United States or a foreign country; and you took the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) or the National League for Nursing State Board Test Pool Examination for Practical Nurse (SBTPE), and passed said examination with a score equal to or above the minimum passing score required by the Board. (Licensure exams in other countries do not satisfy this requirement unless the country administers one of the exams listed above.)
The following items are required to apply for vocational nurse licensure in California by endorsement from another U.S. State or territory:
The Board will not issue a license, under any circumstances, until the Board has received the criminal history report back from the DOJ; and the application has been evaluated and approved for licensure. This includes temporary licenses. The DOJ processing time is currently a minimum of 8-12 weeks. Therefore, applicants must keep this in mind when submitting their application.
A temporary license may be issued upon request, only after the evaluation has been completed and the application has been approved for licensure; including receipt of the fingerprint clearance from DOJ. Applicants must keep this in mind when submitting their application.
You must possess a current license in another U.S. State or territory to be eligible for licensure by endorsement in California.
You must have taken the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) or the National League for Nursing State Board Test Pool Examination for Practical Nurse (SBTPE) and passed said exam with a score equal to or above the minimum passing score required by this Board to be eligible for licensure by endorsement in California.
The Board must received the criminal history report back from the DOJ prior to issuance of any license. This includes temporary licenses. Applicants must keep this in mind when submitting their application.