Maryland Board of Nursing
4140 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21215-2254
410-585-1993  /  1-888-202-9861

Licensure By Endorsement – Instructions

Please note: If you have ever been licensed in Maryland, DO NOT COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION. Call the board office for renewal instructions.

Licensure and application fees are not refundable.

The endorsement fee covers the cost of processing the application for licensure. There is no fee for the initial license. The license will, however, be subject to annual renewal during your birth month, which may occur in less than one year of licensure.

READ ALL ENDORSEMENT INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

• ONLY ORIGINAL APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED, NO PHOTOCOPIES.
  
• Print and use only capital letters, one letter per box, skipping one box between words. 
  
• Use black or blue pen only, not pencil or felt tip pen. Use white-out for corrections. 
  
• Use abbreviations when possible. Where mm/dd/yy appears, use numbers to describe the month, day, and year (i.e. 08/25/05)
  
• Leave a box blank, or mark with an “X” but do not circle or write anything outside of the boxes on the form. You need to complete all information. 
  
• Question #15: The following codes are to be used if you reside in Maryland. If you reside in the District of Columbia, use code 25. If you live out of state, use code 26.

Your name must be the same on your application, and your supporting documents. Use the name that you want to appear on your license. If you have a legal change of name, you must provide copies of your documents and notify the Board of Nursing in writing of your change of name. If you want your middle name to appear on the license, print your middle name, not an initial. 

1. Address section: Complete “Section 17. Country” only if you are currently residing outside of the United States. 

2. If you have had a criminal conviction(s) or disciplinary action taken against your license in any state “Section 21. Discipline”, you must submit a separate page with a complete description and explanation of each incident and submit court documents for review. 

3. Tape one recent passport type, full-face photo (2" X 2") to the application where indicated. Print your name on the back of the photo before you attach it to the application.

4. Mail your completed application to the Board with a money order or check for $100.00 payable to the “Maryland Board of Nursing” . Applications will not be reviewed until all required documentation is received. It generally takes 4-6 weeks to process the application and issue a license.

Criteria for Licensure Endorsement

1. Licensure by examination as a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse in another United States jurisdiction administering the National Council Licensure Examination (since July 1982) or the State Board Test Pool Examination (prior to July 1982); and

2. Completion of a state approved program for registered nursing education for RN licensure or completion of a state approved program for licensed practical nursing education for LPN licensure; and

3. Verification from the state of ORIGINAL licensure by examination that is in good standing. The license to practice nursing has not been revoked in that or any other state; and

4. A minimum of 1,000 hours of nursing practice, or a new nursing graduate in the five years preceding the application, or the satisfactory completion of a Board approved refresher course; and 

5. Oral (spoken) competence in the English language:

• Graduation from a recognized English speaking professional school located in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States is acceptable as proof of spoken English proficiency. 
  
• If you did not graduate from nursing school in an area listed above, you must submit a passing score report from one of the following Oral English Tests PRIOR TO LICENSURE. 

ORAL ENGLISH TESTS

• Take and pass either the ILA OPI, TSE, TOEFL iBT, or the IELTS.
• Have scores sent to the Maryland Board of Nursing 

• A score of 50 is passing on the TSE. 
• A score of 3 is passing on the ILA OPI.
• A score of 26 is passing on the TOEFL iBT.
• The Board accepts the IELTS if administered on October 01, 2005, or later. A score of 7 or higher on speaking, 6 or higher on all other modules, and 6.5 or higher overall is passing on the IELTS. 

For testing information or to obtain an application, please contact:

TSE or TOEFL iBT: www.ets.org 
Educational Testing Service
Rosedale Rd, Princeton, NJ 08541

ILA OPI: www.mbon.org/licensure/opi app.pdf
6400 Baltimore National Pike #211
Catonsville, MD 21228
This is an in-person test offered in Maryland with results in less than one month. 

IELTS: If testing after October 1, 2005, contact www.ielts.org for an application. 

6. Criminal History Records Check (Background Check) must be completed for all applications received after January 1, 2007. 

Verification Form

Check the attached NURSYS® License Verification Request Form to see if your state of original licensure by examination participates.

• If your state is listed, you must provide verification of your licensure through NURSYS®. You may complete this online at www.nursys.com, or by mailing the NURSYS® paper verification form to the National Council in Chicago, Illinois. Fees are required for license verification. 
  
• If your original state of licensure by examination is not listed, complete the top portion of the attached Verification of Original Licensure Form and contact that Board of Nursing for mailing address information and to determine the correct fee to enclose with this form. 

The Maryland Board of Nursing must receive this verification form directly from the Board of Nursing that licensed you by examination before the application is compete. Verification forms cannot be accepted from the applicant or hand carried to the Maryland Board office. 

Declaration of Residence

The Declaration of Residence Form must be completed and returned with your application.

Licensure By Endorsement Checklist

The Licensure by Endorsement checklist must be completed and returned with your application.

Forensic Nurse Examiners and Workers Compensation Case Managers

The State of Maryland requires Forensic Nurse Examiners and Workers’ Compensation Case Managers to be certified by this Board in addition to being licensed as a registered nurse in this State, in order to practice in Maryland. The RN-FNE and RN-WCCM certification applications are available to download from our website at www.mbon.org. Select Advanced Practice nursing from the left side of our homepage and following the link to the application. Contact Emmaline Woodson ewoodson@dhmh.state.md.us (410-585-1909) at the Board office if you require additional information. 

Advanced Practice Certification

Nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and nurse psychotherapists must be certified by this Board in addition to being licensed as a registered nurse in this State, in order to practice in Maryland. Contact Sharon Allen sallen@dhmh.state.md.us (410-585-1930) or Quandra Horton qhorton@dhmh.state.md.us (410-585-1926) at the Board office to request an application for advanced practice certification. The $100.00 fee for initial certification in Maryland is non-refundable. There is an additional non-refundable $25.00 fee for second and third certifications. 

Temporary License – Instructions

If you have ever had a Maryland temporary or permanent license, do not complete this application. Call the Board for instructions.

Licensure in Maryland is required prior to practice. It is unlawful for any person to use the title, “Nurse”, or to practice in Maryland without a license from the Maryland Board of Nursing. The purpose of the temporary license is to permit a nurse who is licensed by examination (NCLEX or SBTPE) in another U.S. state or jurisdiction to practice nursing in Maryland while processing and evaluating of the endorsement application takes place.

Temporary licensure expires 90 calendar days after the date of issuance. It cannot be renewed; therefore, practice must cease upon expiration of the temporary license.

Licensure by endorsement requires the submission of an endorsement application and $100.00 fee. A temporary license requires a separate application and $40 Fee. If you are applying for both, you must submit two separate applications. You may combine the fees in one payment if you submit the applications at the same time. ($100 Endorsement application fee + $40 Temporary license application fee = $140 total) 

DIRECTIONS TO APPLICANT

1. Complete all information required on the front of the application.
2. Attach a copy of your current active nursing license issued in another U.S. jurisdiction. 
3. Attach temporary license fee of $40.00. Make check or money order payable to the Maryland Board of Nursing. DO NOT SEND CASH.
4. Mail or bring application to the Board office. If you come in person to obtain a temporary license you must have a valid picture identification (Drivers license, age of majority card, etc.), to verify your identity, before the license will be issued.
5. Criminal History Records Check (Background Check) must be completed for all applications received on or after January 2, 2007. 
6. All information must be completed and fee paid before a temporary license will be issued. Temporary licenses may be issued to applicants who bring their completed application to the Board office. The Maryland Board of Nursing is available to issue a temporary license Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and on Wednesdays between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The Maryland Board of Nursing will be closed in observance of all State of Maryland holidays.