Moving your nursing home administrator (NHA) license to another state
There is no national NHA license. Each state licenses administrators itself, and the state you are moving to sets the terms. Pick where you are licensed now and where you want to be licensed, and the tool shows that state's route, checklist, exams, fee and licensing body.
You can share a link to a result, for example ?from=texas&to=florida. Nothing you pick is saved or sent anywhere.
Pick both states to see the steps.
Browse every state's out-of-state route
One row per state and the District of Columbia: what the route is called, whether a state exam still applies to movers, and a short summary. The state name opens the full guide.
| State | Route | State exam for movers | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Reciprocity (endorsement) | Yes, a state exam is listed | Alabama licenses an administrator from a state with substantially equivalent standards that gives Alabama licensees similar recognition. You need a current active license, a completed reciprocity questionnaire, and a passing score on the Alabama State Written Exam. |
| Alaska | License by credentials | No state exam listed | Alaska may issue a license without examination to an administrator holding a current license from another jurisdiction with substantially equivalent standards. You send the full application and arrange verification directly from the other state. |
| Arizona | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | Arizona offers reciprocity to an administrator with a current license from another state, gained by passing the NAB exam and held at least two years, or with NAB HSE qualification. No AIT is needed, but you still pass the Arizona exam with 80 percent. |
| Arkansas | Automatic occupational licensure | Unclear, ask the board | Arkansas's current rule lets a nursing home administrator in good standing for one year on a license from another state qualify by automatic occupational licensure (20 CAR 402-305). The Department of Human Services may require an exam, so ask the Office of Long-Term Care whether you must take the Arkansas state exam. |
| California | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | California has no separate endorsement. An administrator licensed elsewhere applies on the reciprocity route (CDPH 524) with a current valid license, the California education standard in force when first licensed, and a pass on the California state exam. |
| Colorado | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Colorado licenses by endorsement through its occupational credential portability program: a current, active and unrestricted license in good standing (or a military occupational specialty), at least 1 year of active practice just before you apply, and the national exam. You still schedule and pass the Colorado state exam within 1 year of becoming eligible to sit for it. |
| Connecticut | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Connecticut licenses by endorsement (CGS 19a-513): a current license in good standing from another state, issued on at least a bachelor's degree plus that state's exam, 12 months of practice in the last 24, and long-term care training including Alzheimer's disease and dementia. |
| Delaware | Reciprocity | No state exam listed | Delaware grants a license to an administrator in good standing from a state with substantially similar standards (24 Del. C. ยง 5213). If standards are not substantially similar, a license is at the Board's discretion and takes at least 3 years of practice after licensure. |
| District of Columbia | Reciprocity and endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | DC has reciprocity and endorsement routes for administrators licensed elsewhere. Reciprocity needs good standing, 3 years of current practice, a pass on the District exam, a reciprocal state with an agreement, a Board interview and 3 letters of recommendation. |
| Florida | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Administrators licensed in another state apply for endorsement through MOBILE (F.S. 456.0145). You need an active license, a passed national exam or recognized certification, recent active practice, and a pass on the Florida laws and rules exam. |
| Georgia | Reciprocity (endorsement) | No state exam listed | Georgia licenses by reciprocity if your state's standards are substantially equivalent. You send verification of a current, unencumbered license and show a NAB NHA pass or a board recognized predecessor exam. No AIT is required, and approval is not automatic. |
| Hawaii | Endorsement | Unclear, ask the board | Hawaii may endorse, without examination, an administrator license from another state if that state's standards are substantially equivalent and it gives Hawaii licensees similar recognition. You also need to know Hawaii's health and safety rules, and your license must not be revoked or suspended in any state that has licensed you. |
| Idaho | Endorsement | No state exam listed | The Board may endorse a long-term care administrator license from another state when you pay the fee and show you meet the Board's qualifications. Universal licensure covers a current, valid, unrestricted license, and Idaho may not create a jurisprudence exam for it. |
| Illinois | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Illinois may license an administrator from another U.S. jurisdiction by endorsement if the requirements you met were substantially equivalent to Illinois's. You apply to IDFPR and NAB and pass the Illinois Supplemental Examination; confirm the steps with IDFPR. |
| Indiana | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Indiana issues a Health Facility Administrator (HFA) license by endorsement if you have practiced in another state for at least one year as a licensed administrator in good standing and have passed the national and Indiana jurisprudence exams. |
| Iowa | Endorsement | No state exam listed | Iowa licenses administrators by endorsement under Rule 481-980.6(1), which asks that you meet the requirements of Rule 481-980.2 and either show an active nursing home administrator license for at least two years just prior to application or meet the qualifications in Rule 481-980.2. Iowa also has licensure by verification under IAC 481 Chapter 501. |
| Kansas | Reciprocity | Unclear, ask the board | Kansas licenses administrators by reciprocity under K.A.R. 26-38-7. The state that licensed you favorably recommends you, and you show either substantially equivalent requirements or 5 years of continuous licensure with 2,080 hours a year as administrator of record. |
| Kentucky | Licensure by endorsement | No state exam listed | Kentucky can license you by endorsement, at the board's discretion, if your other state's standards were substantially equivalent and your license was issued at least 2 years before you apply. Kentucky has no state exam. |
| Louisiana | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | Louisiana licenses administrators by reciprocity if your license came from a state with substantially equivalent standards and you pass the Louisiana State Standards Examination. You get a provisional letter once approved, and the final license follows the state exam and background check. |
| Maine | Endorsement | No state exam listed | Maine's Board must license by endorsement if you hold a license in good standing from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent license requirements, and you pay the endorsement fee. The Board's 2024 rules name only NAB exams; ask the Board whether an endorsement applicant takes any other exam. |
| Maryland | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Maryland licenses administrators by endorsement (COMAR 10.33.02.07) if you hold a clean license from a state with substantially equivalent standards, have 1 year as administrator of record in the last 5 years and a qualifying degree. The NAB exams and AIT are waived; you take the State standards exam unless waived. |
| Massachusetts | Reciprocity | No state exam listed | Massachusetts licenses administrators by reciprocity under 245 CMR 3.04 if the other state's requirements are substantially similar. You show a license in good standing, a passing NAB score and an AIT that is substantially equivalent. There is no state exam. |
| Michigan | Endorsement | No state exam listed | Michigan licenses by endorsement (R 339.14020a) if you hold a current NAB HSE or have been licensed as a nursing home administrator in one or more states for 5 years or more immediately before applying. Otherwise you meet the initial requirements. |
| Minnesota | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Minnesota licenses by endorsement if you hold a current license in a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements, or NAB-endorsed certification, in good standing, and you pass the Minnesota state exam within the two years before applying. |
| Mississippi | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Mississippi licenses by endorsement if your license is in good standing from a state with substantially equivalent standards. You show a NAB score of at least 113, an AIT or qualifying experience, and pass the Mississippi state exam within 120 days after Board approval. |
| Missouri | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | Missouri licenses administrators who hold a current license from another state, a territory, DC or the military under 19 CSR 73-2.025. You must be 18 or older, be NAB HSE-qualified or have a passing NAB score, and pass the state exam. |
| Montana | Licensure by credential | Yes, a state exam is listed | An administrator with a valid license in any jurisdiction can apply by credential for $500, with a passing scaled score on an NAB-approved exam. The board's checklist lists the Montana Jurisprudence Examination for all applicants, so confirm with the board. |
| Nebraska | Reciprocity | No state exam listed | Nebraska DHHS may issue a license to an applicant who is at least 19 and holds a current nursing home administrator license from another jurisdiction. The DHHS application says the education, experience, training and exam requirements do not apply on this route. |
| Nevada | Endorsement | No state exam listed | Nevada licenses out-of-state administrators by endorsement without examination for $620. You need a degree, 1,000 AIT hours, a valid NAB score, a license in good standing for the 2 years before applying, and 8 hours of Nevada law training. |
| New Hampshire | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | New Hampshire licenses out-of-state administrators by reciprocity if their home state's standards are equal to or higher and it reciprocates. You still pass the New Hampshire state exam, NHA-NH. |
| New Jersey | License by equivalency | No state exam listed | The Board approves an out-of-state administrator whose education, training, experience and exam scores equaled New Jersey's when first licensed. The Department may also license you after 2 of the last 3 years practicing full time as an administrator in another state. |
| New Mexico | Expedited licensure | No state exam listed | If you hold a valid, unrestricted license in good standing in another jurisdiction, New Mexico issues an expedited license within 30 days of a complete application. Some jurisdictions also need a bachelor's degree. It replaced the old reciprocity rule on 14 January 2023. |
| New York | Out-of-state route under 10 NYCRR 96.12 | No state exam listed | New York has no reciprocity. A licensed administrator from another state applies under 10 NYCRR 96.12 with a full application and fees, a bachelor's degree, the national exam and at least 2 years as full-time administrator of record in the last 5. |
| North Carolina | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | North Carolina's Board may license an administrator who holds a current license from a state with substantially equivalent standards (G.S. 90-287). You pass the North Carolina State Exam and appear before the Board for a personal interview; confirm the current steps with the Board. |
| North Dakota | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | North Dakota licenses administrators from other jurisdictions by endorsement with a current, good-standing license from a state with substantially equivalent requirements. You pay $250 and pass the Board's own state exam. The rule does not require the NAB exam on this route. |
| Ohio | Endorsement of an out-of-state license | No state exam listed | Ohio's Board shall license you if you hold a license in another state, with good standing under ORC Chapter 4796. The statute and rule require no exam, but you must be familiar with Ohio's laws and rules and pass BCI and FBI checks; an undated BELTSS FAQ still mentions an Ohio exam, so confirm with BELTSS. Ask BELTSS which fees apply. |
| Oklahoma | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | Oklahoma licenses administrators from other states by endorsement if their requirements are substantially equivalent to or greater than Oklahoma's. You show passing NAB scores, two years as administrator-of-record and a current license, and you still pass the State Standards exam. |
| Oregon | Endorsement | Unclear, ask the board | Oregon licenses by endorsement an administrator who holds an active license in another U.S. state or territory whose requirements are at least equivalent to ORS 678.730, with no current or pending discipline. The rule lists no exam for this pathway, so ask the Office. |
| Pennsylvania | Endorsement | Unclear, ask the board | Pennsylvania has two routes for an administrator licensed in another state: the Board's rule in force, 49 Pa. Code 39.8, and endorsement under 63 Pa.C.S. 3111 (Act 41 of 2019), which a pending Board rule (16A-6220) would add to its regulations. The Board's page says endorsement applicants must pass the State Based Licensing Exam, but the rules do not say so; confirm with the Board. |
| Rhode Island | Endorsement | No state exam listed | If you hold a current license in good standing in another jurisdiction, you can apply by endorsement, either with current ACHCA certification or with a bachelor's degree, three years as a licensed administrator in the last five and a NAB pass. |
| South Carolina | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | South Carolina does not issue a reciprocal license, but it licenses by endorsement when your state's standards are at least the substantial equivalent and you have passed the national and South Carolina portions of the exam. |
| South Dakota | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | The Board may license administrators from other jurisdictions whose standards are at least substantially equivalent. You apply with transcripts, NAB scores, license-status letters and the South Dakota state exam, and pay $390. |
| Tennessee | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | You need an active administrator license in another state plus one of four qualifications, such as HSE or 5 of the last 7 years licensed elsewhere. You also pass the Board's jurisprudence exam and show NAB exam passage. |
| Texas | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | An administrator licensed in another state files a Reciprocity Licensure Questionnaire, meets the Texas education and internship equivalents, requests a NAB score transfer and passes the Texas state exam. |
| Utah | Endorsement | No state exam listed | The Division may grant a license by endorsement to a health facility administrator licensed in good standing in another state who meets the NAB exam requirement and has three years as an administrator, two consecutive years at one facility, or the NAB HSE credential. |
| Vermont | Endorsement | Yes, a state exam is listed | If your state's standards are substantially equivalent to Vermont's, you may be licensed by endorsement without the proficiency exam, but you still pass the Vermont jurisprudence exam. A Fast Track endorsement is available with 3 years of active licensure. |
| Virginia | Endorsement | No state exam listed | With a current, unrestricted license from another state or the District of Columbia, you qualify by endorsement if you also have active practice as a licensed administrator or education and experience equivalent to Virginia's. |
| Washington | Endorsement | No state exam listed | If you hold a current license from a state with substantially equivalent standards, you can be licensed by endorsement with the application, the $805 fee and verification from every state where you have been licensed. DOH keeps a list of equivalent states. |
| West Virginia | Reciprocity | Unclear, ask the board | You can apply by reciprocity if your other state's standards are substantially equivalent, your license is current and never revoked or suspended, and a National Practitioner Data Bank query is clear. The fee is $600. |
| Wisconsin | Reciprocity | Yes, a state exam is listed | With a current, unrestricted license in another jurisdiction, a qualifying degree, ACHCA certification or HSE, and at least 2,000 hours of practice as an administrator in a recent 3-year period, you apply by reciprocity and pass the Wisconsin State Law Examination. |
| Wyoming | License by endorsement | No state exam listed | If you hold a current license in good standing from a jurisdiction with at least equivalent standards, and have 2 of the last 5 years as an administrator or NAB's HSE qualifications, you can apply by endorsement for $389. |
How a license move usually works
A license move is a new application to the state you are moving to. That state sets the terms, so its line in the tool above is the one that matters. Your current state does not decide what your new state will accept.
On our state pages, each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia describes a route for an administrator licensed elsewhere. The names differ: 18 use the word reciprocity, 30 use the word endorsement, and 3 use both. Others use terms such as license by credentials or expedited licensure. New York, for one, says it has no reciprocity and instead has an out-of-state route with its own rules.
The NAB exams are handled differently from state to state. Some states have you request a NAB score transfer, some ask for proof that you passed, and some waive the exams on the moving route. Read the NAB exams line for your new state before you assume your scores carry over.
A state exam is a separate question. Of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 25 list a state exam for movers, 20 list none, and 6 are unclear whether it applies to an administrator who is already licensed elsewhere. The tool flags this for you.
Requirements vary. Many checklists ask for proof of your current license, and some also list a fee, fingerprints or a background check, or an exam. Some states describe a temporary or provisional license, some say they have none, and several limit theirs to a narrow case such as a facility vacancy or a military spouse. 46 list military provisions. Read the temporary license row for your state, and ask the board.
Frequently asked questions
Is there NHA license reciprocity between states?
There is no national nursing home administrator license, so there is no single reciprocity agreement. Each state licenses administrators itself. On our state pages, each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia describes a route for an administrator licensed elsewhere, and the route goes by different names, including reciprocity, endorsement and license by credentials. What each state asks of you differs, so use the tool above and confirm with the licensing body.
Do I have to retake the NAB exams when I move?
It depends on the state you are moving to. Texas, for example, has you request a NAB score transfer as part of reciprocity, Maryland waives the NAB exams for endorsement applicants, and Ohio's line says no exam is required on its endorsement route. Other states ask for proof of a pass. Read the NAB exams line for your state in the tool, then confirm with the board.
Which states still require a state exam when you move?
On our state pages, these states list a state exam for movers: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin. These are unclear whether the exam applies to an administrator already licensed elsewhere: Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The remaining states list no state exam for movers. State exams are separate from the NAB exams, and each state's line has the details. Confirm with the board before you apply.
Can I work while my application is pending?
It depends on the state. On our state pages, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Wyoming describe a temporary or provisional license for an applicant licensed elsewhere. Other states limit theirs to a facility vacancy or a military spouse, and some, such as Wisconsin, say they have none. The rules for who qualifies and how long it lasts differ, so read the temporary license row for your state. Ask the licensing body before you start any administrator duties in the new state.
How long does it take to move an NHA license?
It depends on the licensing body, and our state pages do not give one timeline that fits every state. Ask the board for its current timing before you plan a start date.
Checked against our state guides, September 2026. The licensing body's current rules govern; confirm with them before you apply.