Registered nurse (RN) and licensed practical nurse (LPN) applicants educated in a United States (U.S.) jurisdiction and applying for licensure by interstate endorsement shall:
(1) Have graduated and hold a degree from a nursing education program approved by a board of nursing or regulatory authority in a U.S. jurisdiction, preparing candidates for licensure as a nurse. The nursing education program must substantially meet requirements for nursing education approved in Washington state at the time of graduation, as determined by the board. The board retains authority to evaluate and determine the sufficiency of academic preparation for all applicants.
(a) Applicants educated outside U.S. jurisdictions shall follow WAC 246-840-091.
(b) RN applicants who graduated from a nontraditional nursing education program without a clinical component must provide evidence of 1,000 hours of practice as an RN in a U.S. jurisdiction without regulatory discipline.
(2) Holds one of the following:
(a) A current active nursing license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
(b) An inactive or expired license in another U.S. jurisdiction and successfully completes a board-approved refresher course.
(i) An applicant whose license is inactive or expired in another U.S. jurisdiction may be issued a limited education authorization by the board to enroll in the clinical portion of the refresher course.
(ii) The limited education authorization is valid only while working under the direct supervision of a preceptor and is not valid for employment as a nurse.
(c) An inactive or expired license in another U.S. jurisdiction, and an active license in a Canadian jurisdiction where the applicant has been actively practicing within the last three years. To comply with this option, the applicant must submit verification of an active license and active nursing practice in a Canadian jurisdiction within the last three years.
(3) Provide verification that the applicant was originally licensed to practice as a nurse in another U.S. jurisdiction after passing the relevant board-approved licensure examination as described in WAC 246-840-050.
(4) Have an official transcript sent directly from the applicant's nursing education program to the board if the education cannot be verified from the original board of nursing, regulatory authority, or board-approved evaluation service.
(a) The transcript must:
(i) Include the applicant's dates of enrollment, course names, earned credits, date of graduation, and the credential conferred, if applicable. If credits have been accepted from other programs, the transcript must identify those programs; and
(ii) Show that the applicant has graduated from a nursing education program or that the applicant has completed the prelicensure portion of an approved graduate-entry RN program. The nursing education program must substantially meet the requirements of board-approved nursing education in Washington state at the time of graduation as determined by the board.
(b) An education verification, course descriptions, or syllabi may be requested from the applicant's nursing education program and must include clinical hours in specific content areas of direct care and simulation.
(5) Submit a completed licensure application with the required fee as specified in WAC 246-840-990.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.79.010, 18.79.110, and 43.07.041. WSR 26-02-031, s 246-840-090, filed 12/30/25, effective 1/30/26. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.79.010, 18.79.110, and 18.80.020. WSR 24-10-063, § 246-840-090, filed 4/26/24, effective 5/27/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.79.110, 18.88A.060 and 2020 c 76. WSR 21-04-016, § 246-840-090, filed 1/22/21, effective 2/22/21. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.79.010, 18.79.110, 18.79.150, 18.79.190, and 18.79.240. WSR 16-17-082, § 246-840-090, filed 8/17/16, effective 9/17/16. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.79.110. WSR 08-11-019, § 246-840-090, filed 5/12/08, effective 6/12/08; WSR 99-13-086, § 246-840-090, filed 6/14/99, effective 7/15/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.280. WSR 98-05-060, § 246-840-090, filed 2/13/98, effective 3/16/98. Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.79 RCW. WSR 97-13-100, § 246-840-090, filed 6/18/97, effective 7/19/97.]