5405.1 Except as provided otherwise in this section, an applicant shall be eligible for licensure by endorsement if the applicant is currently licensed as a registered nurse under the laws of a state or territory of the United States and the following applies:

(a) The applicant's original licensure in the state or territory was based on their completion of an educational program that meets the requirements of § 5402.1 or § 5403.1, and the applicant's receipt of a passing score on the NCLEX-RN or the State Board Test Pool Examination for Nurses; and

(b) The applicant's licensure history shows that the applicant has continuously been in good standing in all jurisdictions where the applicant holds or has held a registered nursing license.

5405.2 Notwithstanding the requirement of § 5405.1(b), the Board may issue a license to an applicant who does not meet the requirement of § 5405.1(b) if the Board determines that the District's public interest is served by so doing.

5405.3 If the applicant completed an educational program for registered nursing in a foreign country, and the educational program was not approved in accordance with the requirements set forth in § 5402.1, the applicant shall demonstrate spoken and written competency in English in accordance with § 5403.1(c).

5405.4 Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the Board from utilizing other authorized databases to verify an applicant's current licensure standing in other jurisdictions of the U.S. or to review disciplinary records.

5405.5 Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 5402 and 5403, an applicant who possesses a multistate license in good standing issued under the Nurse Licensure Compact based on the passage of the NCLEX-RN shall be deemed to possess educational qualifications substantially equivalent to the District licensure standards and shall be eligible for a District license by endorsement.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 51 DCR 8613 (September 3, 2004); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 69 DCR 010990 (September 2, 2022); as amended by Errata Notice published 70 DCR 014190 (October 27, 2023); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 72 DCR 014235 (December 26, 2025).