Tennessee nursing license for travel nurses
Tennessee is a Nurse Licensure Compact state: a multistate license from your home compact state covers it, so most travelers from compact states don't need a Tennessee license. Tennessee doesn't issue temporary permits for RN endorsement: you need the full license before you start, so apply as early as you can. Endorsement requires a fingerprint-based background check.
Updated October 2026
How long it takes
Tennessee doesn't publish processing times. No traveler has shared theirs yet; the median shows here once 3 have.
Three questions, anonymous. Boards don't publish real processing times; travelers do.
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Who needs a Tennessee license?
Only if you don't hold a multistate license: for example, if your primary state of residence is California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York or Oregon, or you live in Tennessee and haven't upgraded to multistate.
Enacted NLC.
Check where your license works →Getting licensed by endorsement
- Apply for RN licensure by endorsement with the Tennessee board of nursing (online only). Apply as soon as you're considering Tennessee: many recruiters want the license, or at least the application, before they submit you.
- Verify your current license through Nursys (or your original board if it doesn't use Nursys).
- Complete the fingerprint-based background check. Order fingerprint cards or book Live Scan early; it's often the slowest step.
- Wait for the full license before your start date: there's no temporary permit for endorsement.
- Ask your agency whether it reimburses the license and fingerprint fees. Many do, but often only once you've started a contract.
Where you'd use it
99 hospitals in Tennessee. Nashville · Memphis · Chattanooga · Knoxville · Johnson City · Kingsport
Tennessee stipend ceilings, hospitals and charting systems →Questions
- Do travel nurses need a Tennessee nursing license?
- Only if you don't hold a multistate license: for example, if your primary state of residence is California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York or Oregon, or you live in Tennessee and haven't upgraded to multistate.
- Does Tennessee offer a temporary nursing license?
- Tennessee doesn't issue temporary permits for RN endorsement: you need the full license before you start, so apply as early as you can.
- Does Tennessee require fingerprints for a nursing license by endorsement?
- Yes. Tennessee requires a fingerprint-based state and federal background check for endorsement. Out-of-state applicants usually use fingerprint cards; check whether the board accepts electronic (Live Scan) prints from your state.
- How long does a Tennessee nursing license by endorsement take?
- Tennessee doesn't publish a guaranteed time and it changes with application volume. Apply as soon as you're considering contracts there, have your current license verified through Nursys right away, and plan to have the full license before your start date, since there's no temporary permit.
- How often do you renew a Tennessee RN license?
- Every 2 years, with fewer than 10 hours of continuing education per renewal for RNs, per the board's report to NCSBN. Check the board for topic-specific requirements.