Compact status
Nurse Licensure Compact member
ME · Internationally educated nurses
Maine RN license requirements
A researched starting point for applying to Maine State Board of Nursing, including education review, English rules, identification requirements, background checks, and the NCLEX sequence.
Credential evaluation
Foreign-educated applicants must follow the Board’s foreign-education instructions and provide a board-specified credentials evaluation; the exact route differs depending on whether the applicant already holds an active foreign or U.S. license.
English requirement
The current public materials reviewed do not present one universal test rule for every examination applicant; use the foreign-educated application packet and obtain written Board confirmation if education was not in English.
SSN requirement
Not stated clearly enough in the reviewed public instructions to characterize; confirm in the online application before paying.
Background check
The Board application includes criminal-history questions; a universal fingerprint requirement for this pathway was not established in the reviewed material.
Education review
Applicants with an active foreign-country license are directed to endorsement even if they have not taken NCLEX; applicants with no active license use licensure by examination.
Application sequence
How to apply in Maine
- 1
Determine the correct path first: endorsement if actively licensed in a foreign country or another state; examination if not.
- 2
Apply online and use a personal email address.
- 3
Have education and licensing records/evaluation sent as the selected packet directs.
- 4
If on the exam path, register with Pearson VUE and await Board eligibility/ATT.
Documents to prepare
- Credentials evaluation/education records
- Direct foreign-license verification when applicable
- Personal email/contact information
- Name-change documents if applicable
Verify before paying
- • Maine’s classification of an actively foreign-licensed nurse as an endorsement applicant is unusual and important.
- • The Board’s “Sole Contact” policy requires direct communication with the applicant, not an agency.
- • Multistate privileges require Maine primary residence.
Apply through the official board
This guide helps you compare requirements; it is not the application. Check the current instructions from Maine State Board of Nursing before ordering reports or submitting documents.
Official sources reviewed
Research checked 2026-07-22. Requirements can change.
General educational information only. The state board is the authority on licensure eligibility; immigration authorization is a separate process.