How to Transfer an LPN License From Michigan to Florida

To be a nurse in the state of Florida, you must be certified as a licensed practical nurse, commonly referred to as an LPN. As an LPN, you will work in various health care settings, including under the supervision of doctors in hospitals and clinics or in private health care practices. LPNs are also certified to supervise assistants and orderlies in long term care facilities. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that there are roughly 700,000 LPNs nationwide and certification is based on the rules set by the Board of Nursing in individual states.

Things You'll Need

• Michigan LPN license
• Fingerprint card
• Computer

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Instructions

Transfer License To Florida

• 1

  Contact the Michigan Board of Nursing to make sure your license is up to date before applying to transfer your license to Florida. You need to have worked in Michigan as an LPN for two out of the last three years to be eligible to transfer the license to Florida. During the application process, the Florida Board of Nursing will request a confirmation of license from the Michigan Board of Nursing.

• 2

  Visit the the Florida Department of Health website where you will find an application for a "license by endorsement." Endorsement means that the state of Florida will endorse your current LPN license in Michigan as sufficient licensing to practice in Florida without having to take Florida's certification exam.

• 3

  Complete the the application for "license by endorsement" available at the Florida Department of Health website by clicking on "Health Care Professionals". On the next page, click on "Health Care Professions Online Services" under Licenses & Certificates. You will then see a link for the "Initial Licensure Application." To apply, you must create a user account on the website if you do not already have one. The Board of Nursing will notify you within 30 days if your application has been accepted.

• 4

  Consent to a background check. As part of the application process, the Florida Board of Nursing requires all potential LPNs to submit to a full background check by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). The consent is part of the application with the Florida Board of Nursing, and you must check on the form that you will allow the board to complete the background check.

• 5

  Purchase a fingerprint card if you do not already have fingerprints on file, as the Florida Board of Nursing also requires all LPN applicants to have fingerprints on file with the state, and they must be submitted before your license will be accepted. Cards must be purchased from the board's official vendor, Priderock Holding Company, and they will cost $4 each. The fingerprints must be completed by an official trained in fingerprinting as listed on the fingerprint card.