Pennsylvania RN License 2026 — PSBN Endorsement, PALS & Timeline

Pennsylvania is home to some of the nation's top academic medical centers and major health systems, including UPMC, Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health, Geisinger, Main Line Health, and Temple Health. The Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing (PSBN), part of the Pennsylvania Department of State, administers RN licensure through the PALS portal at pals.pa.gov.

Is Pennsylvania an NLC compact state?

Yes. Pennsylvania is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member. Pennsylvania-licensed RNs with Pennsylvania as their primary state of residence hold multistate licenses valid in all other NLC compact states. Nurses licensed in other compact states who maintain residency there may work in Pennsylvania under their home-state compact privilege without a separate Pennsylvania endorsement.

Endorsement fees (2026)

Item	Fee
Endorsement application (PALS)	Verify at dos.pa.gov
Criminal background check (PSP PATCH + FBI)	~$30–50
Nursys electronic verification (if applicable)	$30
Note	Pennsylvania maintains some of the lowest nursing licensure fees in the country — verify current fees at dos.pa.gov before applying.

Continuing education for renewal

Pennsylvania RN licenses renew every two years. The PSBN requires continuing education hours per renewal cycle; verify the current requirement and any mandatory topic hours at dos.pa.gov — Pennsylvania updates CE requirements periodically by board rule. Retain all CE documentation for a minimum of two renewal cycles in case of a PSBN audit.

Timeline expectations

Complete endorsement applications — Nursys electronic verification received + background check cleared — typically process in 4–8 weeks. Applications with paper license verification from non-Nursys states take an additional 2–3 weeks. PSBN does not issue temporary permits for nurses pending endorsement, so time your application to ensure your license is active before your Pennsylvania start date.

What we see at Ava Health

Pennsylvania generates strong nursing demand in our pipeline, particularly in the Philadelphia metro (Penn Medicine, Jefferson, Main Line Health) and the Pittsburgh area (UPMC, AHN). Academic medical center demand is highest in ICU, OR, oncology, and transplant nursing. Pennsylvania's compact membership makes it a streamlined destination for nurses from other compact states, and UPMC's large volume of system-wide RN openings makes it a consistent priority for our sourcing activity.

Related: Travel Nurse Salary Guide, New York RN License Guide, Ohio RN License Guide, Nurse Practitioner Salary Guide.