Substantially Equivalent States - Nursing Home Administrator

Washington state may issue credentials to applicants with credentials in another state based upon the other state's qualifications. The other state's licensing standards must be substantially equivalent to Washington state's licensing qualifications.

New legislative changes due to SHB 1724 will apply new criteria to out of state applicants starting July 23, 2023. 

To qualify:

  • applicant must come from a state that has been deemed substantially equivalent (see list below),
  • has been credentialed for at least two years in that state, and 
  • has not been subject to disciplinary action.

To apply, applicants should use the endorsement application until further notice. We are working on updating our applications to reflect the new changes.

State for Review Date of Review Equivalent?
Alabama January 24, 2025 No
Alaska January 24, 2025 No
Arizona January 24, 2025 No
Arkansas January 24, 2025 No
California January 24, 2025 Yes
Colorado January 24, 2025 No
Connecticut January 24, 2025 Yes
Delaware January 24, 2025 No
District of Columbia January 24, 2025 Yes
Florida January 24, 2025 Yes
Georgia January 24, 2025 No
Hawaii January 24, 2025 Yes
Idaho January 24, 2025 No
Illinois January 24, 2025 No
Indiana January 24, 2025 No
Iowa January 24, 2025 Yes
Kansas January 24, 2025 Yes
Kentucky January 24, 2025 Yes
Louisiana January 24, 2025 Yes
Maine January 24, 2025 Yes
Maryland January 24, 2025 No
Massachusetts January 24, 2025 Yes
Michigan January 24, 2025 No
Minnesota January 24, 2025 Yes
Mississippi January 24, 2025 No
Missouri January 24, 2025 No
Montana January 24, 2025 No
Nebraska January 24, 2025 No
Nevada January 24, 2025 Yes
New Hampshire January 24, 2025 Yes
New Jersey January 24, 2025 Yes
New Mexico January 24, 2025 Yes
New York January 24, 2025 Yes
North Carolina January 24, 2025 No
North Dakota January 24, 2025 No
Ohio January 24, 2025 Yes
Oklahoma January 24, 2025 Yes
Oregon January 24, 2025 Yes
Pennsylvania January 24, 2025 No
Rhode Island January 24, 2025 No
South Carolina January 24, 2025 No
South Dakota January 24, 2025 No
Tennessee January 24, 2025 No
Texas January 24, 2025 Yes
Utah January 24, 2025 No
Vermont January 24, 2025 Yes
Virginia January 24, 2025 No
West Virginia January 24, 2025 Yes
Wisconsin January 24, 2025 No
Wyoming January 24, 2025 No