Utah Nursing License for Internationally Trained Nurses in Salt Lake City

This guide explains the Utah nursing license path for internationally trained nurses in Salt Lake City who want an initial RN or LPN license. The key first step is choosing an evaluation route that fits your foreign-license history. After that, the evaluator’s rules determine which records must come directly from a school or regulator and whether you need a separate certified English translation.

Key takeaways

Salt Lake City does not issue a separate nursing license. Utah DOPL handles RN and LPN licensure statewide.
Check your evaluation route before ordering translations. DOPL’s pathway distinguishes applicants based partly on whether they have held a nursing license outside the United States for at least one year.
A translation cannot replace an evaluation or an official record. Ask the evaluator how transcripts, license verifications, and applicant-held civil documents must be submitted.
DOPL no longer takes fingerprints in its office. Applicants who need them must follow the authorization and vendor instructions sent after applying.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for people in Salt Lake City, Utah who completed nursing education outside the United States and are applying for an initial Utah RN or LPN license. It is especially useful if your diploma, transcript, foreign nursing registration, or name-change records are not in English; if your documents spell your name differently; or if you are unsure which credential-evaluation report applies to you.

A typical file may include a nursing diploma and official transcript, grading information, a foreign license or registration verification, identity and lawful-presence documents, English-test results if required, and a marriage certificate or court order connecting different names. Spanish–English, Chinese–English, Filipino or Tagalog–English, Arabic–English, and Hindi or Urdu–English are examples of language pairs an applicant might need. They are not a verified ranking of nurse-applicant languages in Salt Lake City.

The Census Bureau estimates that, during 2020–2024, 14.9% of Salt Lake City residents were foreign-born and 23.5% of residents age five and older spoke a language other than English at home. These citywide figures give context for why translated records matter locally; they do not show which languages nurse applicants use or predict licensing outcomes.

This guide does not cover endorsement for nurses who already hold a U.S. state license or the separate advanced-practice nurse and nurse-anesthetist routes.

Utah nursing license for internationally trained nurses: choose the evaluation route first

Utah’s DOPL pathway for internationally trained nurses sets out the current initial RN and LPN route. Salt Lake City is the state agency’s location, not a separate licensing jurisdiction. Living near the DOPL office does not create a different or faster city process.

Start with your foreign-license history

DOPL asks whether you have been licensed as a nurse in a country outside the United States for at least one year. If you have not, the live DOPL page lists several specific report products: TruMerit’s CES Professional Report or VisaScreen; the Visa4Nurses Certificate from Josef Silny & Associates; an HCW Certificate and Nursing Licensure report or an Evaluation from International Education Evaluations; or VisaKey from The Evaluation Company.

If you have held a foreign license for at least one year, DOPL says you may use one of the options above or have your education and license or registration credentials professionally evaluated by a listed NACES-member organization. The page names The Evaluation Company, Josef Silny & Associates, International Education Evaluations, Institute of Foreign Credential Services, Education Records Evaluation Services, Educational Perspectives, and Educational Credential Evaluators.

There is a wording mismatch on the live page: the first route displays six report products, while the second route refers to the “three options above.” If this affects which product you plan to buy, email DOPL’s internationally trained applicant team and get confirmation first. An old guide or a provider’s sales recommendation may describe a previous Utah pathway.

A historical Salt Lake City applicant discussion illustrates why this check matters. In a 2017 AllNurses thread, a Canadian RN said she had been told to purchase three CGFNS services costing nearly $1,350. A later post in the same thread described a six-month process. That account predates today’s DOPL options, so it is not a current price, route, or timeline. Its practical lesson is to match the report product to the current DOPL instructions before paying for overlapping services.

Separate evaluation records from translation work

A credential evaluation and a certified translation do different jobs. DOPL requires an evaluation of foreign nursing credentials; translating a diploma does not establish that your education meets Utah’s requirements and does not replace the evaluation report.

Before ordering translations, ask the evaluator in writing how it wants each record submitted. A nursing school or foreign licensing authority may need to send education or registration records directly to the evaluator. The evaluator may require an English version issued by the school, arrange translation itself, or specify a separate translation process. A certified English translation of a personal transcript copy cannot turn that copy into an official record sent by the issuing school.

Translation is more likely to be useful for an applicant-held supporting record, such as a marriage certificate, divorce record, or court order linking your passport name to the name on your nursing documents—if the evaluator or DOPL accepts applicant-submitted copies for that purpose. Do not commission a full transcript translation until the evaluator confirms it will accept one and tells you who may prepare it.

For the broader U.S. distinction between translation, credential evaluation, and primary-source records, see CertOf’s guide to credential evaluation and primary-source routing. The general professional-license translation requirements page explains translator certification. DOPL’s current nursing pathway does not set one certified-translation format for every document; follow the evaluator’s instructions for the records it reviews.

Documents and translation: what goes where

Record group	Typical examples	Practical handling
Education records	Nursing diploma, transcript, grading scale, and course or clinical details if requested	Ask the evaluator whether the school must send these directly and whether it accepts a school-issued English version or requires another translation route.
Foreign license or registration	License, registration status, or verification from a nursing regulator	Confirm whether the issuing regulator must send verification directly and whether the evaluation product matches your license history.
Identity and name-link records	Passport, marriage certificate, divorce record, or court name-change order	Make sure names and transliterations connect across documents. If the receiving party accepts an applicant-held copy, ask whether it needs a certified English translation.
English-language evidence	Test scores, if the nursing program was not taught in English	Have the exam administrator send scores directly to DOPL or include them in the credential-evaluation report, as DOPL directs.

Certified translation means a translator supplies an English translation with a signed statement about its accuracy. Notarization of a translator’s signature is a separate step and does not make an unaccepted document acceptable. See CertOf’s certified-versus-notarized translation explainer for that general distinction.

English tests and the 2026 TOEFL score scale

DOPL says applicants whose nursing education was not taught in English must provide a passing score from an accepted English exam. Scores must be sent by the exam administrator to DOPL or included in the credential-evaluation report. The current DOPL table lists these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: overall 4.5, speaking 4.5, and 3.5 in reading, listening, and writing.
IELTS: overall 6.5 and speaking 7.0.
Cambridge: overall 175 and speaking 185.
TOEIC: listening and reading 725; speaking and writing 160 and 150.
Michigan English Test: overall 55 and speaking 55.
OET: reading, writing, and listening 300; speaking 350.
PTE Academic: overall 55, reading/listening/writing 50, and speaking 63.

TOEFL iBT moved to a 1–6 score scale for tests taken on or after January 21, 2026. If an older checklist shows legacy 0–120 thresholds, compare it with DOPL’s live score table and ETS’s TOEFL score-scale transition information before booking or submitting a test.

From DOPL authorization to the Utah license

Complete the credential evaluation. Confirm the correct product for your foreign-license history and arrange any required school or regulator submissions.
Submit English scores if required. Follow DOPL’s directions for direct delivery or inclusion in the evaluation report.
Apply to DOPL for Authorization to Test. DOPL says this is separate from the license application and has no application fee. Its listed documents include identity information—SSN, A-number, or ITIN—proof of lawful presence, the evaluation, and English results when required.
Register for and take the NCLEX. After DOPL approves your ATT, follow the instructions sent by Pearson VUE. DOPL currently lists a $200 registration fee and a 45-day wait after an unsuccessful attempt before retesting.
Apply for the license after passing. DOPL lists a $90 application fee and a background check for the post-exam RN or LPN license application. Verify current fees and steps on the DOPL nursing pathway before paying.

The ATT is permission to take the exam, not a nursing license or a work permit. If you do not have an SSN, review DOPL’s current identity and lawful-presence instructions and ask the ITAC team how your documents apply before submitting.

Salt Lake City logistics: office visits, fingerprints, and mailing

DOPL’s pathway lists an in-person option for the final license application at 160 E Broadway, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, as well as an online option. The page does not give a nursing-specific walk-in schedule, appointment rule, or document drop-off procedure. If an office visit is necessary, use the contact form linked from DOPL’s pathway to confirm current arrangements. A visit cannot replace a school or foreign regulator sending records through the evaluator’s required channel.

The local detail most likely to prevent a wasted trip is fingerprinting. DOPL says its in-house fingerprinting service has been discontinued. If you live within 50 miles of an authorized vendor, DOPL requires electronic submission. It says the authorization form and approved-vendor list are emailed about two to three business days after the application is submitted; the vendor charges its own fee. Use the current DOPL fingerprint instructions, not older instructions that may mention fingerprinting at the Wells Building.

DOPL says manual fingerprint cards may be used if you are more than 50 miles from an approved vendor. It requires two blue federal FD-258 cards and warns that manual processing can extend approval time by up to three months. The listed mailing address is Division of Professional Licensing, State of Utah Department of Commerce, PO Box 146741, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6741. This address is for fingerprint cards; it is not a substitute for the evaluator’s directions for school transcripts or license records.

Wait time and cost: what applicants can plan for

DOPL does not give a Salt Lake City-specific processing estimate for internationally trained nurses. Instead of treating a general processing figure as an end-to-end deadline, track each stage separately: school transcript requests, foreign license verification, evaluator review, English-score delivery, DOPL’s ATT decision, NCLEX scheduling, fingerprints, and the final license application. A missing clinical-course detail or a name mismatch can create another request before the next step is ready.

The DOPL and exam fees currently listed for this route are $0 for the ATT application, $200 for NCLEX registration, and $90 for the post-exam license application. Add the credential evaluator’s fee, fingerprint-vendor charge, any accepted translation, and mailing separately. Costs depend on the report product, language pair, document volume, and delivery method. A translation or evaluator’s estimated turnaround is not a promised Utah license date.

Local support and service options

Public licensing help

Resource	Useful for	Service boundary
Utah DOPL international nurse pathway and ITAC team	Checking the current evaluator list, English-test rules, ATT steps, and which report route may apply. The page lists [email protected] for personalized questions.	DOPL decides licensing eligibility. It is not a translation company or credential evaluator.
Utah Division of Consumer Protection	Possible complaint route for a commercial service dispute involving misrepresentation, non-delivery, or a refund request, if the matter fits its process.	It does not decide nursing-license eligibility. Filing a complaint does not guarantee a refund.

Commercial translation options

The providers below are listed for comparison, not as recommendations or DOPL-approved vendors. DOPL’s nursing pathway names evaluator products; it does not designate a preferred Salt Lake City translation company. Check with your evaluator before placing an order.

Provider	Publicly listed details	What to confirm for a Utah nurse file
U.S. Translation Company	Its site lists 320 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101; phone (801) 393-5300; and certified translation services, including healthcare and education work.	Ask whether it handles your exact language pair and nursing records, what its signed certification includes, how revisions are handled, and whether your evaluator accepts applicant-arranged translation. Its public listing does not establish DOPL approval.
inlingua Utah	Its site lists 602 E 300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102; phone (801) 355-3775; and translation and interpretation services.	The public service description does not specify a certified nursing-credential translation product. Ask whether it can provide the exact format and certification your evaluator requires.
CertOf online translation	Online document intake and delivery; no Salt Lake City office visit is required.	Use CertOf only for documents the evaluator or DOPL says you may submit with an applicant-arranged translation. CertOf does not evaluate nursing education or submit school records on your behalf.

Local context and applicant-reported friction

Salt Lake City’s foreign-born and non-English-at-home population figures describe the city as a whole, not the nursing applicant pool. For an individual applicant, the practical issue is whether the evaluator can connect the nursing school record, foreign registration, passport, and name-change documents without a gap. If names differ by transliteration or marriage, identify the linking record early and ask whether an applicant-arranged certified translation is accepted.

A separate 2023 Reddit discussion asked which CGFNS products a Canadian or Australian nurse needed for Utah after passing NCLEX. It did not provide an authoritative resolution. Read alongside the older AllNurses account, it shows how easily product names and prior checklists can confuse applicants. These are community anecdotes, not evidence of current DOPL requirements, service quality, or processing times; the current DOPL page and written confirmation from ITAC should control your decision.

Common mistakes that delay a Salt Lake City application

Buying a report before checking the one-year foreign-license branch. Match your exact license history to DOPL’s current evaluator options and resolve the page’s “three options” wording before payment.
Translating the entire transcript before asking the evaluator. The evaluator may require school-sent records, an English version from the school, or a translation handled through its own process.
Assuming every non-English item needs the same translation product. A transcript, license verification, and applicant-held name-change record may follow different submission rules.
Assuming a certified translation is a credential evaluation. Translation communicates the document’s contents in English; it does not assess whether the education is equivalent.
Relying on old fingerprint instructions. The current DOPL fingerprint page says in-house collection ended. Wait for the authorization and approved-vendor instructions.
Assuming notarization fixes an acceptance problem. Notarization and translator certification are separate steps. Check the receiving evaluator’s rule before buying either service.

Questions internationally trained nurses ask in Salt Lake City

Does Salt Lake City issue its own nursing license?

No. Utah DOPL issues RN and LPN licenses statewide. Salt Lake City is where DOPL is based; it does not have a separate municipal nursing-license process.

Does holding a foreign nursing license for one year change the Utah evaluation route?

Yes. DOPL’s current pathway separates applicants who have held a license outside the United States for at least one year from those who have not. Review the live evaluator list and contact [email protected] if the page’s reference to “three options above” affects your choice.

Do all non-English nursing transcripts need a separate certified translation?

Not necessarily. DOPL requires a credential evaluation, while the evaluator’s rules determine how it wants each academic record translated and sent. Ask before commissioning a separate translation.

Can I take my translated transcript to DOPL instead of using the evaluator?

No. A translated personal copy does not replace a required evaluation or an official record that the school must send. Follow the evaluator’s primary-source instructions.

Where do Salt Lake City applicants get fingerprints now?

DOPL discontinued in-house fingerprinting. After the applicable application, follow the authorization form and approved-vendor list DOPL emails. Applicants within 50 miles of an authorized vendor must use electronic submission under its current instructions.

How long does an internationally trained nurse license take in Utah?

There is no verified Salt Lake City-specific average in the DOPL pathway. Track the school, regulator, evaluator, English-score, ATT, exam, and fingerprint steps separately; their timing can vary.

Can I apply without a Social Security number?

DOPL’s pathway lists an SSN, A-number, or ITIN for identity documentation and separately requests proof of lawful presence. Ask DOPL how your specific documents fit before submitting.

Where to report a problem

For suspected violations of Utah occupational or professional licensing law, use DOPL’s complaint process. DOPL says it does not act as a private attorney, recover personal financial losses, or resolve private disputes. For a commercial translation or evaluation service that misrepresented its work, failed to deliver, or refused a refund, check the Utah Division of Consumer Protection complaint portal and its eligibility questions. Keep the quote, invoice, emails, and any claim that the service was DOPL-approved. A complaint is not a promise of reimbursement.

Order a translation only after the evaluator confirms it is needed

If DOPL or your credential evaluator confirms that you may submit a supporting document yourself, CertOf can translate it into English and prepare the translation for review. Include the evaluator’s instructions so the document type, names, stamps, and requested certification can be handled consistently. Review CertOf’s translation service information, the online order steps, and its published revision and delivery terms, then submit documents through the CertOf translation portal.

CertOf provides document translation, not credential evaluation, school or regulator record transmission, DOPL representation, NCLEX or fingerprint scheduling, or a guarantee of licensure.

Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal advice or a licensing decision. DOPL and the selected credential evaluator control current eligibility, document routing, translation acceptance, and application outcomes. Verify the requirements with them before paying for an evaluation or translation.

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