Moving between states / New Hampshire

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Moving from Washington to New Hampshire as a certified nursing assistant

What a certified nursing assistant licensed in Washington has to do to work in New Hampshire, what the move does to your pay, and who in New Hampshire is hiring from out of state.

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Washington certificate stays on the Washington State Department of Health, Nursing Assistant Certified program; to work in New Hampshire you apply to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (Licensed Nursing Assistant) for reciprocity. New Hampshire licenses nursing assistants (LNA) rather than certifying them, so an out-of-state CNA applies for an LNA by endorsement. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.

What the move does to your paycheck

Neither Washington nor New Hampshire taxes wages, so the move changes nothing on the state line of your paycheck.

SalaryWashington state taxNew Hampshire state taxDifference a year
$40,000$0$0$0
$60,000$0$0$0
$90,000$0$0$0

Rough figures for a single filer: exact in the flat-rate and no-tax states, approximated at 70% of the top bracket in the progressive ones. In New Hampshire: no tax on wages; the tax on interest and dividends ended in 2025. In Washington: no tax on wages; a 7% tax on large capital gains and a payroll premium for long-term care. Property and sales tax are not in it.

RN and LPN: Washington to New Hampshire

Works on day one. Both Washington and New Hampshire are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Washington is valid in New Hampshire the day you arrive. Once New Hampshire is your primary residence, apply there for a New Hampshire multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.

Electrician: Washington to New Hampshire

Reciprocity likely. New Hampshire licenses electricians at state level through the New Hampshire Electricians' Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification), and reciprocity with Maine, Vermont and a few other states. Your Washington licence comes from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, a state body, which is what a reciprocity application needs: ask it for a verification letter before you move.

CDL: Washington to New Hampshire

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a New Hampshire resident you surrender the Washington CDL at a New Hampshire driver licence office, pass the vision test, pay the fee, and your endorsements carry over. A hazmat endorsement needs a fresh TSA threat assessment in New Hampshire. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.

No statewide program in New Hampshire pays people to move in. Towns sometimes list an offer through MakeMyMove, and employers in short-staffed trades pay relocation themselves; ask for it in writing before you accept.

Openings filed in New Hampshire

26 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by New Hampshire employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Washington to New Hampshire

Tell us your trade and your licence. We write the steps for your case, check the job offer for scams, and keep your resume ready for New Hampshire employers.

Plan my move to New Hampshire

Same move, by trade

RN or LPN: Washington to New Hampshire · Electrician: Washington to New Hampshire · Truck driver: Washington to New Hampshire · All licences: Washington to New Hampshire

From Washington to the states next to New Hampshire

Maine (progressive, top rate 7.15%) · Vermont (progressive, top rate 8.75%) · Massachusetts (flat 5% state income tax)

To New Hampshire from the states next to Washington

Oregon · Idaho

Everything about working in New Hampshire · All moves between states · All 50 states

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