Compact Nursing State List

What the role or requirement involves

A multistate licence issued under the NLC is tied to your primary state of residence, meaning the state where you hold a driver's licence, vote, or file state income tax. That state must be a compact member for the licence to carry multistate privileges. If your primary state of residence isn't in the compact, any licence you hold — even one issued by a compact state where you trained or work remotely — will only be single-state.

Compact member states currently include Arizona, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and most of the Midwest and South. Non-compact states include California, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, and Connecticut, among others. New states join periodically after their legislature enacts the compact and a joining date is set, so the exact list shifts — always check the current NLC map before making a move or job decision that depends on it.

The privilege applies to RN and LPN/VN practice, including telehealth encounters with a patient physically located in another compact state. It does not extend to APRN practice, which remains state-by-state regardless of compact status.

Getting there from here

If your current licence is already multistate and you move your primary state of residence to another compact state, you must apply for a new multistate licence in the new state within the timeframe that state sets, typically 60 to 90 days, and your prior multistate privileges end once the new one is issued. You cannot hold two multistate licences at once.

If you're moving into a compact state from a non-compact state, you apply for licensure in the new state as your primary state of residence, meeting that board's requirements, which usually means an unencumbered licence, a background check, and payment of the state fee. Once approved, if the new state is a compact member, the licence is automatically multistate — no separate compact application.

If you're already in a compact state and simply want to work PRN or travel-nurse across state lines without moving, you don't need to do anything beyond confirming your existing licence is designated multistate; check this on your state board's verification lookup, since single-state and multistate licences look similar on paper.

The paperwork

Expect to submit proof of primary state residency — a driver's licence, voter registration, or tax return — plus a state and federal criminal background check with fingerprinting, which most boards require even for a straightforward licence transfer. Processing for a compact licence transfer typically runs 4 to 8 weeks once fingerprints clear, though some states process in under two weeks and others run longer during high-volume periods.

You'll also need verification of your existing licence sent directly from your prior board, usually through Nursys, the compact's shared licensure database. Nursys e-Notify can flag employers automatically when your licence status changes, which is worth setting up if you travel or work across state lines regularly.

Fees vary by state, generally $100 to $200 for an initial or transfer application, separate from the background check fee. A few states also require a jurisprudence exam covering that state's specific nurse practice act — check this before you assume the process is paperwork-only.

What to expect

The multistate licence itself doesn't expire on a different schedule than a regular licence — renewal timing and continuing education requirements follow your primary state of residence's rules, not the compact's. Some states require more contact hours than others, so moving your primary residence can change your CE obligations even if your practice location doesn't change.

Discipline in one compact state can restrict your privileges in all of them: if your home-state board takes action against your licence, multistate privileges are typically suspended across every compact state simultaneously, not just the state where the action occurred. This is one of the compact's stated purposes and it applies even for administrative issues like a lapsed CE requirement.

Employers in compact states will still ask which state you consider your primary state of residence and verify it, since a multistate licence tied to the wrong state of residence isn't valid. Be ready to show proof if asked, particularly for travel contracts.

Where to go next

Check the current compact member list on the NLC's official site before making any decision that depends on it — new states join and a small number have pending legislation that hasn't taken effect yet, so a state that's "in progress" isn't the same as one where the licence is active.

If you're relocating for work, confirm both your destination state's compact status and your current state's compact status before resigning a position or signing a lease, since the interaction between the two determines whether you'll have a gap in ability to practise.