Nurse License Compact Checker

Choose the state you live in and the state where you would work to see whether your nursing license covers you there. An RN or LPN/LVN multistate license covers 40 states that have implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact, but only if your primary state of residence is one of them. APRN authority is not covered.

How does the Nurse Licensure Compact work?

A multistate license lets an RN or LPN/LVN work in every other state that has implemented the compact. It is issued by your primary state of residence, and only if that state has implemented the compact, so a nurse who lives in a non-member state cannot hold one. It covers only states that have implemented the compact; a state that has passed the law but not put it into effect is not covered yet. The compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses, not APRN authority: nurse practitioners and CRNAs need an APRN license in each state where they work, though their RN license can be multistate.

Which states are in the Nurse Licensure Compact?

In the compact (40): Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Enacted, not yet in effect (1): Massachusetts.

Not in the compact (10): Alaska, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon.

Status from NCSBN's compact map, checked 2026-09-05. Nurses already licensed in another state apply by endorsement, and some boards issue a temporary license while it processes; fees and processing times vary by board, so check with that state's board of nursing.

More: the 2026 compact guide | stipend calculator | pay calculator

Common questions

Can I work in another state with my nursing license?
With an RN or LPN/LVN multistate license, yes, in any other state that has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. The multistate license must be issued by your primary state of residence, which must itself have implemented the compact; residents of non-member states cannot hold one. For a state outside the compact, or one that has enacted it but not put it into effect, you need that state's license, which nurses already licensed elsewhere apply for by endorsement.
Does the Nurse Licensure Compact cover nurse practitioners?
Not as nurse practitioners. The compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses, so an APRN's underlying RN license can be multistate, but APRN authority, for nurse practitioners, CRNAs, certified nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists, needs an APRN license in each state where they work.