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CompactStates

Compact nursing states by region

A regional view of the Nurse Licensure Compact. The South is nearly all compact, the Midwest mostly compact, the West is split, and the Northeast is the most mixed.

How are compact nursing states distributed by region?

Unevenly. As of 2026, the South is nearly all compact, the Midwest is mostly compact with Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota out, the West is split roughly in half, and the Northeast is the most mixed — with New York out and Massachusetts enacted but not implemented. Each region and its states are listed below.

NLC member states ↗Last reviewed 2026-06-17

South (17)

AlabamaFull compact stateArkansasFull compact stateDelawareFull compact stateDistrict of ColumbiaNon-compact stateFloridaFull compact stateGeorgiaFull compact stateKentuckyFull compact stateLouisianaFull compact stateMarylandFull compact stateMississippiFull compact stateNorth CarolinaFull compact stateOklahomaFull compact stateSouth CarolinaFull compact stateTennesseeFull compact stateTexasFull compact stateVirginiaFull compact stateWest VirginiaFull compact state

Midwest (12)

IllinoisNon-compact stateIndianaFull compact stateIowaFull compact stateKansasFull compact stateMichiganNon-compact stateMinnesotaNon-compact stateMissouriFull compact stateNebraskaFull compact stateNorth DakotaFull compact stateOhioFull compact stateSouth DakotaFull compact stateWisconsinFull compact state

Northeast (9)

ConnecticutFull compact stateMaineFull compact stateMassachusettsEnacted — awaiting implementationNew HampshireFull compact stateNew JerseyFull compact stateNew YorkNon-compact statePennsylvaniaFull compact stateRhode IslandFull compact stateVermontFull compact state

West (13)

AlaskaNon-compact stateArizonaFull compact stateCaliforniaNon-compact stateColoradoFull compact stateHawaiiNon-compact stateIdahoFull compact stateMontanaFull compact stateNevadaNon-compact stateNew MexicoFull compact stateOregonNon-compact stateUtahFull compact stateWashingtonFull compact stateWyomingFull compact state

Territories (5)

American SamoaNon-compact stateGuamPartial implementationNorthern Mariana IslandsNon-compact statePuerto RicoNon-compact stateU.S. Virgin IslandsEnacted — awaiting implementation

Where a multistate license stops at a state line here

These are the land borders in this region where a compact state meets one that has never joined. Each is a line people cross without thinking, and licensure changes at it — which matters most to whoever lives on one side and picks up shifts on the other. Each neighbour below links through to what that particular pairing means.

  • Arizona (compact) meets two states that never joined: California and Nevada. An Arizona multistate license reaches none of those lines.
  • Maryland (compact) meets one state that never joined: District of Columbia. A Maryland multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Virginia (compact) meets one state that never joined: District of Columbia. A Virginia multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Indiana (compact) meets two states that never joined: Illinois and Michigan. An Indiana multistate license reaches none of those lines.
  • Iowa (compact) meets two states that never joined: Illinois and Minnesota. An Iowa multistate license reaches none of those lines.
  • Kentucky (compact) meets one state that never joined: Illinois. A Kentucky multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Missouri (compact) meets one state that never joined: Illinois. A Missouri multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Wisconsin (compact) meets three states that never joined: Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. A Wisconsin multistate license reaches none of those lines.
  • Ohio (compact) meets one state that never joined: Michigan. An Ohio multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • North Dakota (compact) meets one state that never joined: Minnesota. A North Dakota multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • South Dakota (compact) meets one state that never joined: Minnesota. A South Dakota multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Idaho (compact) meets two states that never joined: Nevada and Oregon. An Idaho multistate license reaches none of those lines.
  • Utah (compact) meets one state that never joined: Nevada. A Utah multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Connecticut (compact) meets one state that never joined: New York. A Connecticut multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • New Jersey (compact) meets one state that never joined: New York. A New Jersey multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Pennsylvania (compact) meets one state that never joined: New York. A Pennsylvania multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Vermont (compact) meets one state that never joined: New York. A Vermont multistate license does not reach across that line.
  • Washington (compact) meets one state that never joined: Oregon. A Washington multistate license does not reach across that line.

Borders with jurisdictions that have enacted the compact but not yet implemented it are deliberately excluded: that is a temporary state of affairs rather than a standing one, and tracked separately. Every seam in the country, mapped.

Status shown as of 2026-06-17. Compact law changes — always confirm with the relevant board of nursing.

Frequently asked questions

The South. Nearly every Southern state participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, with the District of Columbia the main exception. The Northeast has the fewest, proportionally.

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