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)
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)
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.