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CompactStates

Compact nursing states in the Northeast

The Northeast is the most mixed region in the country for the compact — some states are full members, one big state is out, and one has enacted the law without turning it on. Here is where each stands.

Which Northeast states are compact nursing states?

Some, but not all. As of 2026, states such as Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut (a recent member) are compact. New York is the large non-compact state in the region, and Massachusetts has enacted the compact but has not implemented it — treat it as non-compact until it does. Check the current status of each below.

NLC member states ↗Last reviewed 2026-06-17

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

When this region joined

Two of them began recognizing compact privilege on January 19, 2018, the day the enhanced compact took effect: Maine and New Hampshire. Five arrived later: New Jersey in 2020, Vermont in 2022, Rhode Island in 2024, Pennsylvania in 2025 and Connecticut in 2025 — the most recent being Connecticut on October 1, 2025.

Dates are the day incoming privilege began, which is not always the day the board started issuing multistate licenses to its own residents — see how a state joins. Members without a verified date are omitted rather than guessed at; the full record is on the adoption timeline.

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.

  • 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.

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

No. New York is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state. New York licenses are single-state, and a compact license from another state does not authorize practice in New York.

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