Living in California, working in Washington
Can a California nurse work in Washington?
Living in California generally means you cannot obtain a multistate license, because California is not a compact state. To work in Washington, you will usually need a single-state Washington license or a license by endorsement — not compact privilege.
California vs Washington at a glance
| California (home) | Washington (work) | |
|---|---|---|
| Compact status | Non-compact | Compact |
| Multistate license for residents | No | Yes |
| Compact nurses can practice here | No | Yes |
| Board of nursing | California board ↗ | Washington board ↗ |
Status shown as of 2026-06-17. Compact law changes — confirm anything that affects your license with the state board.
Recommended next step
Apply for a Washington license by endorsement through the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON).
Going the other way?
The answer is not the same in reverse. Living in Washington and working in California is a different question with a different answer, because the state that issues your license changes places with the state that has to honour it — Washington to California covers that direction.
Verify before you rely on this
Whether you can practice comes down to your actual license type, not just the two states’ status. Look your license up on Nursys to confirm it is single-state or multistate, then check Washington’s current requirements with the Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON).
Where each license is actually checked
These two states do not verify the same way, and the difference matters at different moments: California is what you will be asked to produce, Washington is what an employer there will run.
Your home state
California
California BRN license verification ↗California is not a compact state, so its own lookup — not a multistate designation — is what matters here.
Where you want to work
Washington
Washington DOH Provider Credential Search ↗Washington splits by LICENSE TYPE rather than credential: a Washington single-state license is verified through the DOH Provider Credential Search, while a multistate license issued by another state is verified through Nursys. Note the board will not verify a credential that is pending, closed, or holding only a temporary practice permit — so a genuinely new hire on a temporary permit will not return a verification, which is a timing problem rather than a red flag.
How long each has been part of this
Washington has recognized compact privilege since July 24, 2023. California does not recognize it, so the comparison is not between two dates — it is between a state where privilege exists and one where a license has to be held outright.
One of these two ran a two-phase rollout — honouring incoming privilege before issuing multistate licenses to its own residents, which are separate switches on separate dates. The adoption timeline gives both dates for every jurisdiction.
The law behind each side
Compact privilege is not a courtesy between states — it is each legislature having enacted the compact into its own code. These are the provisions that do it.
Your home state
California
California has no compact statute, because it has not enacted the compact. Practicing here means holding a California license.
Scope is set separately. What you may actually do here comes from Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 2700 et seq. (Nursing Practice Act) ↗.
Where you want to work
Washington
Substitute Senate Bill 5499 (2023) ↗Signed 21 April 2023, making Washington the 40th jurisdiction to enact. The same legislation renamed the regulator from the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission to the Washington State Board of Nursing.
Scope is set separately. What you may actually do here comes from RCW ch. 18.79 (Nursing Care) ↗.
Things to keep in mind
- A compact (multistate) license is issued by your primary state of residence. Since California is non-compact, that option is not available through California.
- If you later make a compact state your primary residence, you may become eligible for a multistate license then.
Frequently asked questions
Related pages
Sources & last reviewed
- NLC frequently asked questions— NCSBN / NurseCompact (nursecompact.com)
Covers multistate licenses, primary state of residence, the 60-day rule, telehealth, and license type coverage.
- NLC member states map & status— NCSBN / NurseCompact (nursecompact.com)
Identifies full members, partial implementation (Guam), and enacted/awaiting implementation (Massachusetts, U.S. Virgin Islands).
- Nursys QuickConfirm license verification— NCSBN / Nursys (nursys.com)
Recommended destination to verify whether a license is single-state or multistate.
Facts on this page were last reviewed against official sources on 2026-06-17. Compact law changes — always verify with your state board of nursing.