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Living in Texas, working in Louisiana

Texas Full compact stateLouisiana Full compact state

Can a Texas nurse work in Louisiana?

If your primary state of residence is Texas and you hold an active multistate license from Texas, you may generally practice in Louisiana under compact privilege — without applying for a separate Louisiana license.

Nurse Licensure Compact FAQLast reviewed 2026-06-17

Texas vs Louisiana at a glance

 Texas (home)Louisiana (work)
Compact statusCompactCompact
Multistate license for residentsYesYes
Compact nurses can practice hereYesYes
Board of nursingTexas board ↗Louisiana board ↗

Status shown as of 2026-06-17. Compact law changes — confirm anything that affects your license with the state board.

Recommended next step

Verify that your Texas license is multistate in Nursys, then review any Louisiana-specific requirements with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.

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 Louisiana’s current requirements with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.

Things to keep in mind

  • Compact privilege only applies if your license is multistate, not single-state. Check this in Nursys.
  • You must meet Louisiana's practice requirements (for example, scope of practice and any continuing-education rules).
  • APRN roles are generally not covered by the standard compact — APRNs usually need separate authorization in each state.
  • Always confirm your individual eligibility with the state board of nursing and check your license type in Nursys before you practice.

Frequently asked questions

If your primary state of residence is Texas and you hold an active multistate license from Texas, you may generally practice in Louisiana under compact privilege — without applying for a separate Louisiana license.

Sources & last reviewed

  • NLC frequently asked questionsNCSBN / NurseCompact (nursecompact.com)

    Covers multistate licenses, primary state of residence, the 60-day rule, telehealth, and license type coverage.

  • NLC member states map & statusNCSBN / NurseCompact (nursecompact.com)

    Identifies full members, partial implementation (Guam), and enacted/awaiting implementation (Massachusetts, U.S. Virgin Islands).

  • Nursys QuickConfirm license verificationNCSBN / 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.