Living in Virginia, working in North Carolina
Can a Virginia nurse work in North Carolina?
If your primary state of residence is Virginia and you hold an active multistate license from Virginia, you may generally practice in North Carolina under compact privilege — without applying for a separate North Carolina license.
Recommended next step
Verify that your Virginia license is multistate in Nursys, then review any North Carolina-specific requirements with the North Carolina 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 North Carolina'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.
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.