State nursing licensure & compact status

Compact participation, multistate-license availability, verification, endorsement, renewal, and interstate-practice considerations for all 56 U.S. jurisdictions. As of 2026, 43 have adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact and 40 have fully implemented it.

Check two states Methodology·Reviewed 2026-06-17

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56 of 56 jurisdictions

Nursing compact status and research links for every U.S. jurisdiction
	Region		Resident multistate	Research	Open profile
AlabamaAL	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
AlaskaAK	West	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
American SamoaAS	Territories	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
ArizonaAZ	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
ArkansasAR	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
CaliforniaCA	West	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
ColoradoCO	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
ConnecticutCT	Northeast	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
DelawareDE	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
District of ColumbiaDC	South	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
FloridaFL	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
GeorgiaGA	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
GuamGU	Territories	Partial implementationPartially	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
HawaiiHI	West	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
IdahoID	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
IllinoisIL	Midwest	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
IndianaIN	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
IowaIA	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
KansasKS	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
KentuckyKY	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
LouisianaLA	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MaineME	Northeast	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MarylandMD	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MassachusettsMA	Northeast	Enacted — awaiting implementationNot yet	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MichiganMI	Midwest	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MinnesotaMN	Midwest	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MississippiMS	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MissouriMO	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
MontanaMT	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
NebraskaNE	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
NevadaNV	West	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
New HampshireNH	Northeast	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
New JerseyNJ	Northeast	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
New MexicoNM	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
New YorkNY	Northeast	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
North CarolinaNC	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
North DakotaND	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
Northern Mariana IslandsMP	Territories	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
OhioOH	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
OklahomaOK	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
OregonOR	West	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
PennsylvaniaPA	Northeast	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
Puerto RicoPR	Territories	Non-compact stateNo	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
Rhode IslandRI	Northeast	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
South CarolinaSC	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
South DakotaSD	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
TennesseeTN	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
TexasTX	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
U.S. Virgin IslandsVI	Territories	Enacted — awaiting implementationNot yet	No	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
UtahUT	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
VermontVT	Northeast	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
VirginiaVA	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
WashingtonWA	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
West VirginiaWV	South	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
WisconsinWI	Midwest	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →
WyomingWY	West	Full compact stateYes	Yes	Verify·Endorse·Renew·Board	Open →

Start from your task

The eight things nurses most often need, each into the right research.

Verify a licenseNursys and state boards.Apply by endorsementGet a second state’s license.Understand eligibilityWho qualifies for a multistate license.Plan a moveA step-by-step plan for your situation.Travel nursingWhat an assignment needs, by state.TelehealthLicensure follows the patient.Renewal & CEWhere renewal is handled.Compare jurisdictionsUp to four states side by side.

Frequently researched jurisdictions

The largest states and the cases that generate the most compact confusion.

California

Largest nursing workforce; not a compact state — a frequent point of confusion.

Texas

Full compact and a major travel-nursing market; uses "LVN" for practical nurses.

Florida

Full compact and a top destination for travel and seasonal assignments.

New York

Large workforce; not a compact state, so incoming nurses license by endorsement.

Illinois

Not a compact state; the Chicago metro spans compact and non-compact lines.

Pennsylvania

A recent full implementation — many nurses still hold single-state licenses.

Massachusetts

Enacted the compact but not yet live; treat as non-compact for now.

Connecticut

One of the newest full members.

Washington

Full compact; the board was recently reorganized.

Guam

Partial implementation — a genuinely different case from the 50 states.

How this is sourced

Compact status comes from the official NLC member listing and each jurisdiction’s board of nursing, which controls where the two differ. Every jurisdiction links to its official board, and we never charge for or monetize those links. Last reviewed 2026-06-17. How we source & review →