Is American Samoa a nursing compact state?

What American Samoa’s compact status means

Because American Samoa has not joined the compact, there is no American Samoa multistate license. American Samoa residents hold a single-state license that is valid only in American Samoa.

To work in American Samoa with an out-of-state license, you generally apply for licensure by endorsement directly with the American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board. A compact license from another state does not cover you in American Samoa.

If you move your primary residence to a compact state later, you may then become eligible for a multistate license through that state.

What American Samoa residents should know

If you live in American Samoa, your license is single-state — valid in American Samoa only. American Samoa residents can’t get a multistate license unless American Samoa joins the compact. To work in another state, you’d apply there.

What nurses coming to American Samoa should know

You’ll need an American Samoa license — usually by endorsement — even if you hold a compact license elsewhere. Compact privilege doesn’t reach American Samoa.

The law behind American Samoa’s status

Compact status is not an opinion or a listing — it is a statute. These are the primary sources that actually govern licensure in American Samoa, so you can check our answer against the law rather than taking our word for it.

Compact statute

None in force.

American Samoa has not enacted the Nurse Licensure Compact, which is precisely why a multistate license issued elsewhere does not authorise practice here, and why American Samoa residents cannot obtain one. Bills are introduced in some sessions; introduction is not enactment, and we only record a statute once it is law.

Nurse practice act

A.S.C.A. § 31.1002 — Health Services Regulatory Board, created; purpose ↗

American Samoa has no board of nursing. A single Health Services Regulatory Board licenses every health profession in the territory — the exact inverse of West Virginia, which runs two separate boards for one profession. It is also the thinnest-sourced jurisdiction of all fifty-six: NCSBN’s own directory entry lists no website for the board, and states no Nursys participation. So there is no online lookup to publish here, and we are not going to invent one. Verification is a phone-and-email process through the Department of Health in Pago Pago. Budget days, not minutes, and start it early.

Board of nursing

American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board ↗

Statutory citations reviewed 2026-07-31. Citations change far more slowly than fees or processing times — which is why we publish these and not those.

RN, LPN/LVN, and APRN coverage in American Samoa

The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses. It does not, on its own, cover APRN roles — nurse practitioners, CRNAs, CNSs, and CNMs generally need separate APRN authorization in each state, including American Samoa. See the APRN and the compact guide, and confirm specifics with the American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board.

Coverage is the same for both credentials, so the state lists are the same: every RN compact state and every LPN/LVN compact state both exclude American Samoa, which is why neither credential carries privilege here.

By credential: American Samoa RN & the compact, American Samoa LPN, and American Samoa APRN.

Primary state of residence, moving, and endorsement

Your primary state of residence (PSOR) drives multistate eligibility — you can hold it in only one state at a time. Because American Samoa is not a compact state, making it your PSOR means holding a single-state American Samoa license; a compact license from your former state does not transfer to American Samoa. Coming from another state, you generally apply to the American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board by endorsement. If you are relocating, the 60-day rule governs the timing.

Verifying a American Samoa nursing license

Look any American Samoa license up on Nursys QuickConfirm — it shows whether the license is single-state or multistate, its status, and its expiration. For anything Nursys does not show, use the American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board. See the full American Samoa verification guide. CompactStates is an independent reference, not a verification service, and holds no license records.

Travel assignments and telehealth in American Samoa

Because American Samoa does not currently grant compact privilege, a American Samoa travel assignment — or telehealth to patients located in American Samoa — generally needs an American Samoa license by endorsement. Telehealth licensure generally follows the patient’s location. See the American Samoa travel and telehealth guides.

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal cycles, fees, and continuing-education requirements are set by the American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board and change over time, so we link you to the official source rather than list figures that could go stale. Nursys shows your expiration date and license type. See the American Samoa renewal guide.