Skip to content
CompactStates

Is a Hawaii APRN license a compact license?

The compact covers RNs and LPNs/LVNs — but not advanced practice. Here is exactly how APRN authority works in Hawaii and why it is handled state by state.

Is a Hawaii APRN license a compact license?

No. The Nurse Licensure Compact does not cover APRN roles — nurse practitioners (NPs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs). This is true everywhere, including Hawaii. Hawaii is not a compact state, so neither your RN license nor your APRN authority is portable through the compact here. A separate APRN Compact exists but is not yet operational.

Last reviewed 2026-06-17

The compact does not cover APRN roles

The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses. It does not cover APRN authorization — NPs, CRNAs, CNSs, and CNMs. That has been the case since the compact began and applies in every state.

What that means in Hawaii

Hawaii does not currently issue multistate licenses to residents, so there is no Hawaii multistate license, and APRN authority is not portable through the compact either. To practice as an APRN in Hawaii, you work through the Hawaii Board of Nursing; to practice as an APRN elsewhere, you use that state’s process.

The separate APRN Compact

A distinct APRN Compact has been drafted to do for advanced practice what the NLC does for RNs and LPNs/LVNs, but it is not yet operational. Until enough states join and it is implemented, APRN privileges do not cross state lines automatically.

Next-step checklist

  • Confirm your RN license type (single-state or multistate) on Nursys (nursys.com).
  • Treat your APRN authorization as separate from your RN license.
  • For APRN practice in another state, obtain that state's APRN authorization.
  • Confirm current APRN requirements with the Hawaii Board of Nursing.

Frequently asked questions

No. The NLC covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses only. APRN roles (NP, CRNA, CNS, CNM) are not covered, so an APRN needs separate authorization in each state where they practice — and that is true in Hawaii regardless of its compact status.

Related pages