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How to look up and verify a nursing license in Maryland

Verifying a nursing license in Maryland (MD) takes two trusted sources: Nursys and the state board, the MBON. Here is how, and what the result tells you.

How do I verify a nursing license in Maryland?

Look the license up on Nursys QuickConfirm, the national verification system, and confirm details with the Maryland Board of Nursing. Because Maryland is a compact state, a Maryland license can be single-state or multistate — Nursys shows which, and that difference decides whether you can practice in other states.

Last reviewed 2026-06-17

What Nursys shows

Nursys QuickConfirm reports the license type (single-state or multistate), current status, and expiration for participating boards. It is the fastest way to confirm whether a license carries compact privilege.

Checking with the Maryland Board of Nursing

For anything Nursys does not show — or to confirm official requirements — go to the Maryland Board of Nursing. The board is the authority on Maryland licensure; we do not make licensure determinations.

Could a Maryland license be multistate?

Only if it was issued or upgraded on or after January 19, 2018 — the date the Maryland Board of Nursing began issuing multistate licenses to Maryland residents. A license issued before then was single-state when granted, so a nurse holding an older Maryland license who has never upgraded will still verify as single-state no matter how long they have been licensed here.

Beyond Nursys, Maryland publishes its own primary-source lookup: Maryland CHART license lookup. Where the two disagree, the issuing board controls.

What trips people up in Maryland: Maryland runs its own lookup through CHART, separate from Nursys, and it is primary-source verification updated daily — printable for the facility file. What makes Maryland unusual is that the board argues AGAINST paper: it warns that paper licenses are only accurate at the moment they are printed, are easy to forge, and are used for identity fraud, and it treats a paper verification form as the fallback for the rare employer who will not accept the online result. That is the opposite instruction to North Carolina, which asks you to print the confirmation because the printout IS your proof. Both are right about their own systems, which is precisely why “just get a copy of the verification” is not portable advice.

RN, LPN/LVN, and APRN

Verification works the same for RN and LPN/VN licenses. APRN authority is separate and verified per state — see APRN and the compact.

What your result means

Nursys and the Maryland Board of Nursing tell you what a license is. They do not tell you what it lets you do in another state — that is a compact question.

Covered by Nursys for participating boards.

2. What does the verification show?

Pick a result and two jurisdictions to see what it means.

This explains what a verification result means for practicing across state lines. It does not verify a license and does not decide eligibility — the board of nursing does both, and this tool points you at the right one.

What usually comes next

Next-step checklist

  • Look the license up on Nursys QuickConfirm (nursys.com).
  • Note whether it reads single-state or multistate.
  • Confirm anything unclear with the Maryland Board of Nursing.
  • If it is multistate, use the checker to see where you can practice.

Frequently asked questions

Use Nursys QuickConfirm, which shows license status, type, and expiration for Maryland, or check directly with the Maryland Board of Nursing. We do not store or look up individual license records.