Is Michigan a nursing compact state?

What Michigan’s compact status means

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

To work in Michigan with an out-of-state license, you generally apply for licensure by endorsement directly with the Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA). A compact license from another state does not cover you in Michigan.

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

What Michigan residents should know

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

What nurses coming to Michigan should know

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

The law behind Michigan’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 Michigan, so you can check our answer against the law rather than taking our word for it.

Compact statute

None in force.

Michigan has not enacted the Nurse Licensure Compact, which is precisely why a multistate license issued elsewhere does not authorise practice here, and why Michigan 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

Public Health Code, 1978 PA 368, art. 15 pt. 172 (MCL 333.17201 et seq.) ↗

Michigan’s own license lookup

Michigan LARA licence verification ↗

Michigan splits free from certified, and only the free half is open to you. The public MiPLUS search confirms status at no cost and needs no account. A CERTIFIED licence verification — the document another board or a credentialing file will want — is a paid order placed from inside a MiPLUS account, which means the licensee has to place it; an employer cannot. Same shape as Pennsylvania, and the same consequence: if you are the nurse, this step is yours and nobody will do it for you. Allow about 24 hours after a renewal before the new expiry shows online, so a licence renewed yesterday can read as expired today.

Board of nursing

Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA) ↗

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 Michigan

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 Michigan. See the APRN and the compact guide, and confirm specifics with the Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA).

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 Michigan, which is why neither credential carries privilege here.

By credential: Michigan RN & the compact, Michigan LPN, and Michigan 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 Michigan is not a compact state, making it your PSOR means holding a single-state Michigan license; a compact license from your former state does not transfer to Michigan. Coming from another state, you generally apply to the Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA) by endorsement. If you are relocating, the 60-day rule governs the timing.

Verifying a Michigan nursing license

Look any Michigan 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 Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA). See the full Michigan verification guide. CompactStates is an independent reference, not a verification service, and holds no license records.

Travel assignments and telehealth in Michigan

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

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal cycles, fees, and continuing-education requirements are set by the Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA) 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 Michigan renewal guide.