The act that defines RN practice in New York
The compact decides whether you may practice in New York. What RN practice actually means here — scope, titles, what you may do and delegate — is set by New York’s own nurse practice act, N.Y. Educ. Law art. 139; 8 NYCRR pt. 64, and interpreted by the New York State Board of Nursing (Office of the Professions). Two states can both recognize your license and still differ on what you may do with it.
How the compact treats RN licenses
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN licenses. In a compact state, a single multistate RN license lets you practice in every compact state; a single-state RN license is valid only where it was issued. New York does not currently issue multistate RN licenses to its residents, so a New York RN license is single-state.
Verifying your New York RN license
The fastest check is Nursys QuickConfirm, which shows whether an RN license is single-state or multistate, its status, and its expiration. For official requirements, go to the New York State Board of Nursing (Office of the Professions). See our New York verification guide.
RN vs LPN/LVN vs APRN
The compact treats RN and LPN/practical-nurse licenses the same way. APRN roles are different — the compact does not cover them, so APRN authority is handled state by state even when your RN license is multistate.