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Can I work in Northern Mariana Islands with a compact license?

A compact (multistate) license does not currently authorize Northern Mariana Islands practice. Here is why, and the route you actually need.

Can I work in Northern Mariana Islands with a compact nursing license?

No. Northern Mariana Islands is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so compact privilege does not reach it — a multistate license from another state does not authorize practice in Northern Mariana Islands. To work in Northern Mariana Islands you generally need a Northern Mariana Islands license, usually by endorsement.

Last reviewed 2026-06-17

What compact privilege is

A multistate license from your primary state of residence carries compact privilege — the authority to practice in other compact states without licensing separately in each. It only exists between states that are live in the Nurse Licensure Compact.

Why privilege does not reach Northern Mariana Islands

Since Northern Mariana Islands is not part of the compact, there is no Northern Mariana Islands compact privilege to grant. See non-compact states and working in a non-compact state with a compact license.

The law that governs this in Northern Mariana Islands

Working in Northern Mariana Islands on another state’s license is practice in Northern Mariana Islands, so it is Northern Mariana Islands’s own nurse practice act that defines what you may do and the Northern Mariana Islands Board of Nursing that applies it. That act is Northern Mariana Islands Board of Nursing — licensing authority.

There is no compact statute to cite for Northern Mariana Islands, which is the substantive point rather than a gap in our research: Northern Mariana Islands has not adopted the compact, so the practice act above is the whole of the law that applies to you here.

Confirm before you rely on it

License status changes and the compact evolves. Confirm your own license type on Nursys and check Northern Mariana Islands’s current rules with the Northern Mariana Islands Board of Nursing. CompactStates.com is an independent guide, not a licensing authority.

Why compact privilege does not reach Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands has not adopted the compact. Either way the practical answer for working in Northern Mariana Islands on a license from another state is the same today: a multistate license from another state does not authorize it, and you generally need a Northern Mariana Islands license from the Northern Mariana Islands Board of Nursing. Re-check before a start date rather than assuming — this is precisely the fact that changes.

What usually comes next

Next-step checklist

  • Do not rely on a multistate license to practice in Northern Mariana Islands.
  • Open the Northern Mariana Islands Board of Nursing to apply for a Northern Mariana Islands license.
  • Plan for endorsement processing time before you start work.
  • Verify your current license status on Nursys.

Frequently asked questions

No. Northern Mariana Islands is not a compact state, so a multistate license does not authorize practice in Northern Mariana Islands. You generally need a Northern Mariana Islands license by endorsement.