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How to look up and verify a nursing license in Pennsylvania

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

How do I verify a nursing license in Pennsylvania?

Look the license up on Nursys QuickConfirm, the national verification system, and confirm details with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. Because Pennsylvania is a compact state, a Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing

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

Could a Pennsylvania license be multistate?

Only if it was issued or upgraded on or after July 7, 2025 — the date the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing began issuing multistate licenses to Pennsylvania residents. A license issued before then was single-state when granted, so a nurse holding an older Pennsylvania license who has never upgraded will still verify as single-state no matter how long they have been licensed here.

Beyond Nursys, Pennsylvania publishes its own primary-source lookup: Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) verification. Where the two disagree, the issuing board controls.

What trips people up in Pennsylvania: PALS answers the employer’s question — current status and expiry — from the public search, no account needed. The part that catches people is who has to act for the OTHER kind of verification: a Verification of License with History going to another state’s board must be requested by the licensee, logged into their own PALS dashboard. An employer or a receiving board cannot start it, and Pennsylvania asks that paper requests not be sent to the board office at all. If you are the nurse, this is on you and nobody will do it for you. Endorsement verification routed through Nursys is charged per license type and per destination board, so two licenses into two states is four charges, not one.

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 Pennsylvania State 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 Pennsylvania State 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 Pennsylvania, or check directly with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. We do not store or look up individual license records.