Is Virginia a nursing compact state?
Yes. Virginia is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If your primary state of residence is Virginia, you can generally apply for a multistate nursing license, and nurses who hold an active multistate license from another compact state may practice in Virginia under compact privilege.
The short version
Virginia is a full compact state, and all of its state neighbors participate — but the District of Columbia, at the heart of the northern Virginia commuter belt, does not. For the many nurses who work across the D.C.–Maryland–Virginia area, that is the key distinction: Virginia and Maryland are both compact states, so a multistate license covers them, but D.C. requires its own license.
Virginia compact license: key facts
| Compact status | Full compact stateYes |
|---|---|
| Residents can get a multistate license | Yes |
| Compact nurses may practice here | Yes |
| License types the compact covers | RN and LPN/LVN — not APRN |
| Census region | South |
| Compact in force since | January 19, 2018 |
| Bordering states the compact does NOT reach | District of Columbia |
| Bordering states a multistate license reaches | Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia |
A multistate license from Virginia does not reach every state — where it works depends on the state you are heading to. Check Virginia against another state
What Virginia’s compact status means
Because Virginia is a full compact state, a single multistate license issued by Virginia lets you practice in Virginia and in other compact states without applying for a separate license in each one.
If you live in another compact state and hold an active multistate license there, you can generally practice in Virginia under compact privilege — but you still have to follow Virginia's laws and scope-of-practice rules while you work here.
Compact privilege only works if your license is the multistate type, not single-state. Check this before you rely on it.
What Virginia residents should know
If Virginia is your primary state of residence and you hold an active Virginia multistate license, you can practice in Virginia and in other compact states. If your Virginia license is single-state, ask the Virginia Board of Nursing about converting it to multistate.
What nurses coming to Virginia should know
Coming from another compact state with an active multistate license? You can generally practice in Virginia under compact privilege — just follow Virginia’s practice rules. Coming from a non-compact state? You’ll apply for a Virginia license by endorsement.
When Virginia joined the Nurse Licensure Compact
Virginia was one of the 29 jurisdictions where the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact took effect on January 19, 2018, the day the current compact went live nationwide. Many of these jurisdictions had participated in the original compact since 2000; we have not separately verified when Virginia first joined that earlier compact, so we do not publish a date for it.
Sourced from yearinreview2018.ncsbn.org, ncsbn.org. See the full NLC adoption timeline for every jurisdiction’s dates and methodology, or the Nursing Compact States Report 2026 for how far the compact reaches overall.
The law behind Virginia’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 Virginia, so you can check our answer against the law rather than taking our word for it.
- Compact statute
- Va. Code tit. 54.1, ch. 30, art. 6.1 (§ 54.1-3040.2 et seq.) ↗
Virginia codifies the compact as its own article within the nursing chapter, so the compact text sits alongside the nurse practice act rather than in a separate title.
- Nurse practice act
- Va. Code tit. 54.1, ch. 30 (Nursing) ↗
- Virginia’s own license lookup
- Virginia DHP License Lookup ↗
Two things employers should know. Virginia states outright that this lookup IS primary-source verification of the credential and meets Joint Commission requirements — few boards commit to that in writing, and it means a printed result can stand as the file copy. But the free tier is RATE-LIMITED, and it is sized for occasional individual checks. Run a batch of hires through it and you will hit an error that looks like a broken system or a missing nurse; it is neither. Volume users are expected to take the subscription or the bulk license-database download. Covers all 62 professions DHP regulates, not just nursing.
- Board of nursing
- Virginia Board of Nursing ↗
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. Enactment is not the same as implementation: check the dates above before relying on the compact here.
RN, LPN/LVN, and APRN coverage in Virginia
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 Virginia. See the APRN and the compact guide, and confirm specifics with the Virginia Board of Nursing.
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 include Virginia.
By credential: Virginia RN & the compact, Virginia LPN, and Virginia 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 Virginia is a compact state, if you make it your PSOR you may qualify for a multistate license issued by Virginia — often more useful than a plain single-state license. Coming from another state, you generally apply to the Virginia Board of Nursing by endorsement. If you are relocating, the 60-day rule governs the timing.
Verifying a Virginia nursing license
Look any Virginia 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 Virginia Board of Nursing. See the full Virginia verification guide. CompactStates is an independent reference, not a verification service, and holds no license records.
Travel assignments and telehealth in Virginia
Because Virginia recognizes compact privilege, an active multistate license from your compact home state generally covers a Virginia travel assignment, and telehealth to patients located in Virginia, without a separate Virginia license. Telehealth licensure generally follows the patient’s location. See the Virginia travel and telehealth guides.
Renewal and continuing education
Renewal cycles, fees, and continuing-education requirements are set by the Virginia Board of Nursing 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 Virginia renewal guide. If your Virginia license is multistate, keeping it renewed is what keeps your compact privilege active in every other compact state.
What to do next in Virginia
- How do I actually get a multistate license?Living in a compact state is not the same as holding a multistate license — it has to be issued or upgraded as one.
- How do I verify a Virginia license?Nursys and the Virginia Board of Nursing, what each one shows, and what a blank result actually means.
- What happens at renewal in Virginia?The renewal cycle, where it is handled, and what lapsing costs you.
- What if I move to another state?A multistate license is tied to your primary state of residence, so it does not travel with you when you move.
Nearby states
Working across a border from Virginia? Check a neighbor’s compact status.
A Virginia multistate license reaches Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia — but not District of Columbia. Crossing that particular line needs that state’s own license, usually by endorsement.
Compare Virginia with where you want to practice
Virginia compact questions
Related questions
Why we point you to Nursys
CompactStates explains the state rules. Nursys confirms your individual license. Nursys QuickConfirm is the official, free service where nurses can look up whether their own license is single-state or multistate. We’re an independent guide; Nursys and your board are where personal license status is verified.
Keep reading
Sources reviewed
- NLC member states map & status— NCSBN / NurseCompact (nursecompact.com)
Identifies full members, partial implementation (Guam), and enacted/awaiting implementation (Massachusetts, U.S. Virgin Islands).
- NLC frequently asked questions— NCSBN / NurseCompact (nursecompact.com)
Covers multistate licenses, primary state of residence, the 60-day rule, telehealth, and license type coverage.
- Nursys QuickConfirm license verification— NCSBN / Nursys (nursys.com)
Recommended destination to verify whether a license is single-state or multistate.
Facts on this page were last reviewed against official sources on 2026-06-17. Compact law changes — always verify with your state board of nursing.
Cite this page
Free to use with attribution. Cite the review date shown here rather than today’s — compact status changes as jurisdictions implement, and the figure you are quoting belongs to the date it was checked.
CompactStates.com. Virginia nursing compact status. Updated June 17, 2026. Accessed [date you accessed it]. https://www.compactstates.com/states/virginia
CompactStates.com. (2026, June 17). Virginia nursing compact status. https://www.compactstates.com/states/virginia
"Virginia nursing compact status", CompactStates.com, last reviewed June 17, 2026. https://www.compactstates.com/states/virginia
Quoting a specific jurisdiction? Cite that jurisdiction’s page rather than this one, so the date travels with the fact.