Can I work in this state with a compact license?
Whether a multistate (compact) license lets you practice depends on the state. Pick yours below for a direct yes/no and what to do, or start with the general guide.
Can I work in another state with a compact nursing license?
Only in states that are live in the Nurse Licensure Compact, and only if your license is an active multistate license from your primary state of residence. In non-compact states you need that state’s own license, usually by endorsement. Pick your state below for the specifics.
Choose your state
AlabamaFull compact stateAlaskaNon-compact stateAmerican SamoaNon-compact stateArizonaFull compact stateArkansasFull compact stateCaliforniaNon-compact stateColoradoFull compact stateConnecticutFull compact stateDelawareFull compact stateDistrict of ColumbiaNon-compact stateFloridaFull compact stateGeorgiaFull compact stateGuamPartial implementationHawaiiNon-compact stateIdahoFull compact stateIllinoisNon-compact stateIndianaFull compact stateIowaFull compact stateKansasFull compact stateKentuckyFull compact stateLouisianaFull compact stateMaineFull compact stateMarylandFull compact stateMassachusettsEnacted — awaiting implementationMichiganNon-compact stateMinnesotaNon-compact stateMississippiFull compact stateMissouriFull compact stateMontanaFull compact stateNebraskaFull compact stateNevadaNon-compact stateNew HampshireFull compact stateNew JerseyFull compact stateNew MexicoFull compact stateNew YorkNon-compact stateNorth CarolinaFull compact stateNorth DakotaFull compact stateNorthern Mariana IslandsNon-compact stateOhioFull compact stateOklahomaFull compact stateOregonNon-compact statePennsylvaniaFull compact statePuerto RicoNon-compact stateRhode IslandFull compact stateSouth CarolinaFull compact stateSouth DakotaFull compact stateTennesseeFull compact stateTexasFull compact stateU.S. Virgin IslandsEnacted — awaiting implementationUtahFull compact stateVermontFull compact stateVirginiaFull compact stateWashingtonFull compact stateWest VirginiaFull compact stateWisconsinFull compact stateWyomingFull compact state
More states use the same process — start with the general verification guide or your state page.
Privilege settles your license. It does not settle everything else.
A yes on this page means one specific thing: you do not need that state to issue you a license. It is not a yes to every question standing between you and a shift.
- You practice under the destination state’s rules, not your home state’s. Scope of practice, delegation, documentation and protocols are set where the patient is. The compact moves your license; it does not export the law you trained under.
- That state’s board has authority over you while you are there. Practicing on privilege puts you under its jurisdiction, and it can act against your privilege whatever your home state does.
- Employers and facilities set their own bar. Credentialing, competency checks, immunisation records and orientation are contractual, not statutory. A compact license does not shorten them, and an employer is entitled to require more than the board does.
- Certifications are separate credentials. ACLS, PALS, specialty certification and anything your role requires travel on their own terms. So does advanced practice authority, which the compact has never covered.
Three ways the answer is no even in a compact state
The state being in the compact is one of three conditions, not the whole test. Any of these turns a yes into a no without the destination changing at all.
- Your license is single-state. Boards in compact states issue both kinds, and holding one from a compact state proves nothing on its own — only verification settles which you have.
- Your license is encumbered. Active discipline anywhere ends multistate status, and with it the privilege that rested on it — in every compact state at once.
- You have moved. Privilege follows your primary state of residence. Change that and the license you are relying on may no longer be one your board can issue you.
None of the three announces itself. How to check all three before an assignment starts.
Frequently asked questions
No. A multistate license only grants compact privilege in states that are live in the Nurse Licensure Compact. It does not authorize practice in non-compact states, where you need that state’s own license.
Check Nursys QuickConfirm (nursys.com). Only a multistate license carries compact privilege; a single-state license is valid only in the state that issued it.