Nurse Licensure Compact Map

A multistate license is issued by your primary state of residence when that state is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. It lets you practice in every other state that has implemented the compact without applying for another license there. It covers RNs and LPN/LVNs.

You must declare a compact state as your primary state of residence and meet the uniform licensure requirements: graduation from a board-approved program, passing the NCLEX, a fingerprint criminal background check, no active discipline on any license, and the other conditions listed at nursecompact.com.

No. California, New York, Oregon, Nevada, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Alaska, Hawaii and the District of Columbia are not in the compact. To take an assignment there you apply for a single-state license by endorsement from that board. Many of those boards issue a temporary permit while the full license is processed.

It follows your primary state of residence. Move to another compact state and you apply for a new multistate license there. Move to a state outside the compact and your license becomes single-state until you move back into a compact state.

It depends on the board and the time of year, from a few weeks to a few months. Fingerprinting, transcript requests and verification through Nursys are the usual delays, so start before you accept the contract and ask the board about a temporary permit.

No. The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses only. Advanced practice nurses hold a separate state APRN license in each state where they practice.