Free tool
Can your nursing license cross state lines?
Pick where you live. We'll tell you where your license reaches.
The Nurse Licensure Compact lets a nurse whose primary residence is in a compact state hold a single multistate license and practice in every other compact state, no separate application required. As of the latest NCSBN data, 40 states have implemented it. Whether your license travels comes down to one thing: is the state you live in one of them?
Where can you practice with your license?
The Nurse Licensure Compact lets a nurse who lives in a compact state hold one multistate license and practice in every other compact state. Pick where you live to see whether that's you, and where it reaches.
Member data from the NCSBN Nurse Licensure Compact map, verified July 2026. A multistate license requires the compact state to be your primary residence. This is a convenience, not legal advice. Confirm your status with your board or at nursecompact.com.
The part people miss: residence, not employer
A multistate license is tied to your primary state of residence, not where you work or went to school. If you move your residence to a non-compact state, your multistate license converts to a single-state license there. If you live in a compact state and travel to work in another, the compact is exactly what lets you do it. The compact also covers RN and LPN/VN licenses only, not advanced-practice (APRN) licenses, which follow their own state-by-state rules.
For your state's renewal cycle, CE hours, and fee, find your nursing requirement page. Each one has this checker with your state already selected.