For nurses
Compact nursing license states.
Use this before you pin a move. The hiring side of the same states is one link away, because a facility in a compact state and a facility in a single-state state are not asking the nurse for the same paperwork.
Compact states
A multistate license may give you a privilege to practice if this is not your primary residence. Confirm with the board or Nursys.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Enacted, not fully implemented
You still need this state’s license. A compact privilege is not available for practice yet.
Single-state license
A multistate license from another state does not authorize practice here.
Sources: the Nursys jurisdiction table and NCSBN’s 2025 compact update, both linked from each state page and from the research note. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are outside this U.S. state list.
What is a compact nursing license?
It is a multistate license issued by your primary state of residence, when that state is in the Nurse Licensure Compact. It can create a privilege to practice in other compact states. It is not a national license, and it does not cover states outside the compact.
Does Nurses Right Now verify compact status?
No. The lists on this site follow the Nursys jurisdiction table checked October 8, 2026, and NCSBN’s description of Massachusetts as not fully implemented. Your board decides whether you can practice.