License Portability and the Nurse Licensure Compact
How the compact works, which states participate, and what to do when you take an assignment in a non-compact state.
8 min read
The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) lets nurses hold a single multistate license valid for practice in all participating states. It dramatically simplifies travel and remote tele-nursing.
More than 40 states participate as of the most recent update, with several more in pending legislation. Major non-compact holdouts include California, New York, Illinois and Oregon.
Your compact license is tied to your primary state of residence. Moving across state lines means changing your primary state and re-applying.
For assignments in non-compact states, you apply for a single-state license through that state's board of nursing. Processing times vary from days to several months — plan ahead.
Background check requirements differ by state, even within the compact. Some require fingerprinting that can add weeks to license issuance.