The Compact Nursing License, Explained

One multistate license, 40 states. 165,143 travel nurse assignments are open in compact states right now.

What it is

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) lets registered nurses and LPN/LVNs hold one multistate license that works in every compact state, instead of applying for a separate license in each state. For travel nurses, that means fewer license fees and faster starts.

How it works

  • Your multistate license comes from your primary state of residence, which must be a compact state.
  • You can then practice in any other compact state without another license.
  • For non-compact states (like California or New York), you still need that state's own license.
  • If you move your primary residence to another compact state, you apply for a license there.

Compact states and open assignments

Tap a state to see its jobs.

Alabama2,263Arizona5,349Arkansas1,240Colorado5,808Connecticut11,499Delaware462Florida9,946Georgia7,025Idaho1,510Indiana5,989Iowa2,544Kansas2,301Kentucky5,351Louisiana1,545Maine1,515Maryland4,424Mississippi481Missouri9,568Montana1,052Nebraska1,059New Hampshire2,304New Jersey2,027New Mexico2,444North Carolina7,849North Dakota14,677Ohio5,153Oklahoma2,819Pennsylvania3,440Rhode Island338South Carolina3,472South Dakota1,674Tennessee5,546Texas15,116Utah517Vermont619Virginia5,417Washington4,020West Virginia1,527Wisconsin4,977Wyoming276

Joined but not fully in effect yet: Massachusetts, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Find compact-state assignments

All compact-state jobs →Compare pay by state

Heading to a non-compact state? See the state-by-state license guide for temporary licenses, fees and fingerprint rules.

Compact membership and implementation dates change. Always confirm your eligibility and a state's current status with the official NLC site, nursecompact.com, or your state board of nursing. SimplifyRN is not affiliated with the NLC or NCSBN.