Check nursing compact status in seconds
See whether a state participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, what it means for a multistate license, and exactly where to verify your own license.
Independent, source-backed, and free. We link to your official board of nursing.
Compact state checker
Your primary state of residence
Where you plan to practice
Select your home state and the state you want to work in to get a direct answer.
How it works
- 1
Choose your home state
Your primary state of residence — the state your license is based in.
- 2
Choose where you want to practice
The state where you’d be working, in person or by telehealth.
- 3
Get your practical next step
A clear answer on compact privilege and exactly what to do next.
Start with your task
Whatever brought you here, go straight to it — every path ends at the official source.
Check my state
Is your state compact, and what it means for you.
Get a multistate license
What the board asks for, and in what order.
Is mine already multistate?
Compact states issue both. Only one travels.
Renew my license
Renewal is what keeps compact privilege alive.
Compare two states
Home vs. work — can you practice there?
Plan a move
Residency, PSOR, and your next license.
Do I qualify?
The eleven requirements, one at a time.
Check my PSOR documents
Do they name the same state? Boards check.
Verify a license
Single-state or multistate, on Nursys.
What my result means
It says “Single State” — can I take the job?
Prepare for travel
Does an assignment need its own license?
Telehealth rules
Licensure follows the patient’s location.
Find the board
The official board of nursing, any state.
Official resource finder
Any state, any task, the official link.
Verify a nurse (employers)
Which board controls, and what to file.
Where can we recruit from?
Whose license already reaches your vacancy.
The compact states map
Tap any state to open its page. Colors show whether the compact is fully in effect, partially implemented, pending, or not adopted.
Nursing compact states map
- Full compact
- Partial implementation
- Enacted, awaiting
- Not a compact state
Nurse Licensure Compact
Hover, tap, or tab to a state
Each state is coloured by its compact status. Select one for its multistate-license availability and a link to the full profile — or use the checker to test your exact home and work states.
Tapping the smallest jurisdictions — D.C., Rhode Island, Delaware — is fiddly on a phone. The full list below every jurisdiction is easier, and carries the same statuses.
U.S. territories
Not shown on the map above. Compact status still applies.
Full list: every jurisdiction and its compact status
- AlabamaFull compact
- AlaskaNot a compact state
- American SamoaNot a compact state
- ArizonaFull compact
- ArkansasFull compact
- CaliforniaNot a compact state
- ColoradoFull compact
- ConnecticutFull compact
- DelawareFull compact
- District of ColumbiaNot a compact state
- FloridaFull compact
- GeorgiaFull compact
- GuamPartial implementation
- HawaiiNot a compact state
- IdahoFull compact
- IllinoisNot a compact state
- IndianaFull compact
- IowaFull compact
- KansasFull compact
- KentuckyFull compact
- LouisianaFull compact
- MaineFull compact
- MarylandFull compact
- MassachusettsEnacted, awaiting
- MichiganNot a compact state
- MinnesotaNot a compact state
- MississippiFull compact
- MissouriFull compact
- MontanaFull compact
- NebraskaFull compact
- NevadaNot a compact state
- New HampshireFull compact
- New JerseyFull compact
- New MexicoFull compact
- New YorkNot a compact state
- North CarolinaFull compact
- North DakotaFull compact
- Northern Mariana IslandsNot a compact state
- OhioFull compact
- OklahomaFull compact
- OregonNot a compact state
- PennsylvaniaFull compact
- Puerto RicoNot a compact state
- Rhode IslandFull compact
- South CarolinaFull compact
- South DakotaFull compact
- TennesseeFull compact
- TexasFull compact
- U.S. Virgin IslandsEnacted, awaiting
- UtahFull compact
- VermontFull compact
- VirginiaFull compact
- WashingtonFull compact
- West VirginiaFull compact
- WisconsinFull compact
- WyomingFull compact
National compact intelligence
Live figures from our source-backed dataset — 43 jurisdictions have adopted the compact.
Original research
Analysis you will not find on the official map or anywhere else — built from our own dataset, with methodology and sources published alongside every figure.
NLC adoption timeline
When every jurisdiction enacted and implemented the compact — sourced dates, and the gap between signing the law and being able to use it.
See the timeline →Flagship reportNursing Compact States Report 2026
Adopted versus actually live, the 24 borders where a multistate license stops working, and regional saturation.
Read the report →Free to reuseDownloadable datasets
Every figure on this site as CSV and JSON, with source URLs, confidence grades, and citation guidance. Free with attribution.
Get the data →Most-checked states
Jump straight to the states nurses ask about most.
California
Compact: No
Texas
Compact: Yes
Florida
Compact: Yes
Illinois
Compact: No
New York
Compact: No
Pennsylvania
Compact: Yes
Massachusetts
Compact: Not yet
Guam
Compact: Partially
Working across state lines? Compare two states →
What this site can and can’t tell you
We aim to be the clearest starting point — and honest about where to confirm the details.
What we can do
- Show whether a state participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, and its current status
- Explain, in plain English, how compact and multistate licenses generally work
- Link you straight to the official board of nursing and to Nursys
What we can’t do
- Verify your personal license or tell you it’s definitely multistate
- Make or replace a licensing decision — only your board can do that
- Give legal or licensing advice for your specific situation
Why we point you to Nursys
CompactStates explains the state rules. Nursys confirms your individual license. Nursys QuickConfirm is the official, free service where nurses can look up whether their own license is single-state or multistate. We’re an independent guide; Nursys and your board are where personal license status is verified.
Start with the essentials
The core questions, answered in plain English.
Common questions
How we keep this accurate
Compact status is reviewed against the official NLC and state boards of nursing — last reviewed 2026-06-17. Every state links to its official board, and we never charge for or monetize those links.