The NLC, or Nurse Licensure Compact, is an agreement between U.S. states that allows registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPNs/VNs) to practice in multiple states using a single license. As of 2025, 43 jurisdictions have enacted the compact. Instead of applying and paying for a separate license in every state where you want to work, a multistate license issued by your home state gives you the legal authority to practice in all other member states.
How a Multistate License Works
A multistate license is issued by the state where you legally reside, known as your primary state of residence. Once you hold that license, you can practice nursing in any other compact state without applying for additional licenses. There is no time limit on this privilege. As long as you maintain legal residency in your home state and remain in good standing, you can work across state lines indefinitely.
This applies to in-person care and telehealth alike. A telehealth appointment is considered to take place in the state where the patient is located, so without the compact, a nurse advising a patient in another state would technically need a license there. The multistate license eliminates that barrier across all member states.
One important limitation: the NLC covers RNs and LPNs/VNs only. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse practitioners, must still hold an individual license in each state where they practice.
Who Is Eligible
Eligibility starts with residency. You must legally reside in a compact state to hold a multistate license. Residency is determined by documents like your driver’s license, voter registration, federal tax return, or W2, not by property ownership. If you live in a state that hasn’t joined the compact, you’re limited to single-state licenses, though you can hold as many of those as you need.
Beyond residency, applicants must meet 11 uniform licensure requirements established by the compact. Certain factors can disqualify you: a felony conviction, unresolved disciplinary action from another state, or active participation in an alternative-to-discipline program. If you’re moving from a noncompact state to a compact state and apply before your move is complete, the board may issue a single-state license first and convert it to a multistate license once you provide proof of residency.
Which States Are in the NLC
The compact has grown significantly since its current version launched on January 19, 2018, when roughly 25 states went live simultaneously. States that have joined more recently include Ohio (January 2023), Rhode Island (January 2024), Washington (January 2024), Connecticut (October 2025), and Pennsylvania (July 2025).
Three jurisdictions have enacted the compact but are still awaiting full implementation: Guam, Massachusetts, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nurses in those areas cannot obtain a compact license until implementation is complete, and no firm dates have been announced. A handful of states, most notably California, New York, and Illinois, have not enacted the NLC at all. Nurses residing in those states must obtain individual licenses for every state where they want to practice.
What Happens When You Move
If you relocate from one compact state to another, your existing multistate license doesn’t simply transfer. You have 60 days from the date of your move to apply for a new multistate license in your new home state. This rule took effect in January 2024. Until your new license is issued, your old multistate license remains active, so there’s no gap in your ability to work.
Moving from a compact state to a noncompact state means you lose multistate privileges entirely. You’d need to obtain a single-state license in your new home and apply separately in any other state where you want to practice.
Who Governs the Compact
The NLC is overseen by the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA), a governmental body created in July 2017 and made up of representatives from each member state’s board of nursing. The commission maintains uniform licensure standards, facilitates data sharing between states for disciplinary tracking, and develops the rules that all member states follow. This structure is what allows the compact to function as a single regulatory framework rather than 43 separate agreements.
Why the NLC Matters for Nurses and Patients
For nurses, the practical benefit is straightforward: less paperwork, lower costs, and faster mobility. Applying for a license in a single state can take weeks and cost hundreds of dollars in application fees, background checks, and verification. Multiplying that across several states creates a significant financial and administrative burden, especially for travel nurses or those living near state borders.
For patients, the compact expands access to care. Rural areas and underserved communities often struggle to attract enough nurses. The NLC lets qualified nurses from neighboring states fill those gaps without navigating a lengthy licensing process. It also supports disaster response, since nurses from compact states can begin providing care in an affected state immediately rather than waiting for emergency licensure waivers.
Telehealth has made the compact even more relevant. As virtual care becomes a routine part of nursing practice, the ability to legally serve patients across state lines with a single license removes one of the biggest regulatory obstacles to remote healthcare delivery.