Nurse Licensure Compact Guidelines

States who participate in compact licensure: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin

Any nurse with an active compact (multistate) license wanting to practice in another compact state does not need to complete any applications nor pay any fees as the home state license is accepted as a privilege to practice in other compact states. This applies when the nurse is living in one state and is working in another. (example: Lives in S.C., working in N.C) This does not apply to APRN's, as they are not included in this compact.

Nurses moving from a state that is not compact, cannot work under their current license from the non compact state and must apply for a new license in the state that they reside and intend to work.

Requirements When Moving

'Primary state of residence' as defined by the Compact means the "person's declared fixed primary and principal home for legal purposes; domicile". The terms "legal residence" and "domicile" are essentially interchangeable. In brief, they are used to denote that place where you have your permanent home and to which, whenever you are absent, you have the intention of returning. You should not confuse the State which is your "home of record", for military dependants, with your State of legal residence/domicile.

• When a nurse changes primary state of residency by moving from one compact state to another compact state, the nurse can practice on the former residency license for up to 30 days. The nurse is required to apply for licensure by endorsement, pay any applicable fees and complete a declaration of primary state of residency in the new home state, whereby a new multistate license is issued and the former license is inactivated. Proof of residency may be required.
• Nurses are required to promptly declare a new state of residency when they obtain a new driver's license, change where federal taxes are paid or register to vote and not wait for their license to lapse or expire in the prior home state.

Civilian Employee vs Military Spouse

Civilian employees: Any person who lives in the state in which you work, maintains a written or verbal lease, owns property, pays income tax, has a driver's license in that state or titles or registers an automobile, has declared that state as their legal residence and must, within 30 days of relocation, notify the original state of licensure of their change of residency and complete the requirements to change their nursing license to the new state of residency. They cannot work under the current license for more than 30 days.

Any nurse, who lives in one compact state, maintains a primary residence in that state, and works in another compact state, may continue to work under the current compact license.

Military spouse: The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (the "Act") of November 11, 2009 provides that a spouse shall neither lose nor acquire domicile or residence in a state when the spouse is present in that state solely to be with the service member in compliance with the service members military orders if the residence or domicile is the same for both the service member and the spouse.

If the military spouse is located in a compact state under another compact states license, and is there only because their military spouse is stationed in that state on military orders, and the spouse originated with that military member from their original compact state, then that spouse may continue to work in the present compact state under the original compact license until such time as they declare a "permanent change of primary residence", and then the same rules apply as if a civilian changing place of residency. Or, if that military spouse becomes divorced from the military member, or the active duty member becomes permanently stationed in another state other than where the spouse resides, then the same rules under "requirements when moving" apply.

Proof of continued eligibility to work under another compact state licensure will be required from the employee and must be provided to the employer either at the time of renewal of the compact licensure or upon request with the employers verification process.