Alabama
AL32 active healthcare jobs
Nurse licensing
Nurse Licensure Compact States (2026)
One multistate license can cover eligible RN, LPN, and LVN work across compact states. That is the difference between starting a travel or remote contract next week and waiting on a new state board. This page is the current list: states you can use now, jurisdictions that have enacted the compact but are not issuing privileges yet, and high-demand markets that still require their own license.
Usable now
40
Compact-license-available states in the JibJob filter. A multistate license from your home state works here.
Enacted, pending
3
Guam, Massachusetts, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted the NLC. Privileges are not available yet.
Own license required
10
Includes California, New York, Illinois, Oregon, and Hawaii — common travel markets that are not compact.
Compact-License Available States
These states currently support compact-license practice and are used by the JibJob compact filter.
Arizona
AZ479 active healthcare jobs
Arkansas
AR3 active healthcare jobs
Colorado
CO146 active healthcare jobs
55 active healthcare jobs
Delaware
DE10 active healthcare jobs
Florida
FL241 active healthcare jobs
Georgia
GA148 active healthcare jobs
Idaho
ID292 active healthcare jobs
Indiana
IN292 active healthcare jobs
Iowa
IA197 active healthcare jobs
Kansas
KS105 active healthcare jobs
Kentucky
KY225 active healthcare jobs
81 active healthcare jobs
Maine
ME10 active healthcare jobs
Maryland
MD59 active healthcare jobs
Mississippi
MS20 active healthcare jobs
Missouri
MO88 active healthcare jobs
Montana
MT754 active healthcare jobs
Nebraska
NE247 active healthcare jobs
New Hampshire
NH19 active healthcare jobs
179 active healthcare jobs
584 active healthcare jobs
93 active healthcare jobs
644 active healthcare jobs
Ohio
OH174 active healthcare jobs
Oklahoma
OK24 active healthcare jobs
311 active healthcare jobs
Rhode Island
RI12 active healthcare jobs
44 active healthcare jobs
1,130 active healthcare jobs
245 active healthcare jobs
Texas
TX3,451 active healthcare jobs
Utah
UT14 active healthcare jobs
Vermont
VT10 active healthcare jobs
Virginia
VA155 active healthcare jobs
388 active healthcare jobs
191 active healthcare jobs
322 active healthcare jobs
Wyoming
WY79 active healthcare jobs
Enacted, Implementation Pending
These jurisdictions count toward the 43 enacted NLC jurisdictions, but JibJob does not include them in compact-license-available filtering yet.
Guam
Compact license availability pending
Massachusetts
Compact license availability pending
U.S. Virgin Islands
Compact license availability pending
States That Require a State License
These states are not current NLC enacted jurisdictions. California, New York, Illinois, Oregon, and Hawaii are the high-demand travel markets in this group — a compact license does not cover those assignments.
Alaska
AK376 active healthcare jobs
523 active healthcare jobs
District of Columbia
DC11 active healthcare jobs
Hawaii
HI24 active healthcare jobs
Illinois
IL112 active healthcare jobs
Michigan
MI120 active healthcare jobs
951 active healthcare jobs
Nevada
NV16 active healthcare jobs
New York
NY131 active healthcare jobs
Oregon
OR450 active healthcare jobs
How to get a compact nursing license
You apply in your primary state of legal residence, not the state where a contract is posted. Confirm status on the official NLC map and in Nursys before you travel.
1. Confirm your primary state of residence
The compact follows where you legally live, not where you want to work. If that home state is not a compact member, you cannot hold a multistate license.
2. Meet the uniform licensure requirements
Your home board issues the multistate privilege only if the license is active and unencumbered and you meet the NLC uniform requirements.
3. Apply with your home board of nursing
Use that board’s compact or multistate application. A job in Texas or Florida does not let you skip this step.
4. Verify the privilege before you start
Check Nursys and the destination state’s practice rules. You remain subject to the remote state’s nurse practice act.
Licensure Timelines by State
Estimated endorsement processing time, temporary-license availability, and compact membership for each state. Compact members are near-instant for nurses holding a multistate license.
| State | Endorsement (full license) | Temporary license | Compact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1-3 weeks | ~7 days | Compact |
| Alaska | 8-16 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| Arizona | 8-12 weeks | ~2 days | Compact |
| Arkansas | 4-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| California | 10-14 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| Colorado | 4-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Connecticut | 3-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Delaware | 4-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| District of Columbia | 4-8 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| Florida | 2-8 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Georgia | 3-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Hawaii | 7-9 weeks | ~20 days | State license |
| Idaho | 6-8 weeks | ~3 days | Compact |
| Illinois | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| Indiana | 4-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Iowa | 2-8 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Kansas | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Kentucky | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Louisiana | 4-6 weeks | ~1 days | Compact |
| Maine | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Maryland | 3-10 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Massachusetts | 3-8 weeks | ~14 days | State license |
| Michigan | 6-8 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| Minnesota | 4-12 weeks | ~5 days | State license |
| Mississippi | 3-4 weeks | ~5 days | Compact |
| Missouri | 8-12 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Montana | 4-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Nebraska | 3-10 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Nevada | 2-16 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| New Hampshire | 4-16 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| New Jersey | 8-12 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| New Mexico | 4-8 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| New York | 6-10 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| North Carolina | 4-8 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| North Dakota | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Ohio | 8-24 weeks | ~14 days | Compact |
| Oklahoma | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Oregon | 4-8 weeks | Not offered | State license |
| Pennsylvania | 12-20 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Rhode Island | 7-10 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| South Carolina | 2-4 weeks | ~1 days | Compact |
| South Dakota | 4-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Tennessee | 6-10 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Texas | 2-6 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Utah | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Vermont | 2-4 weeks | ~3 days | Compact |
| Virginia | 6-8 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Washington | 3-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| West Virginia | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Wisconsin | 2-4 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
| Wyoming | 4-8 weeks | Not offered | Compact |
These are estimated processing ranges based on published travel-nurse licensure guides. State boards of nursing make the final decision and timelines change with their workload. Verify with the state board before you rely on any start date.
NLC FAQs
- What is the Nurse Licensure Compact?
- The Nurse Licensure Compact lets eligible RNs, LPNs, and LVNs with a multistate license practice in other compact states without applying for a separate license in each state.
- Who qualifies for a compact nursing license?
- A nurse generally needs to claim a compact state as their primary state of legal residence, hold an active license there, and meet the NLC uniform licensure requirements.
- Does a compact license work in California?
- No. California is not currently a Nurse Licensure Compact member, so nurses need a California license for California nursing roles.
- Are Guam, Massachusetts, and the U.S. Virgin Islands compact states?
- They have enacted the NLC, but compact license availability is still pending. JibJob does not treat those jurisdictions as compact-license available until implementation is complete.
- Can travel nurses use the compact?
- Yes, if they hold an active multistate license from their primary state of residence and the assignment is in a compact-license-available state.
- How do I get a compact nursing license?
- You apply through the board of nursing in your primary state of legal residence, not the state where a job is posted. That home state must be a compact member, your license there must be unencumbered, and you must meet the NLC uniform licensure requirements. Confirm the privilege in Nursys before you start work in another compact state.
- Can I take a California or New York travel contract on a compact license?
- No. California, New York, Illinois, Oregon, and Hawaii are not compact members. Those assignments need a separate state license, and endorsement can add weeks. Use the licensure timeline table on this page before you accept a start date.