The multistate Registered Nurse (RN) license provides nurses with greater professional mobility and flexibility across state lines. This single license streamlines the process for RNs to practice in multiple jurisdictions, benefiting travel nurses, telehealth providers, and those living near state borders. Practicing legally in numerous states enhances a nurse’s career options and helps healthcare systems address staffing needs. This system is governed by an interstate agreement that standardizes licensure requirements.
What is the Nurse Licensure Compact?
The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is the legally binding agreement allowing a Registered Nurse to hold one multistate license, granting the privilege to practice in all other compact states. This arrangement is not a national license but an agreement among member states to recognize a single license issued by the nurse’s Primary State of Residence (PSR). The multistate license replaces the need for multiple single-state licenses, simplifying practice across state lines.
Nurses with a multistate license can immediately begin work in another compact state, eliminating the application fees and processing time associated with obtaining a new license by endorsement. Public protection is maintained because the nurse’s licensing authority remains with their PSR. The nurse must adhere to the nursing practice laws of the state where the patient is physically located.
Essential Eligibility Requirements
To obtain a multistate RN license, an applicant must satisfy 11 uniform licensure requirements (ULRs) established by the NLC. The applicant’s Primary State of Residence (PSR) must be a compact state. If a nurse resides in a non-compact state, they are ineligible for a multistate license.
The nurse must hold an active, unencumbered RN license in their PSR, meaning it cannot be subject to disciplinary action. Applicants must have graduated from a board-approved nursing education program and passed the NCLEX-RN Examination or a predecessor exam. A comprehensive background check is mandatory, requiring the submission of state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background checks.
The ULRs stipulate that the applicant must not have been convicted of a felony offense or any misdemeanor convictions related to the practice of nursing. The applicant cannot be currently participating in an alternative-to-discipline program and must have a valid United States Social Security number.
Determining Your Primary State of Residence
The Primary State of Residence (PSR) is the state that issues the multistate license and is the jurisdiction where the nurse legally resides, not simply where they are employed. Misidentifying the PSR is a common application error that can delay or invalidate a multistate license. The compact defines the PSR as the nurse’s declared fixed permanent and principal home for legal purposes (domicile).
To prove residency in a compact state, applicants must provide documentation that confirms their legal ties to that state. Acceptable forms of proof include a current driver’s license, a voter registration card, or a federal tax return with the declared state of residence. Military personnel may also use a Military Form No. 2058 to establish their PSR.
A nurse must hold a single-state license in their declared PSR before applying for the multistate license. The process is initiated by applying to the Board of Nursing in the state where the nurse maintains their legal residence. The nurse can only hold one PSR at a time, and property ownership in a compact state does not automatically qualify that state as the nurse’s legal residence.
The Step-by-Step Application Process
The application process begins by confirming that the nurse’s PSR is a member of the NLC. The nurse must then submit an application and the required fee directly to the Board of Nursing in their primary state of residence. This application is processed as a license by examination for new graduates or a license by endorsement for nurses already licensed in another state.
A mandatory component is the state and federal background check, which requires the nurse to submit fingerprints. The Board of Nursing uses these prints to screen for any disqualifying criminal history, which often accounts for the longest portion of the processing time. Once the application is submitted and all requirements are met, the state board verifies the nurse’s eligibility against the 11 ULRs.
Upon successful verification, the board issues the multistate license, and the nurse’s licensure status is updated in the national Nursys database. Nursys is the official database for nurse licensure information, used by healthcare employers to verify a nurse’s multistate practice privileges. Processing times vary by state, so nurses should check their application status regularly and confirm issuance before practicing in a new compact state.
Maintaining and Renewing Your Multistate License
Maintaining a multistate license requires the nurse to adhere to the renewal schedule and continuing education requirements of their Primary State of Residence (PSR). The renewal period typically occurs every two years, and the nurse is responsible for ensuring their license remains active and unencumbered. A nurse’s privilege to practice in other compact states depends on the good standing of the license issued by their PSR.
When a nurse permanently changes their PSR by moving from one compact state to another, they must apply for a new multistate license in the new state within 60 days of establishing residency. This application is processed through a license by endorsement, requiring the nurse to provide proof of legal residency in the new state.
While the new application is being processed, the nurse can continue to practice using the multistate privilege from their former PSR license, provided the license remains valid. Once the new state issues the license, the previous state’s license automatically converts to a single-state license or becomes inactive. Nurses must also self-report any disciplinary action taken against them in any state to the licensing board of their PSR.
Working in Non-Compact States
The multistate license is not a national license, and its privileges do not extend to states that are not members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). States such as California, New York, and Hawaii require a separate, single-state license for practice. If a nurse wishes to work physically or via telehealth in a non-compact state, they must acknowledge the limitations of the NLC.
Practicing in a non-compact state requires the nurse to apply for a traditional single-state license in that specific jurisdiction. This process, known as licensure by endorsement, involves submitting an application, paying fees, and meeting all the unique licensure requirements of that state. The nurse maintains their multistate license from their PSR while also holding a separate single-state license for the non-compact state, allowing them to practice legally in both.