Nursing License Requirements by State

Every state sets its own nursing license fees, renewal cycle, and continuing-education rules. This is your state-by-state guide to getting and keeping an RN or LPN/LVN license for travel assignments — what each board charges, how long it takes, and the live travel-nursing jobs waiting in that state.

Licensed elsewhere? Most states let you practice by endorsement, and roughly 40 states share one multistate compact license. Start with your destination state below.

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)

Nurses whose primary residence is in a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state can hold one multistate license that covers practice in every other compact state — no separate application per state. Non-compact states (such as California and New York) require an individual state license even if you hold a compact one. Each state guide below shows its current compact status.

Choose your state

50 state guides published — more added regularly.

Alabama Compact Alaska Non-compact Arizona Compact Arkansas Compact California Non-compact Colorado Compact Connecticut Compact Delaware Compact Florida Compact Georgia Compact Hawaii Non-compact Idaho Compact Illinois Non-compact Indiana Compact Iowa Compact Kansas Compact Kentucky Compact Louisiana Compact Maine Compact Maryland Compact Massachusetts Non-compact Michigan Non-compact Minnesota Non-compact Mississippi Compact Missouri Compact Montana Compact Nebraska Compact Nevada Non-compact New Hampshire Compact New Jersey Compact New Mexico Compact New York Non-compact North Carolina Compact North Dakota Compact Ohio Compact Oklahoma Compact Oregon Non-compact Pennsylvania Compact Rhode Island Compact South Carolina Compact South Dakota Compact Tennessee Compact Texas Compact Utah Compact Vermont Compact Virginia Compact Washington Compact West Virginia Compact Wisconsin Compact Wyoming Compact

How nursing licensure works

  1. Complete an approved nursing program (RN or LPN/LVN).
  2. Pass the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN examination.
  3. Apply to your destination state's board of nursing — by examination for a first license, or by endorsement if you're already licensed elsewhere.
  4. Complete the background check and pay the state's licensure fees.
  5. If you live in a compact state, apply for a multistate (compact) license to work across member states.
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