Applying in Two States after graduation?

Nurses New Nurse

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I live in South Carolina which is included in the compact state licensure. I graduate the ADN nursing program at my school and am relocating to Vermont after I graduate in December. I want to get my RN license in both SC and VT because VT isn't part of the compact licenusre agreement, and while hopefully I'll get a job right away in VT, I of course want to play it safe and make sure I have my license here in SC as well. I've read a few other posts and I just wanted to confirm some things if anybody is able to verify these things:

1. I can only initially apply for a license in ONE state at a time. I cannot have two applications for a license pending at once, right?

2. I can apply in one state and test in another .... it doesn't matter WHERE I test. I just tell the board where to send my results, right? Meaning I can apply for licensure by examination in VT but I can TEST here in SC?

3. I would initially apply for licensure by examination to either SC or VT, which ever I want to do, and then AFTER my licensure goes through, I then apply for licensure by endorsement to the other state, correct?

And from at least one post I read, somebody who did this had their licensure by exam results officially go through and show up in 2 weeks, and she then applied by endorsement to the other state and it only took 2 more weeks for that one to go through ... so hopefully that's true for most cases. I think I may initially apply to VT first since that's where I plan on moving then apply to SC by endorsement just to be safe ... or maybe I'll do the opposite. If I know for a fact that endorsement doesn't take long to go thru after initial licensure by exam then I guess it doesn't really matter which I apply to first.

Thanks guys!

Specializes in NICU.

1. yes

2. yes

3. yes

If you get a compact license in SC, once you move to a non-compact state (VT), your SC becomes a single state license. You can not have a compact license and live in a non-compact state.

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