Compact license through Maryland BON?

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Hello there! I have been wanting to do travel nursing for awhile, but I am having the hardest time figuring out how to apply for a compact license through the Maryland Board of Nursing. The website is not helpful at all. Are there any Maryland travel RNs out there who can tell me what they did?

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You cannot apply for a compact license from Maryland unless you live there. If you live in a compact state, you are set to go to work in another compact state such as Maryland.

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Hi Ned! Thanks for commenting! I do live in Maryland, but after talking to some travel companies, they've made it clear I need a multistate license specifically rather than just a Maryland license. I'm having the darndest time getting that license - the MBON website has a section about it, but nothing about how to apply for one, other than just to apply through the board of nursing. Do you know more about that application process?

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Check online with your BON account. Is your address listed as MD?

If not, change it and call the BON for an updated license. If it is, call them and find out why your license is not multistate. Maybe it is? Have you checked your license status online?

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Yes, Ned. My permanent residence is in Maryland, and I have a Maryland license. Maryland is a compact state. But my license is Maryland only, single state, rather than a multistate license, and travel agencies are telling me I need a multistate license specifically. Do you happen to know about the process for getting a multistate license through the Maryland BON? The website is not helpful.

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If your address at the BON is MD, your license should be compact. Have you checked your license online? You will have to call them if it is not listed as compact online.

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Do you currently live in MD, and maintain legal residency?

Or, do live outside of MD, but consider MD as your “permanent residence?”

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Hmm, I must have been unclear. I live in Maryland. It is my permanent residence. I don't have any other residences or addresses associated with my license. Do you guys have Maryland licenses? Do you have tips for the Maryland BON?

And I'm not sure if I was clear, but I need advice about upgrading my license to a multistate license. In Delaware, a quick goggle search gives you the application to upgrade to multistate from your compact single state. Can you help with that?

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
8 hours ago, NedRN said:

If your address at the BON is MD, your license should be compact.

Not necessarily. Several states have distinctions for compact vs single state licenses issued. Usually the single state have a lower fee. Not sure if MD is one of those.

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29 minutes ago, Kristy said:

Hmm, I must have been unclear. I live in Maryland. It is my permanent residence. I don't have any other residences or addresses associated with my license. Do you guys have Maryland licenses? Do you have tips for the Maryland BON?

[...]

My apologies if I misread what you wrote. And no, while I don't have a Maryland license I do have a North Carolina license, with multi-state privileges, andthe rules regarding the NLC should be the same throughout all member states of the Nurse Licensure Compact.

If you lived in, and were a legal resident of Maryland when you applied for licensure, your license should have granted multi-state privileges when it was issued, without need for a separate application. The only time you should have to apply for multi-state privileges is if you were not a resident at the time your license was issued, and subsequently established residency. In this case, upon completion of the Declaration of Primary State of Residence form your license should be reclassified to provide multi-state privileges.

Best wishes.

mbon.maryland.gov/Documents/declarationofresidence.pdf

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14 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

Not necessarily. Several states have distinctions for compact vs single state licenses issued. Usually the single state have a lower fee. Not sure if MD is one of those.

As far as I am aware, this pertains to individuals currently licensed at the time the state joins the Nursing License Compact (NLC). If these individuals want multi-state privileges they have to apply to have their license reclassified. As part of this application, they complete the required background checks. All licenses issued after the NLC is implemented should provide multi-state privileges.

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Thank you guys for all your comments! I appreciate your help! It turns out that my license already came with multistate privileges, the person at the travel agency I was talking to was just new. I also found it that it can be verified through Nursys if your BON, like mine, does not have a way to verify it online.

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