compact state licensure

You can get your first nursing license in any state (let's call it State 1) by applying to that state's Board of Nursing (BoN) and getting their approval to sit the NCLEX exam in their jurisdiction (if you need to do that). You don't have to have gone to school in State 1 to do this. You have to meet whatever criteria they want-- your nursing school has to be accepted by them (some states approve schools that other states won't approve), if there are fingerprinting or other requirements, they'll want a transcript, and they want the money. Then when you pass NCLEX you are granted a State 1 RN license.

So now you want to move to State 2. You write to the State 2 BoN and tell them you want a State 2 license by reciprocity (or by endorsement, same thing for practical intent and purpose). They tell you what they want, which may be all of the above again, and the money, and then they send you a State 2 license. Unlike your driver's license, you don't have to turn in your State 1 license. You can be licensed in as many states as you like (or can afford). :)

24 states are part of a Nursing Licensure Compact*. Compact states grant you the ability to practice within their borders if your license is from another Compact state (a state where you have your primary legal residence) without going through all that process outlined above (though you probably will have to pay something). If your legal residence isn't a Compact state, you can still get a license in State 2, though. And 3, and 4, and 5...

As an example: My primary legal residence is not a Compact state. I have a license there. I do some work in a neighboring state which is a Compact state, but since my home state isn't, I got it by reciprocity/ see above process. Now I have a Compact state license so I should be good to go to any other Compact state and get a license easily, right? Wrong, because my legal residence is in a nonCompact state.

So I have licenses in 8 states and they cost me a bloody fortune because I had to go through that whole process in every single one of them, even though most are Compact states. Order a college transcript (at $10 per) for all. NY wants me to take an online class on recognizing and reporting abuse-- time and money. Two or three states want me to pay for background checks-- a coupla hunnert bucks per. A few others want fingerprints...on their forms only, done by recognized law enforcement (as I said, the local State Police barracks got used to seeing a lot of me there for awhile). Many, but not all, participate in a national licensure verification system called Nursys, so I pay for Nursys to verify my license in all the states they work with to all the rest of them, at $30 each...but California doesn't participate in Nursys, so it's $60 to have them verify my license to everyone else. Each. And so on.

So find out what each state wants from you, and allow plenty of time to do it.Call ahead to see if your foreign nursing preparation will influence any of their processes, but they may assume that since State1 did all that legwork, you're good.

* 24 Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) States (current)

COMPACT STATES / IMPLEMENTATION DATE

Arizona 7/1/2002

Arkansas 7/1/2000

Colorado 10/1/2007

Delaware 7/1/2000

Idaho 7/1/2001

Iowa 7/1/2000

Kentucky 6/1/2007

Maine 7/1/2001

Maryland 7/1/1999

Mississippi 7/1/2001

Missouri 6/1/2010

Nebraska 1/1/2001

New Hampshire 1/1/2006

New Mexico 1/1/2004

North Carolina 7/1/2000

North Dakota 1/1/2004

Rhode Island 7/1/2008

South Carolina 2/1/2006

South Dakota 1/1/2001

Tennessee 7/1/2003

Texas 1/1/2000

Utah 1/1/2000

Virginia 1/1/2005

Wisconsin 1/1/2000

If you are a resident of Kentucky, you cannot apply for licensure in either Texas or Colorado.

If you are a resident of Kentucky, you cannot apply for licensure in either Texas or Colorado.

Why not? You can take NCLEX in one state, for a license in another. I am a resident of Indiana and have a license in Indiana, NC and KY. Both of them are compact states and I have single state licenses in those states.

Why not? You can take NCLEX in one state, for a license in another. I am a resident of Indiana and have a license in Indiana, NC and KY. Both of them are compact states and I have single state licenses in those states.

According to the latest NLC rules your initial license as a resident of a compact state must be in the state where you reside.

Why not? You can take NCLEX in one state, for a license in another. I am a resident of Indiana and have a license in Indiana, NC and KY. Both of them are compact states and I have single state licenses in those states.

Agreed. However both your NC and KY licenses grant single state privileges only and you can only have one compact state license.

You have a single state license in both NC and KY. If you were to relocate NC, when you update your address and residency with the NC Board of Nursing your NC license will convert to a multi-state compact license. When you update your address with the KY Board of Nursing to reflect your NC address, your license will be placed on inactive status as you can only have one multi-state license. Your IN license is not effected, and remains active.

Thank you!!

According to the latest NLC rules your initial license as a resident of a compact state must be in the state where you reside.

If this is correct, then i should be applying for kentucky BON rather than Colorado or Texas???

If this is correct, then i should be applying for kentucky BON rather than Colorado or Texas???

Yes. Until you move. If your legal address is Kentucky, your application to another compact state will be denied.

From TX BoN: (emphasis added)

The Texas Texas Board of Nursing entered into a Nurse Licensure Compact which allows nurses in Texas the privilege of practicing in participating Compact states. As part of this process of initiating multistate licensure, all applicants for licensure in Texas must declare their primary state of residence and all states where you are practicing or intend to practice. Applicants who declare a Compact state, other than Texas, as their primary state of residence may not become licensed in Texas since the Compact licenses can be used to work in Texas. For information on multistate licensure, please review the Boards Compact section: Nurse Licensure Compact

Download Form : Declaration of Primary State of Residence Form

As far as Don1984, having a compact license is a non issue as he is a resident of a non- compact state (IN) so he is not entitled to a multi state license. He can have a single state license in any of the 24 NLC states as desired as long as qualified. & pays required fees

As a resident of a NLC state (KY) since KY is a NLC state you can only obtain a NLC license from KY, unless you move. Once you move to another compact state you have 60-90 days, depending on BoN regulations, to apply for endorsement to the new NLC state & update you address with KY. Your original license will revert to single state for the rest of its validity.

Thank you so much for the help .