Hello! I have a few questions about working in another state. Ok, so I live and work in Kentucky currently, a compact state. I will be moving to Florida this year, a non compact state. I am aware I have to apply for license by endorsement. My question is do I lose my ky nursing license since I am going from a compact to a non compact state? Is there anyway to keep my ky license active by doing ceus or not?
Next question, I am only staying in Florida for probably 5 years and then will be returning to Kentucky. So again, so I have to apply for license by endorsement to have a license back in Kentucky and pay all the fees and do the paperwork, even though that was my original license state?
Other questions. When I apply for my Florida license, do I have to wait to move and work until I get my license? Or can I go ahead and move and just not work? How does that work? Am I unable to apply for any jobs in Florida until I get my license approved?
So stressful and so much stuff to do! I hate the idea I have to pay to get my license back in Kentucky! I've emailed both boards and nothing! Please give me insight and I would greatly appreciate it!!!
Whether or not you have a license in another state, or have applied for a license in another state, has nothing to do with your current KY license. You can continue to work in KY.
Ok great, some nurses were saying if I applied to a noncompact state I would lose my ky license and only have the Florida license, so knowing I can still work in my is a huge relief! Thanks to everyone for their help!
Ok great, some nurses were saying if I applied to a noncompact state I would lose my ky license and only have the Florida license, so knowing I can still work in my is a huge relief! Thanks to everyone for their help!
You will not lose your KY license, but will lose your compact license. Your KY license will become a single state only (KY) license once you declare your residence to be Fla.
Ok that's a relief. My friend is an LPN and he said when he moved from w Virginia to ky that he could not hold 2 licenses, and would be fined. I'm not sure if that was the past or just LPNs. I just wanted to make sure if I went ahead and applied for my Florida license, even though I don't plan to move or work there until this summer, I could hold 2 licenses and still work in Kentucky.
Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.
Okay, so I am a traveling nurse and have had my residence in 3 states...2 compact, one non compact. The whole this IS confusing and crazy so don't feel bad. So here are the rules as simple as I can make them.
1) You are required to have a license in the state you live in, so where ever your offical address is you have to have a license in that state.
2) If your current home state is a compact state you can endorse your license to a non compact state by contacting the non compact state's BON. Usually this involves a variety of things to fill out, but the most trobulesome one usually is the criminal background check and finger printing.
3) Many hospitals will take a temporary license if you are taking a permanent job with them. Temporary license are usually given to the endorsee with in a few days or two weeks....but it can take 8 weeks or longer to get your permanent state license.
4) If you move from a compact state to a non compact state you may keep your license in the compact state, but the license will change from compact to a single state license for that state.
5) You cannot keep a compact license in more than one compact state. If you try to they will inactivate your license (personal experience with this one.)
So let me tell you my story and it may make these rules more clear. My first license was in Missouri ( a compact state) in which I lived and had my home residence in for 2 years. I did travel nursing to other states in the compact and worked using my Missouri license. Well after two years I decided to move back to where I grew up in Texas ( also a compact state). I was working in Texas on my Missouri license because it was a compact license but when I updated the Missouri BON with my Texas address my Missouri license got deactivated. So I had my license endorsed to the state that I had my residence listed, Texas. So when I got my Texas license I had a compact license again so I could travel to the compact states and I had an inactivated license in Missouri. But had I understood the rules better I could have contacted the Missouri BON and requested my license be converted to a Missouri only license ( basically a non compact license for Missouri...aslo called a single state license) before changing my address to Texas and then my license would never been inactivated in Missouri. Then I would have had a compact license in Texas and an active single state license in Missouri. But because of how things went down, they inactivated it, so I later had to have it reactivated which is very similar to having to reendorse your license back to a state that you have already held a license in. Then I met my husband who lives in Illinois. Illinois was and I think at this time still is, a non compact state. My husband lives in a town close to the Missouri boarder. So i got a permanent job in Missouri with my Texas license but I was smarter this time, as I kept my residence listed as my parent's home in Texas ( which I could only get away with because I was living in my RV). Thus my Texas compact status did not become inactivated. I worked like that until my husband and I got serious then when we got married I endorsed my license to Illinois ( you have to have a license in the state you live in ) prior to changing my address with tge Texas BON I had my license changed to a single state license. Then I had my Missouri license reactivated so I could continue working the job I had in Missouri. So now I have 3 single state licenses. I can do travel work in any of those 3 states but I can no longer travel to any of the compact states...that is until Illinois becomes apart of the compact then I would be able to work in any of the compact states I didn't have a sepcific license for. But I would still have the single state licenses in TX and MO. For any state you hold a license in you have to keep up with that license requirements. For example: Missouri does not require CEUs, but Illinois and Texas require 20 CEUs every two years. Texas requires a certian number of your CEUs to cover certian material like documentation or immunizations. So I have to do at least 20 CEUs every two years with a certian number of them meeting the Texas expectations of material.
I hope that was somewhat informative....I just finished a 3rd 12hr shift and may be babbling. Good luck!
Ok, so after I apply for my Florida license, I need to contact the ky bon and tell them to make my ky license a single state license so it won't get deactivated? Do you just call and they do it over the phone?
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Ok, so after I apply for my Florida license, I need to contact the ky bon and tell them to make my ky license a single state license so it won't get deactivated? Do you just call and they do it over the phone?
No you file a change of address once you move to FL. As long as you are a KY resident it's a non issue. Your LPN friend moved to another compact state and that was the issue. You can only have one compact multistate license and it must be in your state of legal permanent residence
1) You are required to have a license in the state you live in, so where ever your offical address is you have to have a license in that state.
Actually, there's no "requirement" that someone hold a license in her/his home state if s/he is not planning on working there. The NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact) rules require that you can only hold a license in your home state in order to have a license with multi-state privileges, but if, for example, you live on the border of another (non-compact) state and only want to work in your "neighbor" state, there is no requirement that you also hold a license in your home state. And if your home state is a non-compact state, there's no requirement that you be licensed in your home state -- you only need a license if you want to work there.
If I apply for my Florida license now, I am still able to work in Kentucky currently? I am planning on moving down in May.
It's not like when you move you have to turn in your driver's license when you get one for your new state. You can have as many nursing licenses as you want to pay for, all valid.
(Yearning for the day when we will be able to have one national nurse license...but doubting that states will want to give up the cash cow that renewals represent.)
Florida license is painful, especially if you don't live where they can do livescan finger prints. It is also the single most expensive license I ever applied for, then withdrew my application for.
elkpark
14,633 Posts
Whether or not you have a license in another state, or have applied for a license in another state, has nothing to do with your current KY license. You can continue to work in KY.