Moving to a new state and how to go about getting another RN license?

Nurses General Nursing

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My husband and I currently live in Maryland and will be moving to Virginia in September. I have been an RN/BSN for a little over 2 years and I am currently licensed in Maryland. We will be trying to purchase a house before the big move and in order to get approved for our loan, I will need to secure a job and at least have an offer letter. I am beginning the applying process now but I don't know what to do about my license. I have done research and can't seem to find the answer to my specific question.

I know MD and VA are compact states. I know that you can have a compact license for your state of residency in order to practice across state lines.

I will not be living in MD and practicing in VA. I will be permanently moving to VA. So when can I start the process of transferring my license over? Does my RN license automatically have multi-state privileges since I live in a compact state or is a compact license something you specially apply for? I don't really know if applying for a compact license is necessary if I can just be licensed in 2 states...because once I move to VA, I will have to switch my license over anyways since it is my primary state of residence. Can I go ahead and apply for my RN license in VA now and still keep my MD license active even though they are compact states? I need my MD license active so I can continue to work close up until the move. I would like to get licensed in VA also somehow so my applications will actually be considered. I am not sure how well I will be considered for jobs in VA if I only have a MD RN license.

Can someone guide me on this? I am just not sure where/when to start and I would rather start the process sooner than later. I really need this job security before I move. Thank you!!! Any input helps!

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Since you are moving to a state that is part of the compact, you need to make sure that you have multi-state compact as part of your Maryland licensure. If you do then you can use your Maryland license to work in Virgina. When you establish residency, you will need to change your home state to Virgina. But make sure you select multi-state licensure. It is not automatic. I live in New Mexico 45 miles from Texas border and most nurses have multi-state licensure but not all do. It is not automatically granted, you have to select it.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Not to change the subject, remember your driver's license too. Usually there's a time line and folks forget.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Nursing licenses are not transferred. Rather, you use your current license to obtain another one via endorsement. In other words, you will need to utilize your Maryland license to obtain a Virginia license by endorsement.

Visit the Virginia Board of Nursing website to explore the process of obtaining a Virginia license via the endorsement process.

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I guess I shouldn't have used the word transfer. I am aware that the license is obtained by endorsement. I just was wondering about how to obtain a license when switching states when they are both compact states. I know that with non-compact states, you can obtain multiple licenses for other states, all active at the same time. With the compact license, you have multi-state privileges but you still must obtain a license in your primary state of residence (for example: having a MD compact license and being able to commute to D.C. and practice there). I live in the compact state of MD but I don't think I currently have a compact license. Since I am changing my state of residence to VA in September, I was wondering if I should apply for a current MD compact license now before moving, or if I am able to just obtain a license for VA since I am going to have to do that once I move anyways since it will be my state of residence. I just need to keep my MD license still valid until close to the move in order to work and I am not sure if I am able to do that if I try to obtain a VA license since MD and VA are compact states. It's confusing and I am trying to explain so others can understand what I am asking. The first commenter recommended making my MD license a compact license now, and then changing it to a VA license once I have moved and established residence. That will probably be an expensive route as I will have to renew my license prematurely now and then switch it to a VA license with the move - but it makes sense. I have not really been able to find my answer via MD or VA BON websites.

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I was going to figure this out for you, but I gave up because the VA BON's website is truly awful.

You should probably just call someone at the VA BON and get a step by step guide on how to change your endorsement. I'm sorry I could not help you more, but that website is simply brutal.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
I was going to figure this out for you, but I gave up because the VA BON's website is truly awful.

You should probably just call someone at the VA BON and get a step by step guide on how to change your endorsement. I'm sorry I could not help you more, but that website is simply brutal.

Yeah I tried to figure it out myself and came to that conclusion as well..

but I did learn that you have a 30 day grace period after moving during which you may continue to work under your MD license.

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Your MD license should have multi-state privileges. If not, they should be easy enough to get.

You can not apply for licensure in VA until after you relocate. After you relocate to VA you should be able to work 90 days on your MD license. After your VA license us granted your MD license will be inactivated as you can only be licensed in I e compact state.

Best of luck to you and your husband in your relocation.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
After you relocate to VA you should be able to work 90 days on your MD license.

Further proof that the VA BON website blows, because that's where I got the "30 days" info. Apparently it hasn't been updated in over ten years, when VA first became a compact state!

And all this time, I thought MD BON was the worst (from experience), perhaps only surpassed by CA BON (from reputation).

PS - Massage therapists are under the BON in VA? Whaaaa?

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