Nursing across states · Match the license to the role
Before researching a new state, separate your RN license from the authorization needed for advanced practice. A state appearing on the Nurse Licensure Compact map answers only the RN and LPN/VN compact question.
For nurses considering an advanced practice role and small clinical teams checking which licensing questions to research. The NCSBN NLC FAQ says the NLC covers RN and LPN/VN licenses only; APRNs must hold an individual APRN license in each state of APRN practice. Recheck current board requirements before relying on any route.
Layer 1 · RN or LPN/VN practice
Check the license you actually hold, your primary state of residence and the state where the patient is located. A multistate license and a single-state license are different, even when issued by the same compact state.
This layer concerns RN or LPN/VN practice. It does not expand that license into permission to perform an advanced practice role.
Use the existing NLC state guide →Layer 2 · Advanced practice
For an advanced practice assignment, investigate the destination board’s APRN requirements separately. Do not treat an RN multistate result as the answer to this question.
The APRN Compact is a separate agreement. Its official information does not turn the RN compact map into an APRN authorization map. Check current implementation and individual requirements with the relevant board.
Read about the separate APRN Compact →Use these prompts before you start an application. They organize the questions to resolve; they are not an eligibility test.
Write down RN, LPN/VN or the exact advanced practice role in the proposed assignment. Avoid a note that only says ‘nursing license.’
Record the destination for the planned care. NCSBN says nurses must be licensed in the state where the patient is located when the service is provided. A remote visit still needs this check.
Keep RN/NLC findings and APRN findings on separate lines, with the board source and date you checked it. For advanced practice, ask the board what applies to that role, including any separate prescribing requirements.
If you can confirm the RN layer but not the APRN layer, leave the advanced practice question unresolved and check with the destination board. An RN compact map, a job title or an employer’s description does not settle it.
Find the destination’s board in the NCSBN directory →Official guidance consulted October 31, 2026. This is a source consultation date, not confirmation of every state’s implementation or an individual license. The two-layer layout, research prompts and example are CompactRoute’s editorial organization.
This guide does not determine individual eligibility, scope of practice, prescribing authority, payer credentialing or employment clearance. No APRN state roster or rollout date is asserted here. Follow the relevant board’s current requirements for the specific role and destination.
Return to RN and LPN/VN compact states →