Nurse Compact States

Important Notice: Nurse Compact State Licensure Update
Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) Implementation – 1/19/2018

The Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) increases access to care while maintaining public protection at the state level. Under the eNLC, nurses are able to provide care to patients in other eNLC states, without having to obtain additional licenses. Nurses with an original NLC multistate license will be grandfathered into the eNLC. New applicants residing in compact states will need to meet 11 uniform licensure requirements. Those who do not meet the new licensure requirements may still be eligible for a single state license.

As of Jan. 19, 2018, the 21 states in the original NLC that enacted the eNLC will cease to be members of the original NLC. This means that a nurse in Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico and Rhode Island will then hold a multistate license valid in four states ONLY rather than 25 states, and will need to obtain additional licensure in order to practice in any of the eNLC states.  Conversely, it also means that nurses in the eNLC will no longer have the authority to practice in those four states, and will need to obtain additional licensure in order to practice in the state. Colorado has chosen NOT to join the new rules. So anyone working or wanting to work in CO has to obtain a CO license as of 1/19/2018. Nurses in the original NLC states that were grandfathered into the eNLC will be able to practice in eNLC states as of the implementation date, Jan. 19, 2018. Nurses in new states that joined the eNLC (Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Georgia and Florida) will be able to practice in eNLC states upon issuance of a multistate license. Each eNLC state will notify its licensees by mail of the implementation date and the process by which a nurse can obtain a multistate license.

Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) Implementation

For more information on the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) Implementation, visit the eNLC page on the NCSBN website

OUR MISSION
The Nurse Licensure Compact advances public protection and access to care through the mutual recognition of one state-based license that is enforced locally and recognized nationally.

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) allows nurses to have one multi-state license, with the ability to practice in both their home state and other compact states.

Your primary state of residence must be one of the 29 compact states. Primary residence is determined by where you file your tax return. A nurse whose primary state of residence is a compact state will be issued a license by that state, meaning they no longer need additional licenses to practice in nursing compact states. If you are a nurse that lives in a state that is one of the nursing compact states, you can get licensed to practice in all states that are members.

There are currently a total of 29 states that are currently listed as Compact Licensure States. A Compact State License allows an RN to travel to 29 other states on (1) license. If you are unsure if you have compact privileges, please contact a Go Healthcare Staffing Recruiter and they can assist you.

For more information, visit National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s website.