A Complete Guide to the Nurse Licensure Compact – NLC
1. What Is the NLC, Really?
The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is an interstate agreement that allows Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs/LVNs) to have one license that grants the privilege to practice in multiple states without needing to apply for separate state licenses.
The goal is to increase workforce mobility, ensure efficient care delivery, and maintain public protection through consistent licensure standards.
🔹 2. NLC vs eNLC: What’s the Difference?
- The original NLC was launched in 2000.
- The Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) replaced it in 2018, adding stricter uniform licensure requirements such as:
- FBI criminal background checks
- English proficiency (if applicable)
- Graduation from a board-approved education program
- No felony convictions
If your state is currently part of the NLC, it follows the eNLC rules.
🔹 3. Benefits of the NLC
- Multi-state flexibility: Travel or relocate and work without reapplying
- Better emergency response: Nurses can quickly be deployed across states
- Telehealth expansion: Serve patients remotely across state lines
- Military and spouse support: Eases transitions for those frequently moving
🔹 4. NLC Eligibility Requirements
You must:
- Reside in a compact state (your primary residence matters most)
- Graduate from a board-approved RN or LPN program
- Pass the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN
- Pass an FBI fingerprint-based criminal background check
- Have no active disciplinary actions
- Not have any felony convictions
- Have a valid social security number
📌 Note: If you live in a non-compact state, you can apply for a license to work in a compact state—but you won’t get a multistate license.
🔹 5. Participating NLC States (As of 2024–2025)
Over 40 states and territories participate or are in the process of joining. Key participants include:
✅ Texas
✅ Florida
✅ North Carolina
✅ Arizona
✅ Colorado
✅ Indiana
✅ Missouri
✅ Tennessee
✅ South Dakota
✅ Idaho
✅ Utah
✅ Georgia
✅ Wisconsin
✅ New Hampshire
🟡 Pending or Partial: Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey
🔴 Non-participants: California, New York, Oregon, Nevada