Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) License Reciprocity by State
- States researched
- 51
- Offer endorsement
- 51
- Interstate compacts
- 2
Already hold a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) license and moving your license to another state? Most states offer an endorsement (sometimes called "reciprocity") route that lets you transfer an active out-of-state license without repeating training from scratch, though you may still need to pass a state-specific exam, submit fingerprints, or pay a transfer fee. A handful of occupations also participate in interstate compacts, which let a single license cover practice in every member state. The table below covers every state we've researched for Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).
| State | Endorsement available | Compacts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Alabama implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 1, 2020, per the compact commission's official implementation-date table (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf). Out-of-state LPNs may also apply for a single-state Alabama license by endorsement. |
| Alaska | Yes | — | Alaska has NOT enacted the Nurse Licensure Compact — it is shown as a non-NLC state ('Currently No Action') on the compact commission's official NLC_Map.pdf. Alaska does offer single-state licensure by endorsement for LPNs holding an active out-of-state license. |
| Arizona | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Arizona implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 19, 2018, per the compact commission's official implementation-date table (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf). AZBN reviews each qualifying applicant for multistate licensure first; if the multistate criteria aren't met, the application is assessed for a single-state Arizona license by endorsement instead. |
| Arkansas | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Arkansas implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 19, 2018, per the compact commission's official implementation-date table (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf). Arkansas also offers licensure by endorsement ($125 fee) for LPNs licensed in another state. |
| California | Yes | — | California is NOT a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact — it does not appear on the compact commission's official implementation list (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf), which shows California as a 'Currently No Action' state. Out-of-state LVNs/LPNs may instead apply for a California license by endorsement ($300 fee). |
| Colorado | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Colorado joined the (enhanced) Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 19, 2018, per the compact commission's official implementation-date table (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf) and confirmed on the Colorado Board's own Compact page, which also notes Colorado's original NLC membership dissolved July 18, 2018 as the compact transitioned fully to the enhanced NLC. |
| Connecticut | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Connecticut implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Oct. 1, 2025, per the compact commission's official implementation-date table (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf) — one of the most recent states to join. Connecticut LPNs holding a single-state license may convert to a multistate compact license, and out-of-state LPNs may apply for Connecticut licensure by endorsement. |
| Delaware | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Delaware implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 19, 2018, per the compact commission's official implementation-date table (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf). Delaware also offers a standard RN/LPN license-by-endorsement pathway for out-of-state LPNs. |
| District of Columbia | Yes | — | The District of Columbia is NOT a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact — it does not appear on the compact commission's official implementation list (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf), which is limited to the 50 states plus Guam, Massachusetts, and the US Virgin Islands (the latter two enacted-but-not-implemented). DC offers licensure by endorsement ($280 fee) for LPNs currently licensed in another US state or territory whose original licensure was based on a passing NCLEX-PN score (or the pre-1982 State Board Test Pool Examination). Out-of-state verification runs through NURSYS.COM ($30 fee); California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania do not participate in NURSYS and require manual verification instead. |
| Florida | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Florida implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 19, 2018, per the compact commission's official implementation-date table (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC_Map.pdf). Florida also offers licensure by endorsement for LPNs licensed in another state or territory. |
| Georgia | Yes | NLC | Georgia is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), implemented Jan. 19, 2018 per the compact commission's official jurisdiction list, so an active multistate LPN license from another NLC member state is valid to practice in Georgia without separate endorsement. LPNs licensed in another jurisdiction who don't hold (or don't want) a compact multistate license can apply for Licensure by Endorsement ($75) through the Georgia Board of Nursing. |
| Hawaii | Yes | — | Hawaii is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC); it is shown as 'Currently No Action' on the compact commission's official jurisdiction map/table (nursecompact.com), so compacts is left empty. LPNs licensed by examination in another U.S. jurisdiction may instead apply for licensure without examination / by endorsement through the Board's separate 'Nurse (Without Exam) Endorsement' application. |
| Idaho | Yes | NLC | Idaho is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), implemented Jan. 19, 2018 per the compact commission's official jurisdiction list, so an active multistate LPN license from another NLC member state is valid to practice in Idaho without separate endorsement. LPNs licensed elsewhere who don't hold a compact multistate license can apply for licensure by endorsement; per the Board's Licensure Policy, whether an applicant receives a multi-state or single-state license by endorsement depends on their declared primary state of residence. |
| Illinois | Yes | — | Illinois is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC); it is shown as 'Currently No Action' on the compact commission's official jurisdiction map/table (nursecompact.com), so compacts is left empty. LPNs licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction can instead apply for Licensure by Endorsement ($50, or $75 with a Temporary Nursing Permit) through IDFPR. |
| Indiana | Yes | NLC | Indiana is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), implemented July 1, 2020 per the compact commission's official jurisdiction list, so an active multistate LPN license from another NLC member state is valid to practice in Indiana without separate endorsement. LPNs licensed elsewhere can apply for licensure by endorsement through the Indiana State Board of Nursing, and can request the NLC multistate designation for an additional $25 fee. |
| Iowa | Yes | NLC | Iowa is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), implemented Jan. 19, 2018 per the compact commission's official jurisdiction list, so an active multistate LPN license from another NLC member state is valid to practice in Iowa without separate endorsement. LPNs licensed elsewhere can instead apply for Licensure by Endorsement ($169 total: $119 application + $50 background check) through the Iowa Board of Nursing. |
| Kansas | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Kansas became a Nurse Licensure Compact state effective July 1, 2019 (confirmed on both KSBN's own NLC page and the official NCSBN/nursecompact.com compact map, which lists Kansas as 'Enacted NLC'). LPNs licensed in another state may also apply for a Kansas license by Endorsement ($75 single-state / $125 multi-state application fee) via KSBN's Endorsement Application. |
| Kentucky | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Kentucky is a current Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member, confirmed on the official NCSBN/nursecompact.com compact map, which lists Kentucky as 'Enacted NLC.' LPNs licensed in another state may also apply for a Kentucky license by Endorsement ($165 application fee) via the KBN Nurse Portal; applicants who have never held a Kentucky license and were originally licensed by examination in another U.S. jurisdiction are eligible. |
| Louisiana | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Louisiana is a current Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member (member since July 1, 2019, per LSBPNE's own NLC page), confirmed on the official NCSBN/nursecompact.com compact map, which lists Louisiana as 'Enacted NLC.' LPNs licensed in another state may apply for licensure by Endorsement ($185 + 1.8% state charge); applicants must also demonstrate IV therapy training/competency equivalent to Louisiana's 30-didactic-hour curriculum requirement. Louisiana also offers a separate endorsement pathway under the 2024 'Welcome Home Act' for LPNs who already live in Louisiana and hold a valid out-of-state license in good standing for at least one year; a Welcome Home Act license is valid only in Louisiana, not for compact multistate practice. If an applicant has ever held a Louisiana LPN license, they must reinstate rather than apply for endorsement. |
| Maine | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Maine is a current Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member, confirmed both on the Board's own PN licensure-requirements document ('The State of Maine is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact') and on the official NCSBN/nursecompact.com compact map, which lists Maine as 'Enacted NLC.' To be eligible for a Maine multistate license, Maine must be declared as the applicant's primary state of residence (PSOR); if the applicant's PSOR is a different compact state, they are not eligible for Maine licensure. LPNs licensed in another state may also apply for a Maine license by Endorsement ($50 application fee). |
| Maryland | Yes | NLC | Maryland is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state; the NLC covers both RNs and LPNs. NCSBN's official NLC implementation table lists Maryland as implemented January 19, 2018. Non-compact applicants, or those not eligible for a multistate license, may apply for a single-state Maryland license by endorsement ($230 fee) if they hold an active, good-standing license from another jurisdiction with substantially similar requirements. |
| Massachusetts | Yes | — | Massachusetts has enacted the Nurse Licensure Compact but, per NCSBN's official NLC implementation table, Massachusetts is listed with an implementation date of 'TBD' — meaning a multistate compact license is not yet available for Massachusetts as of this research date. Nurses licensed in another state must instead apply for a Massachusetts license by reciprocity/endorsement ($275 application fee plus a $30 Nursys verification fee per license held). |
| Michigan | Yes | — | Michigan is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact — it does not appear among the 43 jurisdictions on NCSBN's official NLC implementation map. Nurses licensed as an LPN in another state or Canada may instead apply for a Michigan license by endorsement (same $212.90 combined application + license fee), which requires an active unencumbered out-of-state license originally obtained via NCLEX-PN or the Practical Nurse Registration Examination. |
| Minnesota | Yes | — | Minnesota is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact — it does not appear among the 43 jurisdictions on NCSBN's official NLC implementation map. Nurses licensed in another state may instead apply for a Minnesota license by endorsement ($105 application fee, same as by-examination). |
| Mississippi | Yes | NLC | Mississippi is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state; the NLC covers both RNs and LPNs. NCSBN's official NLC implementation table lists Mississippi as implemented January 19, 2018. Nurses licensed in another state may also apply for a single-state Mississippi license by endorsement ($60 fee for LPN). |
| Missouri | Yes | NLC | Missouri is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state; the NLC covers both RNs and LPNs. NCSBN's official NLC implementation table lists Missouri as implemented January 19, 2018. Missouri also licenses by endorsement ($51 fee for LPN) for nurses whose out-of-state qualifications are equivalent to Missouri's requirements at the time of original licensure. |
| Montana | Yes | NLC | Montana is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state; the Board's own materials state Montana joined the NLC in October 2015, and NCSBN's official NLC implementation table lists Montana's implementation date as January 19, 2018 (the date the modernized NLC took effect nationally). If an applicant's primary state of residence is a different compact state, Montana requires obtaining licensure through that other compact state rather than through Montana. |
| Nebraska | Yes | NLC | Nebraska is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state; the NLC covers both RNs and LPNs. NCSBN's official NLC implementation table lists Nebraska as implemented January 19, 2018. Nurses residing in another compact state may only apply for a Nebraska license if they have firm plans to move to Nebraska; otherwise they should obtain a multistate license through their home compact state. |
| Nevada | Yes | — | Nevada is not currently a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact — it does not appear among the 43 jurisdictions on NCSBN's official NLC implementation map. NSBN's own materials confirm Nevada does not recognize multistate NLC licenses for practice in Nevada; nurses (including those holding an NLC multistate license elsewhere) must apply for a Nevada license by endorsement ($90 fee) to practice in the state. Nevada's legislature has discussed NLC enactment, but it was not enacted as of this research date. |
| New Hampshire | Yes | NLC | New Hampshire is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state; the NLC covers both RNs and LPNs. NCSBN's official NLC implementation table lists New Hampshire as implemented January 19, 2018. Nurses relocating permanently to New Hampshire from another compact state may practice on their former compact license for up to 90 days after becoming a New Hampshire resident while completing endorsement paperwork. |
| New Jersey | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | New Jersey implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Nov. 15, 2021 (per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map). NJ residents who meet the Compact's Uniform Licensure Requirements may hold a multistate license valid to practice in all NLC member states; those who don't meet ULR requirements receive a single-state license. Out-of-state LPNs not relying on the compact license may apply for endorsement using the same Candidate application used by exam applicants, providing verification of licensure in good standing from every state ever licensed in. |
| New Mexico | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | New Mexico implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 19, 2018 (per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map), one of the compact's original implementation states. LPNs licensed in another state may also apply for New Mexico licensure by endorsement (same $150 fee as licensure by examination) rather than relying on a multistate compact license. |
| New York | Yes | — | New York is explicitly NOT a Nurse Licensure Compact state, per both NYSED's own FAQ and NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map (New York had enacted compact legislation as of this record's access date but implementation had not yet occurred). LPNs licensed in another U.S. state or territory who graduated from a U.S. nursing school may apply via NYSED's endorsement pathway (Form 3, Professional Licensure Verification) rather than a multistate compact license. |
| North Carolina | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | North Carolina has been an NLC member since the compact's original Jan. 19, 2018 implementation date, per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map. LPNs licensed in another jurisdiction may also apply for licensure by endorsement ($150 fee) rather than relying on a multistate compact license; endorsement requires an active license held elsewhere within the past 5 years (or completion of a Board-approved refresher course if inactive 5+ years) and an unencumbered license history in every jurisdiction ever held. |
| North Dakota | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | North Dakota has been an NLC member since the compact's original Jan. 19, 2018 implementation date, per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map. LPNs licensed elsewhere via NCLEX-PN (or its predecessor SBTPE) may also apply for North Dakota licensure by endorsement through the Nurse Portal, providing transcripts, license verification (via NURSYS or a paper verification form), and CHRC results, rather than relying solely on a multistate compact license. |
| Ohio | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Ohio implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on Jan. 1, 2023, per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map. LPNs licensed elsewhere may also apply for Ohio licensure by reciprocity/endorsement for the same $75 fee charged for licensure by examination, rather than relying solely on a multistate compact license. |
| Oklahoma | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Oklahoma has been an NLC member since the compact's original Jan. 19, 2018 implementation date, per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map. LPNs originally educated and licensed in another NCSBN member-board jurisdiction may apply for Oklahoma licensure by single-state endorsement ($85 fee) if they don't want or qualify for a multistate compact license; endorsement applicants must also show continuing qualifications for practice within the past 5 years (refresher course, NCLEX pass, 105 contact/6 semester hours of coursework, 520 work hours, 24 CE hours, or specialty certification). |
| Oregon | Yes | — | Oregon is NOT a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map (Oregon appears in neither the enacted-states table nor the map's colored member/pending categories). LPNs licensed in another state must apply for Oregon licensure by endorsement ($230 fee), which requires an active or prior LPN/RN license elsewhere, verification of required continuing education, and 1 hour of Oregon Pain Management Commission training completed within the prior 36 months. |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Pennsylvania implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact on July 7, 2025, per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map — one of the compact's newest member states. LPNs licensed in another state may also apply for Pennsylvania licensure by endorsement ($120, or $145 if examination is also required) rather than relying solely on a multistate compact license. |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Rhode Island rejoined the Nurse Licensure Compact effective Jan. 1, 2024 per RIDOH's own application-requirements document (NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map lists the implementation date as Jan. 8, 2024 — a minor date discrepancy between the two official sources). Nurses whose primary state of residence is Rhode Island are required to apply for the multistate license if eligible. LPNs licensed elsewhere and already holding the NCLEX-PN may also apply for Rhode Island licensure by endorsement (same $45 fee), with license verification requested through NURSYS. |
| South Carolina | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | South Carolina implemented the NLC on Jan. 19, 2018, confirmed on the compact commission's official member-jurisdiction list (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC map, revised Sept. 6, 2023, retrieved 2026-07-10) and corroborated on the SC Board of Nursing's own NLC page. Applicants who do not hold an NLC multistate license may still apply for licensure by endorsement. |
| South Dakota | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | South Dakota implemented the NLC on Jan. 19, 2018, confirmed on the compact commission's official member-jurisdiction list (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC map, revised Sept. 6, 2023, retrieved 2026-07-10). Applicants who do not hold an NLC multistate license from a compact state may still apply for a South Dakota license by endorsement through the Board's Nurse Portal. |
| Tennessee | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Tennessee implemented the NLC on Jan. 19, 2018, confirmed on the compact commission's official member-jurisdiction list (NurseCompact.com / NCSBN NLC map, revised Sept. 6, 2023, retrieved 2026-07-10). Applicants who do not hold an NLC multistate license from a compact state may still apply for a Tennessee license by endorsement under Rule 1000-01-.04. |
| Texas | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Texas has been an implemented NLC member since January 19, 2018 (per nursecompact.com's official member-state list), so LVNs with an active multistate license from another compact state may practice in Texas without a separate Texas license, and Texas residents may hold a Texas multistate LVN license valid in other compact states. For nurses not using compact privileges, Texas also offers its own Endorsement pathway (Board Rule 217.5) for LPN/LVN or RN graduates who have practiced in another state within the prior four years; the endorsement application fee (NJE included) is $150. |
| Utah | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Utah has been an implemented NLC member since January 19, 2018 (per nursecompact.com's official member-state list) and was among the original states to enact the compact in 2000, so LPNs with an active multistate license from another compact state may practice in Utah without a separate Utah license. For nurses not using compact privileges, DOPL also offers a licensure-by-endorsement pathway for applicants currently licensed as an LPN or RN in another state, territory, or district, subject to verification of the out-of-state license. |
| Vermont | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Vermont has been an implemented NLC member since February 1, 2022 (per nursecompact.com's official member-state list), so LPNs with an active multistate license from another compact state may practice in Vermont without a separate Vermont license, and Vermont residents may apply for a Vermont multistate LPN license (a $100 add-on to the standard application) valid in other compact states. For nurses not using compact privileges, Vermont also offers Licensure by Endorsement for applicants licensed in good standing in another jurisdiction with substantially equivalent standards, plus a 'Fast Track Endorsement' for applicants actively licensed for three or more years in another jurisdiction. |
| Virginia | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Virginia implemented the (enhanced) Nurse Licensure Compact for both RN and LPN effective January 19, 2018, confirmed on the Board's own NLC page. Applicants not eligible for a multistate license may still apply for a single-state Virginia license by endorsement. |
| Washington | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Washington joined the Nurse Licensure Compact in two phases: Phase 1 (July 24, 2023) began recognizing incoming multistate licenses from other compact states, and Phase 2 (January 31, 2024) began issuing Washington-based multistate licenses. Confirmed directly on the Board's own nursing.wa.gov/msl page. |
| West Virginia | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | The West Virginia LPN Board's own homepage lists the eNLC/Nurse Licensure Compact (linking to nursecompact.com) as a partner resource and has promoted '25 years of nursing mobility' under the NLC; West Virginia is a longstanding member state. Out-of-state LPNs not eligible for a multistate license may still apply for a single-state West Virginia license by endorsement ($50 fee) via Nursys verification of all prior licensing states. |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Wisconsin implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact effective January 19, 2018, per the NLC Commission's official state implementation-date list. Licensure by endorsement (verification of an existing out-of-state license via Nursys or direct state-to-state verification) is also available for LPNs relocating from non-compact states. |
| Wyoming | Yes | Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) | Wyoming implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact effective January 19, 2018, per the NLC Commission's official state implementation-date list. LPNs already licensed in another state may alternatively apply for Wyoming licensure by endorsement ($120 fee) rather than relying on compact privileges. |
"Endorsement available" reflects whether the destination state has a published route to transfer an active out-of-state license. Always confirm current rules with the issuing board before relying on endorsement to practice in a new state.