Interstate licensure compact

A compact outranks every other transfer mechanism because it is state law on both ends of the move. Where reciprocity agreements are policy that boards can rewrite, a compact binds until the legislature withdraws — which is why the checker on this site evaluates compact membership before anything else.

Compacts are spreading profession by profession. Nursing's NLC is active in 40 states. Cosmetology's compact is enacted in 13 states but not yet operating as a multistate network — a common phase: compacts activate only after enough states join and the commission builds its data systems. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and counseling compacts issue per-state practice privileges rather than one license; psychology's PSYPACT covers only telepractice and short temporary practice; the social work compact is enacted but not yet issuing; EMS runs its own compact; and medicine's IMLC takes a different shape (expedited licensing rather than one multistate license).

The catch every compact shares: eligibility keys to where you legally live, not where you work. Move your residence out of the member states and the multistate privilege dissolves, whatever your work address says.