Multistate license
A multistate license is a single professional license that authorizes practice in every member state of a licensure compact — physically issued by your primary state of residence. In nursing, one multistate license from any Nurse Licensure Compact state is valid in all 40 member states.
A multistate license looks like an ordinary state license with one extra word on it, and that word does the work of forty applications. It covers in-person, travel, and telehealth practice in every member state, because compact law treats practice as occurring where the patient is located.
Getting one is not a separate application. You apply for licensure in your home state; if that state is a member and you clear the uniform licensure requirements — including the fingerprint-based federal background check that some states reserve for multistate applicants — the license issues as multistate. Some states price the difference explicitly: Alabama charges $125 single-state versus $225 multistate; Washington $138 versus $203.
Its one hard limit: the license lives and dies with your residence. See primary state of residence.
Related terms
See it applied
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if my license is multistate?
Look it up in Nursys (nursys.com for nurses) — the record shows single-state or multistate status. Your board's licensee portal shows the same flag.
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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