Nurse Licensure Compact The Nurse Licensure Compact is an interstate compact for the mutual recognition model of nursing regulation among states whose legislatures have enacted the compact. These states are called compact (party) states. Each of these com- pact states “recognizes” or honors the nursing licenses issued by other compact states. A nurse who resides in a com- pact state and holds an unencumbered nursing license will have the “privilege to practice” in any of the other compact states. Only when a nurse moves to one of the other compact states will he or she be required to apply for and obtain a nursing license in that state. States that have enacted the RN and LPN/VN Nurse Licensure Compact and their implementation dates are listed here. Compact States Implementation Date Arizona 07/01/2002 Arkansas 07/01/2000 Colorado 10/01/2007 Delaware 07/01/2000 Idaho 07/01/2001 Iowa 07/01/2000 Kentucky 06/01/2007 Maine 07/01/2001 Maryland 07/01/1999 Mississippi 07/01/2001 Nebraska 01/01/2001 New Hampshire 01/01/2006 New Mexico 01/01/2004 North Carolina 07/01/2000 North Dakota 01/01/2004 South Carolina 02/01/2006 South Dakota 01/01/2001 Tennessee 07/01/2003 Texas 01/01/2000 Utah 01/01/2000 Virginia 01/01/2005 Wisconsin 01/01/2000 Pending Compact States Status Rhode Island Planning to implement 07/01/2008 Source: National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Title, 2007. Available at www.ncsbn.org/158.htm. Accessed February 20, 2008. 384