Is Ohio a Compact State? Understanding Nursing Licensure Requirements

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The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is an incredible program that opens up tremendous opportunities for nurses by allowing them to be licensed in multiple states at one time. By only having to maintain a single license, nurses can save themselves time, serve a much wider footprint of patients, expand their job outlook into travel nursing and emergency services, and maintain greater flexibility living near state borders. The list of compact states continues to expand, so if you haven’t checked your state’s status in a while you might be in luck. As of January 1, 2023, Ohio joined the ranks of NLC-participating states. If you’re a nurse whose primary residence is Ohio, a compact state nursing license may be available to you. Currently, there are 42 states and territories participating in this industry-changing professional licensure program, and if you know how to get an Ohio multistate nursing license, you understand how to get one nearly anywhere. For all the details, Premiere offers Nurse Licensure Compact Essential Information, An Ohio Category A Nursing CE Offering—an easy and affordable online course for getting your Ohio NLC license, and its content is helpful for becoming licensed in any compact state. In the meantime, here are the basics you need to know about compact nursing licensure.

What is a Compact License?

A compact license for nursing is a license that allows the nurse to work in any of the NLC participating states without having to obtain an additional license for each state. Think of it like a driver's license: you can get one in Ohio, but it’s valid everywhere that participates in the compact. The compact began in 1999, as legislators began to realize that individual state licensing created geographical and practical barriers in nursing that contributed to poorer patient outcomes and an overall weaker United States healthcare infrastructure. The case evolved into a national security issue during the COVID-19 pandemic when it became critical for nurses to be rapidly deployed around the entire country regardless of the state in which they were licensed.Today, the value of participating in the NLC is becoming increasingly clear to state, territorial, and jurisdictional legislatures across the nation, and it’s a boon for the healthcare industry and the patients it serves.A Quick Note: the language around licensing is changing, and you’ll likely see NLC and eNLC used interchangeably. An eNLC is not an online version! It stands for “enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact”, and it’s just a new name for the NLC. And don’t worry: if you have an NLC already you’ll just be grandfathered in.

What States are Compact States for Nursing?

A complete list of NLC participating states can be easily found on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website. There are still a number of states out there who haven’t joined the compact, but there’s good news: as of June 2024, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Washington DC, and California all have pending legislation to get on board.  If you move from one compact state to another, there’s very little that will change for you. You just need to establish residency in your new state, and you won’t have to reapply for a license until it’s normally time. Then, simply apply for your new multistate license in your new state!However, if you move to a non-compact state, that compact license is, unfortunately, no good. It will convert to a state license tied to your previous primary state of licensure only, and you’ll need to apply for a new license in your new state.

How to Get a Compact Nursing License

Just because you live in a compact state like Ohio doesn’t mean your nursing license is automatically a multistate license. Once you’ve confirmed your primary residence is in one of the NLC participating states, next comes the application process, which includes showing you meet the Uniform Licensure Requirements for a Multistate License. As the name implies, they are the same for all participating jurisdictions, so if your home state is Ohio a compact state license approval will mean you’re qualified on paper in all the others. Once the uniform requirements are squared away you can visit your state board of nursing website and either apply for an original multistate license or upgrade a previously held state-specific nursing license. The application is completed online and your license will be mailed to you once validated.

Learning More about NLC States

Ohio—like many other compact states—requires 24 contact hours of continuing education to be completed during the licensure period. One of the easiest ways to stay compliant and up-to-date no matter where you are is with excellent online continuing education content. Premiere offers some of the best interdisciplinary content available online for nursing, and our Ohio RN/LPN Renewal Package will grant you access to incredible learning opportunities created by industry-leading experts in the field, including the required courses needed for your license.