The process of actually getting licensed in different states either can be relatively simple or it can be quite arduous depending on the state. If a state participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, then obtaining a license from that state means that you can take assignments in other compact states without having to get another license.

Here is a list of the phone, fax, and website for each state’s licensing authority (compacted states are so marked) along with an estimated timeframe to receive the license.

Alabama
Website: http://www.abn.state.al.us/
Phone: 800.656.5318 Fax: 334.242.4360
(Temp) 14 Days (Perm) 4-6 Weeks

Alaska
Website: http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/occ/pnur.htm
Phone: 907.269.8161 Fax: 907.269.8196
(Temp) 10 Days (Perm) 6-8 Weeks

Arizona (Compact)
Website: http://www.azbn.gov/
Phone: 602.889.5150 Fax: 602.889.5155
(Temp) Walk-Thru-48 Hours 1-2 weeks by mail (Perm) 2-3 Months

Arkansas (Compact)
Website: http://www.arsbn.org/
Phone: 501.682.2700 Fax: 501.686.2714
(Temp) 3-4 Days (Perm) 10 weeks upon completion of back check

California
Website: http://www.rn.ca.gov/
Phone: 916.322.3350 Fax: 916.574.7697
(Temp) Same day if walk through - 4-6 wks by mail - (Perm) 6 Months

Connecticut
Website: http://www.ct.gov/
Phone: 860.509.7603 Fax: 860.509.8457
(Temp) 5 Days (Perm) 10 Days

Delaware (Compact)
Website: http://www.dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing
Phone: 302.744.4500 Fax: 302.739.2711
(Temp) 1 Week (Perm) 2 Weeks

District of Columbia
Website: http://www.hpla.doh.dc.gov
Phone: 202.724.4900
(Temp) Application 2 Weeks Prior to Walk Through (Perm) 3 Weeks Upon Receipt of all Docs

Florida
Website: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/nur_applicant.html
Phone: 850.245.4125 Fax: 850.245.4172
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 30 Days

Georgia
Website: http://sos.georgia.gov/plb/rn/
Phone: 478.207.2440 Fax: 478.207.1354
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 10-15 Days Upon Receipt of Verifications

Hawaii
Website: http://hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/pvl/boards/nursing/
Phone: 808.586.3000
(Temp) 10 - 15 Days (Perm) 10-15 Days Upon Receipt of Verifications

Idaho (Compact)
Website: http://www2.state.id.us/ibn/index.htm
Phone: 208.334.3110 Fax: 478.207.1354
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through - 2 days if by mail - (Perm) 6-8 Weeks

Illinois
Website: http://www.idfpr.com/dpr/WHO/nurs.asp
Phone: 217.785.0800 Fax: 217.782.7645
(Temp) 14 business days upon receipt of all docs (Perm) 2-4 Weeks

Indiana
Website: http://www.in.gov/pla/2373.htm
Phone: 317.234.2043 Fax: 317.233.4236
(Temp) A few days, can walk-thru same day (Perm) 4-5 Weeks-Depends Upon Receipt of all Docs

Iowa (Compact)
Website: http://www.state.ia.us/nursing/
Phone: 515.281.3255 Fax: 515.281.4825
(Temp) 5-10 Days Upon receipt of docs (Perm) 5-10 days Upon Receipt of All Completed Docs

Kansas
Website: http://www.ksbn.org/
Phone: 785.296.4929 Fax: 785.296.3929
(Temp) 1 Week Upon Receipt of Application (Perm) 3-10 days Upon Receipt of Verifications

Kentucky (Compact)
Website: http://www.kbn.ky.gov/
Phone: 502.429.3300 Fax: 502.429.3311
(Temp) 10-14 Business Days (Perm) 4-6 Weeks

Louisiana
Phone: 225.755.7500 Fax: 225.755.7584
(Temp) Same Day if Walk Through - 10 Bus. Days by mail - (Perm) 4-6 Weeks

Maine (Compact) (Paperless)
Website: http://www.maine.gov/boardofnursing/
Phone: 207.287.1133 Fax: 207.287.1149
(Temp) 7-14 Days (Perm) 1 Week Upon Receipt of Verifications

Maryland (Compact) (Paperless)
Website: http://www.mbon.org/main.php
Phone: 410.585.1993 Fax: 410.358.3530
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through - 2 wks via mail - (Perm) 4-6 Weeks

Massachusetts
Website: http://www.mass.gov
Phone: 617.973.0800 Fax: 617.973.0984
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 4 Weeks Upon Receipt of All Docs

Michigan
Website: http://www.michigan.gov
Phone: 517.335.0918 Fax: 517.373.2179
(Temp) 6-8 weeks (Perm) 6-8 weeks

Minnesota
Website: http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/home.do?agency=NursingBoard
Phone: 612.617.2270 Fax: 612.617.2190
(Temp) 1-2 days (Perm) Varies - Depends Upon Receipt of Verifications

Mississippi (Compact)
Website: http://www.msbn.state.ms.us/
Phone: 601.987.4188 Fax: 601.364.2352
(Temp) 5 days upon receipt of all docs (Perm) 2-3 Weeks

Missouri
Website: http://www.pr.mo.gov/nursing.asp
Phone: 573.751.0681 Fax: 573.751.0075
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through (Perm) 2-3 weeks Upon Receipt of All Docs Completed

Montana
Website: http://mt.gov/dli/nur/
Phone: 406.841.2300 Fax: 406.841.2305
(Temp) 2-3 Days Upon Receipt of Verifications (Perm) 10 Days Upon Receipt of All Docs

Nebraska (Compact)
Website: http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/crl/nursing/Rn-Lpn/rn-lpn.htm
Phone: 402.471.4376 Fax: 402.471.1066
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through - 5-10 days mail - (Perm) Varies from 2 weeks to 2 months - Upon Receipt of all Docs

Nevada
Website: http://www.nursingboard.state.nv.us/
Phone: 702.486.5800 Fax: 702.486.5803
(Temp) 7 days (Perm) 7 days

New Hampshire (Compact) (Paperless)
Website: http://www.nh.gov/nursing/
Phone: 603.271.2323 Fax: 603.271-6605
(Temp) 8 weeks (dependent on when back check clears) (Perm) 8 weeks (dependent on when back check clears)

New Jersey
Website: http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/medical/nursing.htm
Phone: 973.504.6430
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 4-6 Weeks

New Mexico (Compact)
Website: http://www.bon.state.nm.us/
Phone: 505.841.8340 Fax: 505.841.8347
(Temp) 2 Weeks (Perm) 2 Weeks Upon Receipt of All Documents

New York
Website: http://www.op.nysed.gov/nursing.htm
Phone: 518.474.3817 Fax: 518.474.3398
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 6-8 Weeks Upon Receipt of All documents

North Carolina (Compact) (Paperless)
Website: http://www.ncbon.com/
Phone: 919.782.3211 Fax: 919.781.94612
(Temp) Weeks Upon Receipt of Application (Perm) 6-8 Weeks

North Dakota (Compact)
Website: http://www.ndbon.org/
Phone: 701.328.9777 Fax: 701.328.9785
(Temp) 2 Weeks (Perm) 2 Weeks

Ohio
Website: http://www.nursing.ohio.gov/
Phone: 614.466.3947 Fax: 614.466.0388
(Temp) 7-14 days (Perm) 2 Weeks

Oklahoma
Website: http://www.youroklahoma.com/nursing/
Phone: 405.962.1800 Fax: 405.962.1821
(Temp) 14 Business Days (Perm) 14 Business Days Upon Receipt of All Docs

Oregon
Website: http://www.osbn.state.or.us/OSBN/index.shtml
Phone: 971.673.0685 Fax: 971.673.0684
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 3-4 weeks Upon Receipt of Verifications

Pennsylvania
Phone: 717.783.7142 Fax: 717.783.0822
(Temp) 7-10 business days upon receipt of docs (Perm) 6-8 Weeks upon receipt of Docs

Rhode Island (Compact)
Website: http://www.health.ri.gov/hsr/professions/nurses.php
Phone: 401.222.5700 Fax: 401.222.3352
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through - 1-4 wks via mail - (Perm) 8 Weeks

South Carolina
Website: http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/nursing/
Phone: 803.896.4550 Fax: 803.896.4525
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through (Perm) 6-8 Weeks

South Dakota (Compact)
Website: http://doh.sd.gov/boards/nursing/
Phone: 605.362.2760 Fax: 605.362.2768
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through (Perm) 3-6 Weeks

Tennessee (Compact)
Website: http://health.state.tn.us/Boards/Nursing/index.htm
Phone: 615.532.3202
(Temp) 4-6 Weeks (Perm) 6-8 Weeks

Texas (Compact)
Website: http://www.bne.state.tx.us/
Phone: 512.305.7400 Fax: 512.305.7401
(Temp) 10 Business Days (Perm) 10 Business Days Upon Receipt of Verifications

Utah (Compact)
Website: http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/nursing.html
Phone: 801.530.6628 Fax: 801.530.6511
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 10 Days Upon Receipt of All Docs

Vermont
Website: http://vtprofessionals.org/opr1/nurses/
Phone: 802.828.2396
(Temp) Same Day If Walk Through (Perm) 3-4 Weeks- Dependant Upon Receipt of Verifications

Virginia (Compact)
Website: http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/nursing/
Phone: 804.367.4515 Fax: 804.527.4455
(Temp) 3-5 Days (Perm) 2-6 Weeks - Dependent Upon Receipt of Verifications

Washington
Website: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/hps6/Nursing/default.htm
Phone: 360.236.4700
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 4-6 Weeks

West Virginia
Website: http://www.wvrnboard.com/
Phone: 304.558.3596 Fax: 304.558.3666
(Temp) 3-5 Business Days (Perm) 7-10 Days Upon Receipt of all Docs

Wisconsin (Compact)
Website: http://drl.wi.gov/prof/rn/def.htm
Phone: 608.266.2112
(Temp) 5-6 Weeks (Perm) 5-6 Weeks

Wyoming
Website: http://nursing.state.wy.us/
Phone: 307.777.7601 Fax: 307.777.3519
(Temp) 7-10 Bus Days - Must Apply for Perm also - (Perm) 2 Weeks Upon Receipt of Verifications

Virgin Islands
Website: http://www.vibnl.org/
Phone: 340.776.7397 Fax: 340.777.4003
(Temp) No Temp License (Perm) 3-5 Days Upon Receipt of all Docs