How will the Nurse Licensure Compact affect nurses who live in Compact states?
A nurse who resides in South Dakota and holds an unencumbered nursing license is granted a “multi-state privilege” to practice in any of the other Compact States. Likewise, a nurse who resides in and is licensed by another Compact State has a “multi-state privilege” to practice in South Dakota. The Nurse Licensure Compact only affects nursing licensure and practice among those states that have joined the Compact (party states). The nurse must continue to hold a nursing license in any Non-compact State in order to practice in that state, even if the nurse resides in a Compact State. A license issued by a Compact State with the multi-state privilege to practice is only valid in other Compact States, and is not recognized by Non-compact States. Q: Will the nurse who lives in a Non-compact State and practices in South Dakota still need to have a license to practice in South Dakota? A: Yes. A nurse who practices in South Dakota but lives in a Non-compact State, such as Minnesota, must conti
