News Release

Vermont Implements the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)

Posted 01/28/2022
On Feb. 1, 2022, Vermont will join 35 other states that have implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
media@ncsbn.org
CHICAGO – On Feb. 1, 2022, Vermont will join 35 other states that have implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The NLC allows registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs), whose primary state of residence is in an NLC state, to hold one multistate license, with the authority to practice in person or via telehealth, in both their home state and other NLC states.

Shiela Boni, MSN, RN, executive officer, Vermont State Board of Nursing, states, “We are thrilled to partner with the other compact states in our shared mission to protect public safety while providing mobility to Vermont nurses, as well as nurses across the nation, who are seeking the lifestyle and collaborative practice environment that Vermont offers.”

Key points for nurses residing in Vermont:
 
  • Beginning on Feb. 1, 2022, nurses residing in Vermont who currently hold a Vermont RN or LPN/VN license may be eligible for a multistate specialty license. 
  • The multistate license specialty application is now available on the External Link Vermont Board of Nursing website.
  • It is not necessary for Vermont residents to wait until the next renewal period to apply for the multistate license.
  • New graduates of nursing programs who are Vermont residents may apply for licensure by exam on the Vermont Board of Nursing website and can select the multistate license option.  
  • Once a Vermont resident is issued a multistate license, the nurse may stop renewing any license held in another NLC state.
     

Key points for nurses residing in other NLC states:

  • As of Feb. 1, 2022, nurses residing in other NLC states who hold a multistate license may start to practice in Vermont under their existing license. 
  • As of the same date, nurses holding a multistate license in another NLC state in which they reside, may stop renewing a Vermont license, if they currently hold one.
The NLC allows for greater nurse mobility, public protection and access to care. It enables nurses to provide telehealth nursing services to patients located in other NLC states without having to obtain additional licenses. In the event of a public health emergency, nurses from multiple states can easily respond to supply vital services in other NLC states. Primary care nurses, nurse case managers, transport nurses, school home health and hospice nurses, among many others, need to routinely cross state boundaries to provide the public with access to nursing services, and a multistate license facilitates this process.

Licensure requirements are uniform across NLC states, so nurses who are issued a multistate license have met the same requirements, which include a federal and state criminal background check. 
 
About the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA)
The ICNLCA facilitates cross border nursing practice through the implementation of the nationally recognized, multistate license, the NLC. The ICNLCA enhances nurse mobility and public protection through maintaining uniform licensure standards among party state boards of nursing; promoting cooperation and collaboration between party states, facilitating the exchange of data and information between party states; and educating stakeholders. The ICNLCA is a quasi-governmental and joint public agency of the party states created and established on July 20, 2017. The Executive Committee is the seven-member elected leadership of the ICNLCA.

About the NLC
The NLC allows for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs) to have one multistate license, with the ability to practice in person or via telehealth in both their home state and other NLC states. There are 38 jurisdictions that are members of the NLC. Licensing standards are aligned in NLC states, so all nurses applying for a multistate license are required to meet the same standards, which include a federal and state criminal background check that will be conducted for all applicants for multistate licensure.
 
The NLC also enables nurses to provide telehealth nursing services to patients located across the country without having to obtain additional licenses. In the event of a disaster, nurses from multiple states can easily respond to supply vital services. Additionally, almost every nurse, including primary care nurses, case managers, transport nurses, school and hospice nurses, among many others, needs to routinely cross state boundaries to provide the public with access to nursing services, and a multistate license facilitates this process.
 
For more information, contact Email Link SOS.OPRLicensing1@vermont.gov or visit External Link www.nlc.gov.