Ask a Travel Nurse: How do you handle licensing in different states when travel nursing?
Ask a Travel Nurse Question:
How do you get so many licenses when travel nursing? Are they all compact states? Don’t you have to have a home base to even apply for your first assignment and/or license?
Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:
If you do not already reside in a compact state, then you will have to obtain a license for each state in which you want to practice. However, many travel companies will reimburse for this cost, but you may need to obtain the license yourself, even before you start to look, because of some of the long turn-around times with the state boards.
Just check with your recruiter and make sure the company will reimburse you if you do end up taking an assignment with them, in the state in which you obtained the license.
I have never encountered anyone who did not have a license active in at least one state and although I do not know if it is strictly mandatory, I would think that you would want to carry at least one active license to show that you have passed the NCLEX and are able to work as a registered nurse.
Hope this helps.
David