Occupational licensure compacts streamline professional credentialing by allowing licensed workers to practice across participating states without repeating the licensing process. These compacts help states respond to workforce shortages, improve access to care and services, and reduce administrative burdens.
Since 2016, states have enacted hundreds of licensure compact statutes, making occupational licensure one of the fastest-growing areas of interstate cooperation.
NCIC works with federal partners to support the development of new licensure compacts, particularly to assist military service members and spouses whose careers are affected by frequent relocations.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is partnering with the Department of War (DoW) and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) to support the mobility of licensed teachers through the development of a new interstate compact. This compact will create reciprocity among participant states, and reduce barriers to license portability and employment.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Is partnering with the Department of War (DoW), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) to support the mobility of licensed dentists and dental hygienists through the development of a new interstate compact. This compact will create reciprocity among participant states, and reduce the barriers to license portability.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is partnering with the Department of War (DoW) and The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) to support the mobility of licensed dietitians through the development of a new interstate compact. This additional licensing pathway will facilitate multistate practice among member states and reduce the barriers to license portability.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is partnering with the Department of War (DoW) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) to support the mobility of school psychologists through the development of this interstate compact. This compact reduces barriers to license portability and employment for school psychologists.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is partnering with the Department of War (DoW) and The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) to support the mobility of licensed respiratory therapists through the development of a new interstate compact. This additional licensing pathway will facilitate multistate practice among member states and reduce the barriers to license portability.
The Athletic Trainer Compact is a legislatively enacted contract among states providing an efficient process for licensed athletic trainers to establish multistate practice. Through the compact, an athletic trainer licensed in a compact member state can quickly and easily add “privileges to practice” in the other compact member states without having to go through each state’s initial license or reciprocity application process.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) is partnering with the Department of War (DoW) and the Future of the Beauty Industry Coalition to support the mobility of licensed cosmetologists through the development of a new interstate compact. This additional licensing pathway will create reciprocity among participant states and reduce the barriers to license portability and employment.
Interstate compacts help states coordinate complex infrastructure projects that span multiple jurisdictions. These agreements can reduce delays, improve transparency, and promote collaboration while maintaining state control.
This compact supports regional coordination on transmission line siting by implementing practices like standardizing application and review processes, deducing delays and uncertainty, and helping states avoid unnecessary federal preemption
States use interstate compacts to manage shared natural resources that cross jurisdictional boundaries, including water systems and ecosystems. These compacts establish governance structures that promote coordination, consistency, and long-term sustainability.
Established in 2008, this compact supports coordinated management and protection of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin through shared standards and collective decision-making.
Curious whether an interstate compact might be a good fit for your profession? NCIC can help answer questions and walk you through what the compact development process looks like. We work with professional associations, associations or federations of state licensing boards, coalitions of state licensing boards, and national credentialing bodies representing professions licensed in at least 30 states.
NCIC supports key parts of the interstate compact development process, including:
Bringing together a compact technical assistance group
Convening a compact document drafting team
Hosting a national legislative briefing for state legislators
Creating a legislative resource kit
Social Work Licensure Compact
In 2024, the Council of State Governments (CSG) partnered with the Department of War (DoW) and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to establish the Social Work Licensure Compact to support the mobility of licensed social workers. This additional licensing pathway facilitates multistate practice among member states and reduces the barriers to license portability.
Learn more…