Transferring Your Professional License

• School teacher: Licensing requirements for teachers vary by state, but some states will issue a provisional license if you have a license from another state. Several interstate agreements are in effect:
  • The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact was developed through a cooperative agreement funded by the Defense Department in partnership with The Council of State Governments. It provides seamless licensure exchange for certified teachers and has been adopted in 12 states and is pending in other states.
  • The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification administers an agreement that helps teachers transfer their credentials within member states. Visit its Interstate Agreement page for details.
  • DOD schools’ human resources overseas accept teaching licenses from any state or territory as long as the teaching categories are marked on the license.
• School psychologist: Through the partnership with The Council of State Governments and the DOD, the National Association of School Psychologists has developed a new interstate compact. For more information about this compact, visit The Interstate Compact for School Psychologists webpage.

• Audiology and speech-language pathology: All states require a license to practice professionally. Visit the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact for more information. The ASLP-IC has been enacted into law in 31 states.
• Counselor: Licensed professional counselors may be eligible to obtain a privilege to practice through the Counseling Compact, which is slated to begin accepting applications around late 2024. The compact has more than 30 member states.
• Dentist and dental hygienist: Nearly all states require a license or certification. Check out the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact for more information about the development of a new interstate compact. The compact is in the final stages of development. View the What’s Next? resource for the timeline to implementation, and see the map of participating states.
• Emergency medical technician and paramedic: All states require some type of license or certification. Check with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians for national certifications. The U.S. Emergency Medical Services Compact is available in 24 states. Find out more information by visiting the EMS Compact.
• Medical doctor: An interstate licensure compact is available for medical physicians. Currently, the compact includes 37 states, and other states are introducing legislation to adopt it. For more information, visit Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.
• Medical transcriptionist: Most states don’t require licensing or certification. Visit the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity for information about voluntary credentials.
• Nurse practitioner: Although licensing requirements vary by state, there is a national certification offered by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Several states have adopted an occupational licensure compact for nurse practitioners, which will activate after reaching seven states. You can learn more at the APRN Compact website.
• Nursing: All states require licensing for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. Many states participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows nurses to practice with a multistate license. See the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
• Occupational therapist: All states require licensing. The compact is available in 28 states. Visit the American Occupational Therapy Association and OT Compact for more information.
• Physical therapist: All states require licensing. Some expedite licensing for military spouses moving into their states. Visit the American Physical Therapy Association. The Physical Therapy Compact issues a privilege-to-practice license and is available in more than 30 states.
• Physician assistant: All states require a license, but rules vary. See the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. The PA Compact is being introduced in legislatures across the nation, and you can find more information by visiting PA Compact. The compact has reached the required number of member states and is in the final stages of development.
• Psychologist interjurisdictional: All states require a license to practice. PSYPACT allows psychologists to practice telehealth across states and within a state for 30 days.
• Registered dietician: Most states require licensing or certification. Through the partnership with The Council of State Governments and the DOD, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has developed the Dietician Licensure Compact, which launched in 2023 and is available for adoption. It is a privilege-to-practice compact. Once the compact activates, practitioners must meet the requirements and apply.
• Social work: All states require some type of license or registration, but requirements vary. Nationally recognized agencies offer credentials that may transfer between states. See the Association of Social Work Boards for more information. Learn more about the compact by visiting Social Work Licensure Compact.

• Attorney: The Military Spouse J.D. Network advocates for licensing accommodations for military spouses in each state.
• Child care worker: Many employers prefer to hire workers who have earned a nationally recognized designation. See the National Child Care Association.
• Cosmetologist (includes hair stylists, barbers, nail technicians and skin care specialists): While states have varying licensing requirements, the National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology offers a national testing program. The cosmetology compact is developed through a cooperative agreement with the DOD.
• Massage therapist: Many states require some type of credential. Visit the American Massage Therapy Association and the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. The massage therapy compact, which launched in 2023, is available for adoption.
• Paralegal: Credentials are not required in most states, although a nationally recognized certification through the National Association of Legal Assistants may offer an advantage when looking for a new job.
• Real estate agent: Licenses are required in every state. The National Association of Realtors has a listing of state and local real estate boards, with details on state licensing requirements and reciprocity agreements.

If you hold a professional license and meet certain requirements, a 2023 amendment to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act allows you to take your license with you when you PCS to a new state. Your license or certificate will be considered valid at a “similar scope of practice” in the discipline you apply for in the new jurisdiction for the duration of the military orders.

The new SCRA provision identifies occupational licensure compacts as an exception to utilizing the provision. If available, an occupational licensure compact is to be used for licensure portability.

Occupational licensure compacts are state-to-state agreements that allow seamless portability of a license. Compacts are utilized by everyone in the profession, not just military spouses. This ensures that both the state and the employer recognize the license. You can learn more about compacts at the National Center for Interstate Compacts.

In some occupations, your state-issued license — no matter where it’s from — is valid for government and contracting jobs. Learn more about transferring certifications overseas.

Visit the Defense-State Liaison Office’s website, Military State Policy Source, to see the full scope of the DOD’s licensing efforts and stay up to date. DSLO partners with state policymakers and leaders to help reduce or eliminate licensing barriers for military spouses as they move with the military.

Identify occupations with good job portability and search for open positions with hundreds of employers committed to hiring military spouses through the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Job Search on MySECO.