PA Licensure Compact: member states, status and how it works

This guide reflects the PA Compact Commission's public pages as we checked them on October 22, 2026. The commission's most recent legislative update is dated August 28, 2026, and it reports that there are 29 Compact Member States and that no states are actively issuing privileges yet. Bills to join are pending in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

The compact itself has been active for a while. The compact activation threshold of seven participating states was met in April 2024, and the Compact Commission held its inaugural meeting in September 2024. Since then the commission has been writing rules and building the shared data system that will actually issue privileges. In February 2026 the Executive Committee voted to accept a data system proposal from Focus Consulting LLC.

On timing, the commission's FAQ says compact privileges are projected to be available in early 2027, and AAPA reports that the commission anticipates PAs will have access to compact privileges by early-to-mid 2027. Those are projections, not dates. The August 2026 newsletter notes that the start of data system development was delayed, with work on the database hoped to begin by the end of August and a viable database planned for early 2027.

The PA Compact home page lists these 29 member states. We grouped them by region for scanning; the list itself comes from pacompact.org. Being a member state means the legislature enacted the compact. It does not mean that state can issue a privilege today, because no state can until the data system is live.

Some notable states are missing from the list, including Texas, California, Florida and New York. If you practice in Texas, see our Texas PA license guide for the state process, which is the only route in for now.

The PA Compact does not create a multistate license. You keep a regular license in one member state (your qualifying license), and you apply for a separate privilege in each additional member state where you want to practice. The commission's FAQ describes a compact privilege as the legal equivalent to a state issued license, so while you practice in that state you follow that state's scope of practice.

1. Hold an active, unrestricted license in a member state. The model legislation defines a qualifying license as one that means an unrestricted License issued by a Participating State to provide Medical Services as a PA.
2. Apply to the PA Compact Commission for a privilege in a specific remote state. You must apply for an individual compact privilege for each compact member state where services will be provided.
3. Your license and eligibility are verified through the compact data system.
4. Pay the privilege fee and complete any jurisprudence requirement for that state.
5. The privilege is issued, and you practice under that state's laws, scope rules and any supervision or collaboration requirements.

The privilege is tied to your home license. Under the model legislation, the privilege is valid until the expiration or revocation of the qualifying license unless it is terminated because of an adverse action. If your qualifying license is disciplined, your privileges in every remote state are deactivated until two years have elapsed after all restrictions have been removed from the state license.

Fees are not set yet. The FAQ says the cost of a compact privilege will be determined during the operationalization phase, and each member state can add its own privilege fee on top of the commission fee. The commission's guidance to states is that the combined fee should not exceed the current single state licensure fee.

Section 4 of the model legislation sets the eligibility rules. To exercise a compact privilege you must:

• Have graduated from a PA program accredited by ARC-PA (or another program authorized by commission rule).
• Hold current NCCPA certification.
• Have no felony or misdemeanor conviction. The commission's FAQ adds that a PA who pled guilty or no contest to a misdemeanor or felony charge is also ineligible.
• Never have had a controlled substance license, permit or registration suspended or revoked by a state or by the DEA.
• Hold a qualifying license, with no revocation, limitation or restriction on any license you currently hold due to an adverse action.
• Meet any jurisprudence requirement of the remote state.
• Have an FBI criminal background check on file, which your qualifying state reviews when it makes your eligibility decision.

Two practical consequences. First, NCCPA certification matters more under the compact than it does in some states' renewal rules, so keep it current even if your home state does not require it to renew. Second, a PA with an old misdemeanor is not eligible for the compact, but the commission notes that the PA can still pursue a regular single-state license in the state where they want to practice.

• Practice location rules. Telehealth under a privilege is allowed in accordance with the laws and regulations of the state in which the patient is located. Where the patient sits decides which state's rules apply.
• Supervision and collaboration. The FAQ says PAs may still be subject to supervision or collaboration and prescribing authority prerequisites in each state. You will still need whatever agreement that state requires.
• Controlled substances. For each remote state where you want to prescribe controlled substances, you must satisfy that state's own requirements, including registrations.
• Discipline. The commission has no disciplinary authority over PAs. Each state keeps its own.
• Your home license. You must maintain at least one single state license in a member state as your qualifying license.

One thing does get easier: continuing education. You meet the CME rules of your qualifying state and keep NCCPA current, and the FAQ says you will not need to complete additional CME credits for states where you hold compact privileges.

NPs are covered by a different agreement, the APRN Compact, run through NCSBN. It works differently from the PA Compact: an APRN compact allows APRNs to have one multistate license with the ability to practice in all compact states, rather than a separate privilege for each state.

It is also further from launch. In NCSBN's most recent enactment announcement we could find (February 2024), South Dakota became the fourth jurisdiction to enact the APRN Compact, joining Delaware, North Dakota and Utah, and NCSBN states the compact will be implemented when seven states have enacted the legislation. We could not confirm a newer count on an NCSBN page, so check aprncompact.com before relying on any number.

1. Keep your NCCPA certification current. It is a compact eligibility requirement.
2. If you hold several state licenses, check which ones are in member states. Once privileges exist, a PA may let other single state licenses lapse and use privileges instead, but only after the commission's process is live. Do not drop a license early.
3. If you have any past discipline or a criminal history question, call the licensing board in your home state now, before you count on the compact.
4. Ask any multistate employer whether it plans to use compact privileges once available, and who will pay privilege fees.
5. Watch pacompact.org for the launch date. The commission's own advice to PAs is to continue to monitor its website and newsletter.

If you are weighing an offer that depends on licensing in more than one state, our coaching sessions can help you build a question list and a timeline. You can also compare pay by state on our PA salary pages.