Provided all of your required paperwork is in order—and you have a current, active license and no encumbrances—you ca receive a temporary license through a ‘walk through’ system in as little as one day in:

California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Vermont.

Depending on each of the above states’ policies, fees can vary and your temporary licensure could be valid for as little as eight weeks or as long as six months. Remember, there may be some additional requirements to meet. For example, in North Carolina, a nurse must make an appointment with the Board of Nursing in in order to obtain a temporary license, even though NC is recognized as a “walk through” state.

Other states give nurses similar opportunities. Those who are interested in practicing in the “Last Frontier” state of Alaska are able to contact the Alaska Board of Nursing (ABN) to schedule an appointment for a walk through. And in Virginia, RNs who wish to practice in the state are allowed to work under any current license for a maximum of 30 days, which is the maximum allowable length of time to process a permanent RN license in the ‘Old Dominion’ State.

If you know which state you will be traveling to for a future travel nurse assignment, it would be in your best interest to contact that state’s Board of Nursing beforehand to establish its requirements.

To find a Board of Nursing for a particular state or jurisdiction, visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’ interactive map for the contact information you need.