District of Columbia

District of Columbia shares 4 interstate compacts with Maryland, providing strong mutual recognition across many professions. Shared compacts: Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, Physical Therapy Compact, Counseling Compact. NLC legislation introduced but not yet enacted; participates in several compacts.

District of Columbia is a member of 4 compacts: Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, Physical Therapy Compact, Counseling Compact. You share 4 of these with Maryland: Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, Physical Therapy Compact, Counseling Compact.

Maryland is an NLC member, but District of Columbia is not. Your multistate NLC license does not cover practice in District of Columbia. You will need to apply for a separate District of Columbia nursing license.

Teaching license portability from Maryland to District of Columbia: Accepts out-of-state certificates through reciprocity agreements. Most states participate in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, but specific requirements vary by state and endorsement area.

District of Columbia supports PE license comity through NCEES. Licensed Professional Engineers from Maryland can apply for licensure by comity, which is a streamlined process using your NCEES Record. This typically requires verifying your education, exam passage, and experience meet District of Columbia's requirements.

Expedited licensing for military spouses and veterans. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), updated December 2024, all states are now required to recognize valid professional licenses from other states for military personnel and their spouses.

Joined Counseling Compact; NLC bill introduced 2025.

For the most current licensing requirements and compact participation details, visit the official District of Columbia licensing page at https://dchealth.dc.gov/. Requirements and compact memberships may change as new legislation is enacted.