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Night Nurse

Night nurses by state

The rules change at the state line.

Which license a night nurse needs, whether you get paid leave, and what you owe as an employer all depend on where you live. Here is every state, checked against its own sources.

The short answer

40 states are in the Nurse Licensure Compact, and in those a multistate license from another compact state covers your baby's care. In Alaska, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon and Washington, DC, and for now in Massachusetts, a nurse needs that state's own license. 12 states and DC pay new parents for bonding leave.

Every state

License, leave and payroll rules.

Night nurse rules by state, October 2026
StateLicense that covers care therePaid leave for new parentsDomestic worker law
AlabamaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
AlaskaState RN or LPN onlyNo state programFederal rules only
ArizonaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
ArkansasState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
CaliforniaState RN or LVN onlyYes, up to 8 weeksYes, since 2013
ColoradoState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseYes, up to 12 weeksYes, since 2020
ConnecticutState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseYes, up to 12 weeksFederal rules only
DelawareState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseYes, up to 12 weeksFederal rules only
FloridaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
GeorgiaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
HawaiiState RN or LPN onlyNo state programYes, since 2013
IdahoState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
IllinoisState RN or LPN onlyNo state programYes, since 2016
IndianaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
IowaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
KansasState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
KentuckyState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
LouisianaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
MaineState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseYes, up to 12 weeksFederal rules only
MarylandState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
MassachusettsState RN or LPN only, compact pendingYes, up to 12 weeksYes, since 2014
MichiganState RN or LPN onlyNo state programFederal rules only
MinnesotaState RN or LPN onlyYes, up to 12 weeksFederal rules only
MississippiState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
MissouriState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
MontanaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
NebraskaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
NevadaState RN or LPN onlyNo state programYes, since 2017
New HampshireState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
New JerseyState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseYes, up to 12 weeksYes, since 2024
New MexicoState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programYes, since 2019
New YorkState RN or LPN onlyYes, up to 12 weeksYes, since 2010
North CarolinaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
North DakotaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
OhioState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
OklahomaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
OregonState RN or LPN onlyYes, up to 12 weeksYes, since 2015
PennsylvaniaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
Rhode IslandState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseYes, up to 8 weeksYes, since 2024
South CarolinaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
South DakotaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
TennesseeState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
TexasState RN or LVN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
UtahState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
VermontState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
VirginiaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programYes, since 2021
WashingtonState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseYes, up to 12 weeksYes, since 2026
Washington, DCState RN or LPN onlyYes, up to 12 weeksYes, since 2022
West VirginiaState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
WisconsinState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only
WyomingState RN or LPN, or a multistate licenseNo state programFederal rules only

Checked October 2026. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, a household employee who does not live in your home, paid by the hour, is owed time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek. Each state page lists its sources.

Why it matters

Three things to check first.

The license has to cover your state. A nurse licensed in one state cannot always care for a baby in another. Ask for the license number and look it up on Nursys or with the state board before you hire.

Paid leave sets your timeline. Families in states with paid family leave often book night care for the weeks after leave ends, when both parents are back at work.

You are the employer. You hire your nurse directly, so overtime and payroll rules apply to your family. Some states add rules beyond the federal ones.

Sources

  1. Nurse Licensure Compact, current member states
  2. Nursys QuickConfirm, look up a nurse's license
  3. U.S. Department of Labor, domestic service employment under the FLSA

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