US state universal occupational license recognition laws — conditions and scope
Which US states have passed universal occupational license recognition laws, what conditions they impose (minimum years licensed, good standing, criminal background, exam requirements), which professions are excluded, and whether military spouse provisions are included. Each record is one state's law with its specific conditions. Answers 'does [state] recognize my out-of-state professional license?', 'how long do I need to have been licensed to qualify?', 'are there professions excluded from universal recognition in [state]?', and 'does [state] have a military spouse licensing provision?' — questions where the answer is rapidly changing as states adopt new laws (22+ states as of mid-2026), and where the conditions differ meaningfully between states.
Records10
Sources10
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LicenceUS state statutes, public domain. State statutory text is government work.
The data
| State | Law citation | Effective date | Scope | Minimum years licensed | Good standing required | Criminal background check | State-specific exam allowed | Excluded professions | Military spouse provision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | ARS § 32-4302 | 2019-04-10 | universal | 1 | yes | disqualifying criminal history as determined by the regulating entity; fingerprint clearance card required | yes | license or registration certificate issued pursuant to chapter 24 or 26 of this title; criteria established by an interstate compact | yes |
| Arkansas | ACA § 17-1-108 | 2019-07-24 | universal | none | yes | if a criminal background check is required of an applicant for an initial occupational license, then the occupational licensing entity may require the same | yes | reciprocity or license by endorsement provisions under numerous specific sections (§§ 17-12-308, 17-26-315, 17-27-308, 17-28-306, 17-31-308, 17-36-304, 17-42-305, 17-43-307, 17-83-305, 17-88-305, 17-89-305, 17-90-302, 17-92-114, 17-92-308, 17-93-414, 17-97-306, 17-99-304, 17-100-304, and 17-103-302) | no |
| Georgia | OCGA § 43-1-35 | 2022-07-01 | universal | none | yes | none specified in this section | yes | firefighter, healthcare provider, or a law enforcement officer; attorneys | yes |
| Iowa | Iowa Code § 272C.12 | 2020-07-01 | universal | none | yes | criminal history that would prevent the person from holding the license in this state | yes | license issued by the department of transportation; criteria established by an interstate compact; license through a national licensing organization | yes |
| Missouri | RSMo § 324.009 | 2018-08-28 | universal | 1 | yes | criminal record that would disqualify him or her for licensure in Missouri | yes | business, professional, or occupational licenses issued or required by political subdivisions; electrical contractor licensed under sections 324.900 to 324.945; interstate compacts | yes |
| Montana | MCA § 37-1-304 | 2019-10-01 | universal | none | yes | none specified in this section | yes | licensure of schools or facilities regulated by boards and programs | no |
| Ohio | ORC § 4796.03 | 2023-12-29 | universal | 1 | yes | convicted of, found guilty pursuant to a judicial finding of, or plead guilty to a criminal offense for which a licensing authority may deny an application | yes | interstate licensure compact professions | yes |
| Pennsylvania | 63 Pa.C.S. § 3111 | 2019-07-01 | universal | 2 | yes | has not committed any act that constitutes grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation of a license | yes | no | |
| Utah | UCA § 58-1-302 | 2019-05-14 | universal | 1 | yes | none specified in this section | yes | no | |
| Virginia | Va. Code § 54.1-118 | 2023-07-01 | universal | 3 | yes | none specified | yes | yes |
Where this came from
Every record above links the page it was taken from and quotes the sentence that states it. These are the 10 sources this dataset was assembled from.
- azleg.govhttps://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/04302.htm
- codes.findlaw.comhttps://codes.findlaw.com/ar/title-17-professions-occupations-and-businesses/ar-code-sect-17-1-108/
- codes.findlaw.comhttps://codes.findlaw.com/ga/title-43-professions-and-businesses/ga-code-sect-43-1-35/
- legis.iowa.govhttps://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/2026/272C.12.pdf
- revisor.mo.govhttps://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=324.009
- leg.mt.govhttps://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0370/chapter_0010/part_0030/section_0040/0370-0010-0030-0040.html
- codes.ohio.govhttps://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-4796
- palegis.ushttps://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=PDF&ttl=63&div=00.&chpt=031.&sctn=011.&subsctn=000.
- codes.findlaw.comhttps://codes.findlaw.com/ut/title-58-occupations-and-professions/ut-code-sect-58-1-302/
- dpor.virginia.govhttps://www.dpor.virginia.gov/news/NewsReleases_ULRTakesEffect
Machine-readable
- data.jsonThe whole dataset — every record with its source URL and source quote.
- Open Knowledge Format bundleOne JSON object per line — every record's frontmatter and quoted span exactly as it is held here, in one fetch.
- How this is made and checkedWhat "verified against source" does and does not mean.