According to an article showcased in the 02 and 09 Jul 2012 issues of the Army and Navy Times respectively “23 states now have laws addressing problems military spouses can face when they try to use their career-field related state license or certification in other than the state of issuance.”

The Defense Department State Liaison Office has been working this issue since 2008 associated with:

• License/Permit Continuation for Active Military – If you are qualified, you may apply to have your professional license remain active while you are on military deployments. The protection from license or permit expiration does not void or limit your obligations as a licensee to meet all requirements of licensure as required by applicable law.

• Provisional License for Military Spouse – If you are qualified, you may apply for a provisional professional license to practice for up to six months while your application for a state of residence issued professional license is pending. This process will allow you to still work while you fulfill the requirements for a permanent license.

States that have adopted laws to date are: Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Illinois | Indiana | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Massachusetts | Missouri | Montana | Nevada | Oklahoma | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin

For further information please contact your local Department of State Division of Professional Regulation Office.

Other military issues addressed in President Barack Obama’s report Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America’s Commitment dated Jan 14, 2011 can be found at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/strengthening_our_military_families meeting_americas_commitment_january_2011.pdf