Military spouses with professional licenses now can transfer them across state lines

Military families get orders to change duty stations every few years. For Beth Basham, that’s meant four moves over the last decade, as the Air Force ordered her husband from Germany to Hawaii to Wyoming and now, Colorado.

Basham, a dietician, said license requirements for medical nutrition therapy can differ dramatically across the country, and the wait time for a new state license can be nerve wracking.

“Here I am, a spouse who wants to gain employment as soon as she arrives in her new location to prevent that gap in income,” Basham said. “Depending on the state that you are moving to, the credentialing process may or may not take a significant period of time.”

About five years ago, Basham moved from Hawaii — where dieticians didn’t need a license — to Wyoming, where they do. She had a job lined up at a local hospital, but had to wait about three months for Wyoming to license her.

Over a third of active-duty spouses like Basham are employed in fields that require state licensure, according to data collected by the Department of Defense. Gaps in employment are common.