{
 "_meta": {
  "built_on": "2026-07-24",
  "as_of": "2026-07",
  "title_en": "Professional and occupational licenses regardless of immigration status, by state (2026)",
  "title_es": "Licencias profesionales y ocupacionales sin importar el estatus migratorio, por estado (2026)",
  "jurisdiction_count": 51,
  "coverage": "50 states + District of Columbia",
  "federal_anchor": "8 U.S.C. § 1621(c)(1)(A) classifies professional and commercial licenses as State or local public benefits barred to people not lawfully present; § 1621(d) lets a state opt out only through a law enacted after Aug 22, 1996 that affirmatively provides for such eligibility.",
  "federal_anchor_url": "https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1621",
  "portal_source": "Presidents' Alliance Higher Ed Immigration Portal, Professional & Occupational Licensure",
  "portal_source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/",
  "ncsl_source": "NCSL, Professional and Occupational Licenses for Immigrants (updated Jan 17, 2017 — stale, historical named-profession detail only)",
  "ncsl_source_url": "https://www.ncsl.org/immigration/professional-and-occupational-licenses-for-immigrants",
  "clinic_source": "CLINIC, Professional and Occupational Licenses for Immigrants (Aug 22, 2019)",
  "clinic_source_url": "https://www.cliniclegal.org/resources/state-and-local/professional-and-occupational-licenses-immigrants",
  "puerto_rico_note": "Puerto Rico is classified 'No State Policy' by the portal; noted separately, not counted among the 50 states and DC.",
  "method": "Whether each of the 50 states and DC has enacted a law under 8 U.S.C. § 1621(d) making professional and occupational licenses available regardless of immigration status, and how broadly (all/most professions, named professions, or work-authorized applicants only), as of 2026. The category is taken from the Presidents' Alliance Higher Ed Immigration Portal and corrected to the enacting statute where the tracker lagged (Tennessee Public Chapter 955, 2026; New Mexico SB 137, 2020; Washington RCW 18.415, 2024; Wisconsin Act 240, 2026). The 9 universal-access states are each pinned to a primary/legislative source; states classified only by the portal cite the portal. This is general procedural information, not legal advice; income, scope and documentation rules vary and change — confirm current requirements with the state licensing board before applying. No eligibility advice."
 },
 "summary": {
  "jurisdictions": 51,
  "universal_count": 9,
  "partial_count": 12,
  "restrictive_count": 3,
  "no_opt_out_count": 27,
  "count_note": "9 universal + 12 partial + 3 restrictive (Alabama, Florida, Tennessee) + 27 no-opt-out (26 states + DC) = 51 (50 states + DC); Puerto Rico counted separately. The portal's raw split is Comprehensive 7 / Accessible 4 / Limited 11 / Restrictive 2 / No State Policy 26 + DC + PR; corrected to enacted statute where the tracker lagged: Tennessee moved from Limited to restrictive (Public Chapter 955, 2026); New Mexico (SB 137, 2020) and Washington (RCW 18.415, 2024) moved from Accessible to universal; Wisconsin's 2026 Act 240 (DACA-only) postdates the portal snapshot.",
  "earliest_universal": {
   "state": "California",
   "enacted_year": 2014,
   "enabling_law": "SB 1159"
  },
  "latest_universal": {
   "state": "Washington",
   "enacted_year": 2024,
   "enabling_law": "HB 1889 → RCW 18.415.010"
  },
  "latest_universal_note": "Vermont and Washington both enacted universal-access laws in 2024; Washington's chapter 18.415 RCW took effect July 1, 2024.",
  "latest_restrictive": {
   "state": "Tennessee",
   "enacted_year": 2026,
   "enabling_law": "Public Chapter 955"
  },
  "universal_states": [
   {
    "state": "California",
    "abbr": "CA",
    "enacted_year": 2014,
    "enabling_law": "SB 1159"
   },
   {
    "state": "Illinois",
    "abbr": "IL",
    "enacted_year": 2018,
    "enabling_law": "SB 3109 / Public Act 100-0872"
   },
   {
    "state": "Nevada",
    "abbr": "NV",
    "enacted_year": 2019,
    "enabling_law": "AB 275"
   },
   {
    "state": "New Jersey",
    "abbr": "NJ",
    "enacted_year": 2020,
    "enabling_law": "S2455"
   },
   {
    "state": "New Mexico",
    "abbr": "NM",
    "enacted_year": 2020,
    "enabling_law": "SB 137 (Laws 2020, ch. 53) → NMSA 1978 § 61-1-35"
   },
   {
    "state": "Colorado",
    "abbr": "CO",
    "enacted_year": 2021,
    "enabling_law": "SB21-077"
   },
   {
    "state": "Delaware",
    "abbr": "DE",
    "enacted_year": 2023,
    "enabling_law": "SB 80 / Senate Substitute 1 for SB 80"
   },
   {
    "state": "Vermont",
    "abbr": "VT",
    "enacted_year": 2024,
    "enabling_law": "Act 105 / H.606"
   },
   {
    "state": "Washington",
    "abbr": "WA",
    "enacted_year": 2024,
    "enabling_law": "HB 1889 (ch. 50, Laws of 2024) → RCW 18.415.010"
   }
  ],
  "restrictive_states": [
   {
    "state": "Alabama",
    "abbr": "AL"
   },
   {
    "state": "Tennessee",
    "abbr": "TN"
   },
   {
    "state": "Florida",
    "abbr": "FL"
   }
  ]
 },
 "jurisdictions": [
  {
   "state": "California",
   "abbr": "CA",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2014,
   "enabling_law": "SB 1159",
   "scope": "all professional licenses",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://www.ncsl.org/immigration/professional-and-occupational-licenses-for-immigrants",
   "source_quote": "Any individual lawfully or unlawfully present in the U.S. can apply for and receive a professional license, provided he or she fulfills all other requirements."
  },
  {
   "state": "Illinois",
   "abbr": "IL",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2018,
   "enabling_law": "SB 3109 / Public Act 100-0872",
   "scope": "all professions",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/100/100-0872.htm",
   "source_quote": "SB 3109 (2018) prohibits state officials from denying a professional license to anyone solely based on their immigration or citizenship status. Applicants may provide their ITIN number in place of a Social Security Number to apply for a license."
  },
  {
   "state": "Nevada",
   "abbr": "NV",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2019,
   "enabling_law": "AB 275",
   "scope": "professional licenses generally",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://www.cliniclegal.org/resources/state-and-local/professional-and-occupational-licenses-immigrants",
   "source_quote": "AB 275 (2019) amended the state law by removing references to citizenship requirements for professional licenses. Officials are prohibited from denying a license based on immigration or citizenship status, and applicants may provide an ITIN number in place of a Social Security Number when applying for a license."
  },
  {
   "state": "New Jersey",
   "abbr": "NJ",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2020,
   "enabling_law": "S2455",
   "scope": "professional and occupational licenses generally",
   "itin_accepted": null,
   "source_url": "https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/approved/20200901c.shtml",
   "source_quote": "prohibits lawful presence in the United States as a qualification to obtain a professional or occupational license, provided that the applicant meets all other requirements for licensure.",
   "boards": 51,
   "licensees": 750000,
   "professions_count": 175,
   "note": "New Jersey's 51 occupational and professional licensing boards collectively license roughly 750,000 individuals across 175 professions. ITIN acceptance is not specified in the available source."
  },
  {
   "state": "New Mexico",
   "abbr": "NM",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2020,
   "enabling_law": "SB 137 (Laws 2020, ch. 53) → NMSA 1978 § 61-1-35",
   "scope": "occupational or professional licensure or certification generally — an express § 1621(d) affirmation that bars conflicting agency rules",
   "itin_accepted": null,
   "source_url": "https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/20%20Regular/final/SB0137.pdf",
   "source_quote": "A person is eligible for occupational or professional licensure or certification for which that person is qualified, regardless of the person's citizenship or immigration status. ... This section serves as the affirmation of eligibility ... pursuant to 8 U.S.C. Section 1621(d).",
   "note": "Enrolled SB 137 verified at nmlegis.gov (signed Mar 6, 2020). § 61-1-35 itself is silent on SSN/ITIN; ITIN-in-lieu-of-SSN came separately via SB 219 (Laws 2021, ch. 70) for individual licensing statutes, so itin_accepted is left unspecified. The portal classifies New Mexico only “Accessible” — superseded here by the enacted statute."
  },
  {
   "state": "Colorado",
   "abbr": "CO",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2021,
   "enabling_law": "SB21-077",
   "scope": "all state professional and occupational credentials except a short list (tramway, non-transplant tissue banks, funeral homes and crematories, and private investigators)",
   "itin_accepted": null,
   "source_url": "https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb21-077",
   "source_quote": "lawful presence is not required of any applicant for any state or local license, certificate, or registration.",
   "note": "SB21-077 amends C.R.S. § 24-76.5-103. The universal access carves out four credential types: tramway, non-transplant tissue banks, funeral homes and crematories, and private investigators."
  },
  {
   "state": "Delaware",
   "abbr": "DE",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2023,
   "enabling_law": "SB 80 / Senate Substitute 1 for SB 80",
   "scope": "professional licenses generally (amends Title 29)",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=130280",
   "source_quote": "codifies the current practice in Delaware of not requiring proof of citizenship or a specific immigration status on an application for a professional license, and brings Delaware into compliance with a federal requirement in place since August 22, 1996, under 8 U.S.C.S. § 1621(d).",
   "note": "The cleanest citable example: the enacting synopsis names the 8 U.S.C. § 1621(d) opt-out mechanism directly."
  },
  {
   "state": "Vermont",
   "abbr": "VT",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2024,
   "enabling_law": "Act 105 / H.606",
   "scope": "professional licenses and certifications regardless of status (50-plus professions)",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/ACTS/ACT105/ACT105%20As%20Enacted.pdf",
   "source_quote": "grants licenses regardless of their immigration status or lack thereof, and gives applicants the option of providing a federal employer identification number or an individual taxpayer identification number, instead of a social security number, to obtain or maintain a professional license or certification."
  },
  {
   "state": "Washington",
   "abbr": "WA",
   "category": "universal",
   "enacted_year": 2024,
   "enabling_law": "HB 1889 (ch. 50, Laws of 2024) → RCW 18.415.010",
   "scope": "all businesses and professions under Title 18 RCW (120+ professions), except interstate compacts; carve-outs for private investigators, security guards, and bail bond recovery agents (ch. 18.165/18.170 RCW, RCW 18.185.250)",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=18.415.010",
   "source_quote": "An individual who is not lawfully present in the United States is eligible for a professional license, commercial license, certificate, permit, or registration as allowed under Title 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1621. ... may provide an individual taxpayer identification number in lieu of a social security number.",
   "note": "Chapter 18.415 RCW (“Immigration and Citizenship Status”), effective July 1, 2024; section text verified at app.leg.wa.gov. The portal classifies Washington only “Accessible” — superseded here by the enacted statute."
  },
  {
   "state": "Utah",
   "abbr": "UT",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "named_profession",
   "professions": [
    "occupational therapy"
   ],
   "enacted_year": 2015,
   "enabling_law": "SB 131 / HB 194",
   "source_url": "https://www.ncsl.org/immigration/professional-and-occupational-licenses-for-immigrants",
   "note": "Occupational therapists licensed abroad (NCSL/CLINIC). Portal classifies Utah “Limited.”"
  },
  {
   "state": "West Virginia",
   "abbr": "WV",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "named_profession",
   "professions": [
    "teaching"
   ],
   "enacted_year": 2015,
   "enabling_law": "HB 2005",
   "source_url": "https://www.ncsl.org/immigration/professional-and-occupational-licenses-for-immigrants",
   "note": "Permit to teach for exchange/foreign teachers (NCSL/CLINIC). Portal classifies West Virginia “Limited.”"
  },
  {
   "state": "Nebraska",
   "abbr": "NE",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "work_authorized",
   "enacted_year": 2016,
   "enabling_law": "LB 947",
   "source_url": "https://www.ncsl.org/immigration/professional-and-occupational-licenses-for-immigrants",
   "note": "People with USCIS work authorization (including DACA recipients) may apply for professional and commercial licenses; enacted over the governor’s veto. Portal classifies Nebraska “Limited.”"
  },
  {
   "state": "New York",
   "abbr": "NY",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "work_authorized",
   "enacted_year": 2016,
   "enabling_law": "Board of Regents regulation",
   "source_url": "https://www.cliniclegal.org/resources/state-and-local/professional-and-occupational-licenses-immigrants",
   "note": "A May 2016 Board of Regents regulation lets DACA recipients earn teaching certifications and licenses in 50 professions; Matter of Vargas, 131 A.D.3d 4 (2015), admitted a DACA recipient to the bar. Portal classifies New York “Limited.”"
  },
  {
   "state": "Indiana",
   "abbr": "IN",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "work_authorized",
   "enacted_year": 2018,
   "enabling_law": "P.L. 172-2018 → IC 12-32-1-6.5",
   "itin_accepted": null,
   "source_url": "https://iga.in.gov/laws/2025/ic/titles/12#12-32-1-6.5",
   "source_quote": "An individual who is authorized by the federal government to work in the United States is eligible for a professional or occupational license ... if the individual meets all the requirements, other than the requirement under 8 USC 1621(a), to obtain or renew the ... license.",
   "note": "A real § 1621(a) waiver inside IC 12-32-1 (“Restrictions on Public Benefits”), but limited to federally work-authorized individuals (DACA/TPS EAD holders) — those without work authorization stay barred, so Indiana stays partial. License coverage itself is broad (any state/local professional or occupational license). No ITIN provision in the chapter."
  },
  {
   "state": "Mississippi",
   "abbr": "MS",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "named_profession",
   "professions": [
    "licensed professional counseling"
   ],
   "enacted_year": 2018,
   "enabling_law": "HB 708",
   "source_url": "https://www.cliniclegal.org/resources/state-and-local/professional-and-occupational-licenses-immigrants",
   "note": "Work-authorized persons may become Licensed Professional Counselors (CLINIC). Portal classifies Mississippi “Limited.”"
  },
  {
   "state": "Arkansas",
   "abbr": "AR",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "named_profession",
   "professions": [
    "nursing"
   ],
   "enacted_year": 2019,
   "enabling_law": "HB 1552",
   "source_url": "https://www.cliniclegal.org/resources/state-and-local/professional-and-occupational-licenses-immigrants",
   "note": "DACA recipients who completed the requirements may apply for nursing licenses (CLINIC). Portal classifies Arkansas “Limited.”"
  },
  {
   "state": "Oregon",
   "abbr": "OR",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "accessible",
   "enacted_year": 2019,
   "enabling_law": "SB 854 (2019 Or. Laws ch. 468) → ORS 670.406",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors670.html",
   "source_quote": "a professional licensing board ... that requires a person to provide the person's Social Security number on an application ... shall accept in lieu of the Social Security number a person's federal individual taxpayer identification number or other federally issued identification number.",
   "note": "⚠️ Oregon is an ITIN-acceptance law, NOT a § 1621(d) opt-out — no Oregon statute affirmatively provides eligibility regardless of lawful presence, so Oregon stays partial. ORS 670.406(2)(b) still lets a board demand an SSN where federal/state law requires it. The portal's “Accessible” label rests on ITIN acceptance plus board-by-board practice. (ORS text verified against the official ORS ch. 670 page; oregonlegislature.gov refuses direct fetches from some networks — re-pull first-party if needed.)"
  },
  {
   "state": "Maryland",
   "abbr": "MD",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "named_profession",
   "professions": [
    "health occupations",
    "emergency medical services"
   ],
   "enacted_year": 2023,
   "enabling_law": "SB 187 / HB 454 (2023 Md. Laws ch. 375/376) → Md. Code, Health Occ. § 1-228; EMS added by HB 380 (2024 ch. 43)",
   "itin_accepted": true,
   "source_url": "https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gho&section=1-228&enactments=false",
   "source_quote": "A health occupations board may not require as a condition for licensure ... that an applicant: (1) Provide proof that the applicant is lawfully present in the United States, as allowed under 8 U.S.C. § 1621; or (2) Have a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.",
   "note": "Covers Health Occupations Article boards (effective Oct 1, 2023) plus the State EMS Board (2024) — NOT trades/business boards, so Maryland stays partial. Enacted as § 1-227, renumbered § 1-228. Companion Family Law § 10-119.3(b)(3) lets health boards take an ITIN in lieu of an SSN. Portal “Accessible” classification now statute-grounded."
  },
  {
   "state": "Wisconsin",
   "abbr": "WI",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "work_authorized",
   "enacted_year": 2026,
   "enabling_law": "2025 Wisconsin Act 240 (AB 759) → Wis. Stat. § 995.40",
   "itin_accepted": null,
   "source_url": "https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2026/04/07/file_attachments/3610355/ab759.pdf",
   "source_quote": "Pursuant to 8 USC 1621 (d), an individual who is not a U.S. citizen is eligible to receive any occupational authorization despite the individual's citizenship status if all of the following apply:",
   "note": "An express § 1621(d) opt-out signed Apr 9, 2026 — NEWER than the portal's “Limited” label. Universal as to license types (any credential from any agency or examining board, incl. teaching and insurance) but limited to DACA recipients with unexpired deferred action AND an unexpired EAD, and only those first granted DACA before the effective date — so Wisconsin stays partial. No ITIN provision. Sources: enrolled AB 759 (Governor's office host) + Wisconsin DSPS implementation page (“Wisconsin Act 240 - Credentialing DACA Recipients”); re-verify at docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/acts/240 when that site is reachable (it was down site-wide Jul 25, 2026)."
  },
  {
   "state": "Connecticut",
   "abbr": "CT",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "limited",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/",
   "note": "NO § 1621(d) statute exists (verified Jul 2026): the CT legislature's own OLR inventory of immigrant-benefit laws (report 2024-R-0040) lists no professional-licensing act, and CGS ch. 416 is silent on immigration status. The portal's “Limited” rests on agency practice — work-authorized applicants (incl. DACA) accepted, and a few professions reachable by paper application with an ITIN per the portal's 2023 survey. Classification is the tracker's."
  },
  {
   "state": "Pennsylvania",
   "abbr": "PA",
   "category": "partial",
   "basis": "limited",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/",
   "note": "NO § 1621(d) statute exists (verified Jul 2026): PA Dept. of State's own Dec-2021 licensure report says SSN disclosure is mandatory and recommends PA adopt CA SB 1159 / NV AB 275-style legislation — proof it has not. The portal's “Limited” rests on BPOA administrative practice: an SSN-waiver form allows INITIAL licensure without an SSN but not renewal. Corroboration: pa.gov New-Pennsylvanians Licensure Survey (Dec 16, 2021); 39 Pa.B. 2058 (2009). Classification is the tracker's."
  },
  {
   "state": "Alabama",
   "abbr": "AL",
   "category": "restrictive",
   "enacted_year": 2011,
   "enabling_law": "Beason-Hammon Act (HB 56, Act 2011-535 § 30, amended by Act 2012-491) → Ala. Code § 31-13-29; see also § 31-13-7",
   "scope": "bars aliens not lawfully present from “public records transactions,” expressly including applying for or renewing a business, commercial, or professional license; violation is a Class C felony, and an existing license must be revoked on federal notification of unlawful presence",
   "source_url": "https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabama?section=31-13-29",
   "source_quote": "public records transaction means applying for or renewing a motor vehicle license plate, applying for or renewing a driver's license or nondriver identification card, applying for or renewing a business license, applying for or renewing a commercial license, or applying for or renewing a professional license.",
   "note": "Statute-pinned Jul 2026 from the official Code of Alabama: § 31-13-29 is the operative section naming professional licenses; § 31-13-7 separately bars 8 U.S.C. § 1621 public benefits. Both sections survived the HICA v. Bentley litigation (the permanent injunctions hit other sections) and remain in the current Code. No ITIN pathway — lawful presence verified through SAVE."
  },
  {
   "state": "Tennessee",
   "abbr": "TN",
   "category": "restrictive",
   "enacted_year": 2026,
   "enabling_law": "Public Chapter 955 (HB 1709 / SB 1901)",
   "scope": "requires U.S. citizen or qualified alien (Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-58-102) for a professional license, at application and renewal",
   "source_url": "https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0955.pdf",
   "note": "Passed Apr 22, 2026; effective on or about May 7, 2026; amends roughly 30 code titles. Applies to licenses applied for or renewed on or after the effective date, so an EAD/work permit alone no longer qualifies. Narrow physician exception for applicants who prove they have applied for a work-authorizing visa. SECTION 59 separately removed a citizenship requirement from dental-hygiene licensure, so the act is not uniformly restrictive. The 2023 portal snapshot still lists Tennessee “Limited” — superseded here by the enacted statute."
  },
  {
   "state": "Florida",
   "abbr": "FL",
   "category": "restrictive",
   "source_url": "https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/455.10",
   "portal_source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/",
   "note": "Cited both ways. Fla. Stat. § 455.10 (2025): “No person shall be disqualified from practicing an occupation or profession regulated by the state solely because he or she is not a United States citizen” (silent on lawful presence). The Higher Ed Immigration Portal classifies Florida “Restrictive.” Section 455.10 removes citizenship as a bar but predates 8 U.S.C. § 1621 (1996) and does not affirmatively provide eligibility for the unlawfully present, so it does not meet the § 1621(d) opt-out; Florida’s affirmative access (HB 755, 2014) reaches only bar admission under narrow conditions. Presented cite-both, not forced to one label."
  },
  {
   "state": "Alaska",
   "abbr": "AK",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Arizona",
   "abbr": "AZ",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "District of Columbia",
   "abbr": "DC",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Georgia",
   "abbr": "GA",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Hawaii",
   "abbr": "HI",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Idaho",
   "abbr": "ID",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Iowa",
   "abbr": "IA",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Kansas",
   "abbr": "KS",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Kentucky",
   "abbr": "KY",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Louisiana",
   "abbr": "LA",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Maine",
   "abbr": "ME",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Massachusetts",
   "abbr": "MA",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Michigan",
   "abbr": "MI",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/",
   "note": "Executive-branch licensing guidance only; no enacting legislation. Higher Ed Immigration Portal: “No State Policy.”"
  },
  {
   "state": "Minnesota",
   "abbr": "MN",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Missouri",
   "abbr": "MO",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Montana",
   "abbr": "MT",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "New Hampshire",
   "abbr": "NH",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "North Carolina",
   "abbr": "NC",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "North Dakota",
   "abbr": "ND",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Ohio",
   "abbr": "OH",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Oklahoma",
   "abbr": "OK",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Rhode Island",
   "abbr": "RI",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "South Carolina",
   "abbr": "SC",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "South Dakota",
   "abbr": "SD",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/",
   "note": "Cited both ways. NCSL/CLINIC record SD SB 1045 (2015, dentistry), a narrow named-profession law; the Higher Ed Immigration Portal lists South Dakota “No State Policy.” Kept in the federal-default tier per the current tracker, with the 2015 dentistry law noted."
  },
  {
   "state": "Texas",
   "abbr": "TX",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Virginia",
   "abbr": "VA",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/"
  },
  {
   "state": "Wyoming",
   "abbr": "WY",
   "category": "no_opt_out",
   "source_url": "https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/states/professional-occupational-licensure/",
   "note": "Cited both ways. NCSL/CLINIC record WY HB 214 (2015), which repealed the citizenship requirement for bar applicants; the Higher Ed Immigration Portal lists Wyoming “No State Policy.” Kept in the federal-default tier per the current tracker, with the 2015 bar-admission law noted."
  }
 ]
}