Licensing & Credential Portability for Military Spouses and Veterans
Help families get back to work faster after cross-state moves
Request More Information About Military Reciprocity
Mutual recognition of professional licenses for military families is the law in most states. It shouldn’t be complicated to implement or take months for license holders to complete - but it is. Our military families deserve better.
Merit is partnering with state governments to build an efficient digital solution that solves the last mile of licensing reciprocity by making the transfer of license from one state to another safe, secure, and instantaneous.
The solution helps military families stay together and gets spouses back to work faster so they can provide for their families.

How Merit simplifies licensing portability
User-friendly app is a one-stop shop for all license transfers
Fits your licensing boards’ existing systems and processes
Built-in reporting to measure the impact on military families
By the numbers
14.5%
of military spouses move across state lines every year – compared to 1.1% for civilian spouses*
33%
of military spouses hold a state-issued license for work*
83%
of military spouses report issues with licensing
1 in 3
credentialed military spouses gave up their license after a move**
*Department of Defense data, 2021
** Military Family Advisory Network, 2019
How it Works
States can provide a simple, cost-effective, and secure platform for individuals to look for jobs and monitor progress.
1.
State-issued licenses and credentials earned by military spouses are digitized on the Merit platform.
2.
Using Credential Engine’s Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL), license fields are mapped and made portable across state lines.
3.
Licensees can immediately connect to jobs, trainings, and other qualified opportunities based on their verified digital credentials.
The ASPIRE Coalition
Merit is a proud member of the growing Alliance for States Providing Interoperable Reciprocity (ASPIRE) coalition.





Made up of organizations dedicated to supporting military families and the initiative’s success, the coalition is fighting for states’ adoption of a digital solution for military families with portable digital licenses and credentials that transfer states when they do.
Benefits for States

Help military spouses and veterans get jobs months or weeks faster

Make your existing laws work for military families
Measure the impact on families and communities