From noncompact to compact: You must apply for licensure by endorsement in the new state of residency. Your individual state license issued by the noncompact state is not affected and will remain active if you maintain licensure and if so provided by the laws of the nonparty state.
It will remain on your credit report for seven years and 180 days after it was first reported late. Although paying the settlement is unlikely to affect your credit score, it will ensure that you are not sued. A judgment against you is an even worse blemish on your credit report than a collection.
Fortunately, the law limits the amount of time a negative account, like a debt collection, can be listed on your credit report. The credit bureau can only list past due balance on your credit report for seven years starting from the date of the delinquency. After that, the account should fall off your credit report, even if you haven't paid it. Other collection activity can continue even after a debt has fallen off your credit report.