Louisiana LPN Licensing Guide

The first meeting of the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners (LSBPNE) was held on January 12, 1949, and since then, the LSBPNE has served as a state agency responsible for regulating the practice of practical nursing in Louisiana. Its mission is to protect public health and safety by ensuring that licensed practical nurses are qualified, ethical, and equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe care.

To ensure individuals obtaining Louisiana nursing licenses receive appropriate education and training, the LSBPNE reviews and approves nursing education programs within the state. It also establishes minimum curriculum requirements and standards to ensure nursing program graduates meet state licensing requirements.

LSBPNE requires prospective and renewing nurses to apply through the online Nurse Portal. Applicants receive notifications through the Portal’s message center if LSPNE requires additional information to complete licensure or it approves their Louisiana nursing license application. The Portal also provides status updates throughout the application process.

Louisiana LPN licenses are issued on a calendar-year cycle and expire every year on January 31, regardless of the issuance date. LPNs must renew online via the Nurse Portal between November 1 and January 31. Licenses not renewed by January 31 become inactive and require a reinstatement application with a fee of $162.88. Louisiana LPNs are not eligible for multistate licensure and do not need to convert a single-state license.

Continuing Education Requirements

Currently there is no continuing education requirement for renewal.

Fingerprinting Requirements

All applicants for an initial or reinstated Louisiana LPN license must complete state and federal criminal background checks via the IdentoGO/Live Scan process, which has replaced all prior fingerprinting methods. Results are sent electronically directly from Louisiana State Police (LSP) to the LSBPNE, typically within three business days.

In-State Applicants:

• Schedule and pay for Live Scan services through the IdentoGO portal.

• Fee is $60.75, paid at your appointment location

• If fingerprints are rejected, you will receive an email with a rescheduling link. Use this link to resubmit to avoid additional charges

Out-of-State Applicants:

• If Live Scan is available in your area, schedule an appointment for $55.75 plus a $39.99 convenience fee. Results are delivered in approximately three business days.

• If Live Scan is unavailable, you may opt for CardScan by mail. In that case:

  • Obtain an FBI FD‑258 fingerprint card from law enforcement.

  • Pre-enroll online through IdentoGO, print the shipping label and confirmation page, and mail both the fingerprint card and the confirmation page.

  • The card scan fee is $55.75

Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners (LSBPNE)
131 Airline Drive, Suite 301
Metairie, LA 7000
[email protected]
504-838-5791

Louisiana never joined the original Nurse Licensure Compact, so it became a new addition when the Governor signed Senate Bill 202 and enacted the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) on May 31, 2018. The eNLC became fully implemented on July 1, 2019. Local nurses can now apply to convert their Louisiana LPN licenses to Compact/multistate LPN licenses and practice in other Compact states without applying for any other licensure.

New applicants for a Louisiana LPN license who declare Louisiana as their primary state of residence (PSOR) are potentially eligible for a multistate nursing license. A PSOR is where an applicant has a fixed permanent home for legal purposes. The home’s address should match the address listed on official documents. To prove Louisiana is their PSOR, applicants must upload a PDF copy of one of these documents:

• A current, unexpired Louisiana driver’s license with a home address in Louisiana

• Page 1 of their current federal income tax return with their PSOR declaration

• A DD Form 2058 State of Legal Residence Certificate from the military

If an applicant’s PSOR isn’t in Louisiana, they can’t apply for a multistate license in Louisiana. Only the nurse licensing agency in their PSOR may issue them a multistate license. Applicants whose PSOR is Louisiana but don’t meet all the eligibility requirements of a multistate license receive a single-state nursing license and are only authorized to practice in Louisiana.

Nurses already licensed in Louisiana may apply to convert their single-state Louisiana nursing license to a multistate license if they qualify. To convert, choose “Other Applications” from the home page of the Nurse Portal and choose the “Conversion of Louisiana LPN License to Multistate License” application.

All applicants must send a completed criminal background check packet (CBC) to the LSBPNE office. Because records submitted when they were first licensed may no longer be available for review, conversion applicants may also be required to submit official transcripts, licensure verifications, and other information.

All multistate licensure applicants must meet uniform licensure requirements. They must:

• Declare Louisiana their PSOR and meet all the state’s licensure requirements

• Graduate from a Board-approved nursing education program

• Pass an English proficiency exam, if applicable

• Pass the National Council Licensure Exam for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) or its predecessor

• Hold or be eligible for an active, unencumbered Louisiana nursing license

• Submit state and federal fingerprint-based CBCs

• Have no state or federal felony convictions

• Have no misdemeanor convictions related to nursing

• Not currently be participating in an alternative program

• Self-disclose current participation in an alternative program

• Have a valid U.S. Social Security number (SSN)

Applicants who don’t declare Louisiana as their PSOR within the application or are otherwise ineligible for a multistate license receive a single-state license. Nurses granted a single-state Louisiana LPN license are only authorized to practice in Louisiana.

Applications expire if an applicant doesn’t submit all requested documents within 60 days of submitting an application. Should their application expire, applicants must contact the LSBPNE through the Nurse Portal message center before submitting a new conversion application.

LPNs licensed in other jurisdictions may be eligible for Louisiana LPN licensure by endorsement if they meet all of LSBPNE’s criteria. Applicants must have:

• A current, unrestricted LPN license in another U.S. state or territory

• Current LPN licensure issued directly from the jurisdiction of last employment

• Completed a Board-approved nursing education program or a nursing program that meets or exceeds the educational standards for programs in Louisiana

• Passed the NCLEX-PN or a recognized predecessor exam

• No pending disciplinary actions by any nursing or other health regulatory board in the U.S. or any other country

• No pending civil or criminal charges in the U.S. or any other country

• Evidence of English language proficiency, if they’re an international graduate

• Been issued a U.S. SSN (social insurance numbers from Canadian Provinces aren’t accepted)

Graduates from nontraditional nursing education programs that didn’t include faculty-supervised clinical components, such as Deaconess College and Excelsior, have additional requirements. These applicants must:

• Provide supporting documentation detailing six months to one year of full-time clinical experience in a staff LPN position under LPN supervision in another state

• Submit three typed, signed, and dated letters of recommendation for licensure from current/previous LPN supervisor(s) and/or employer(s) that include:

  • Attestation to the applicant’s satisfactory clinical performance

  • Verification of employment dates as an LPN

  • The supervisor’s contact information

During the online application process, applicants for licensure by endorsement must:

• Upload a PDF copy of a current government-issued photo ID

• Upload any documents related to any “Yes” responses to compliance questions, if applicable

• Send LSBPNE a criminal background check

Applicants must also request regulatory agencies to send verifications of LPN licensure. They must utilize the Nursys online LPN licensure verification system for all states that participate. If a State BON doesn’t participate in Nursys, applicants must contact that BON directly to request that verification of LPN licensure be sent to the LSBPNE. Applicants are responsible for obtaining verification from:

• The original state of licensure where the nursing board exam was taken, even if that license has expired

• The state, province, or country where they were last employed as a nurse before seeking Louisiana licensure by endorsement

• The state BON where their most recent LPN license was issued (if currently unemployed)

Once an application for licensure by endorsement is started, all required fees, forms, and documentation must be submitted within one year, or the applicant may be denied licensure.

Graduate nurses who’ve never been licensed and need to take the NCLEX-PN should apply for Louisiana LPN licensure by exam. To be eligible for licensure, applicants must:

• Complete a Board-approved nursing education program or a nursing program that meets or exceeds the educational standards for programs in Louisiana

• Pass the NCLEX-PN within four attempts within four years of graduation

• Not have any pending disciplinary actions by any nursing or other health regulatory board in the U.S. or any other country

• Not have any pending civil or criminal charges in the U.S. or any other country

• Evidence of English language proficiency, if they’re an international graduate

• Been issued a U.S. SSN

During the online application process, applicants for licensure by exam must:

• Upload a PDF copy of a current government-issued photo ID

• Send an original, signed, and notarized Affidavit of Verification directly to the LSBPNE office via U.S. mail

• Upload any documents related to any “Yes” responses to compliance questions, if applicable

• Send LSBPNE a criminal background check packet through the U.S. mail or drop it off at the office after application submission

• Upload the completed Request for Special Testing Accommodations for the NCLEX-PN, if applicable

• Upload the completed Verification of Out-of-State Testing, if applicable

Applicants also must request the administrator of their nursing education program to submit proof of program completion. Verification of completion shouldn’t occur until after graduation.

• Graduates of in-state nursing education programs shouldn’t submit transcripts from programs approved by LSBPNE. The administrators of these programs use the Affidavit of Graduation portal to review and approve graduates for the NCLEX-PN by attesting they completed the nursing education program once their degree has been conferred.

• Graduates of out-of-state nursing education programs must request the program administrator to submit a completed Affidavit of Graduation form and official transcripts listing the degree conferred to the attention of the Education Department at the LSBPNE office. LSBPNE won’t accept transcripts delivered by applicants.

Immediately after submitting their application for licensure, new graduates must register with Pearson VUE, the administrator of the NCLEX-PN, and pay the $200 exam fee. They must contact Pearson VUE directly by:

• Registering online and choosing a payment option

• Calling Pearson VUE NCLEX Candidate Services at 866-496-2539 and paying by credit card

Once LSBPNE validates the completion of an applicant’s nursing degree, it sends Pearson VUE confirmation of their eligibility for testing. Pearson VUE sends the applicant an Authorization to Test through email with instructions on scheduling their NCLEX.

After taking the exam, applicants receive the official results within three weeks. NCLEX-PN results aren’t provided by phone and can’t be forwarded. Applicants must keep their mail and email addresses current in the Nurse Portal to ensure they receive these results. Applicants who don’t pass the exam must complete the retake exam application through the Nurse Portal.

Internationally educated nurses (IENs) applying for a Louisiana LPN license must complete the same steps as applicants educated in the U.S. They also have additional requirements.

All IENs must have been issued a U.S. SSN to apply for licensure. If an applicant doesn’t have an SSN, they must contact the U.S. Social Security Administration directly to apply. The process can be lengthy. Complete this step before applying for a Louisiana nursing license.

IENs who haven’t taken the NCLEX-PN or State Board Test Pool Examination (SBTPE) in any country or U.S. state or territory, must contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. Once passed, the CGFNS must issue an official certificate directly to LSBPNE.

All IENs must contact approved credentials evaluation services and request a detailed report to be prepared and sent directly to LSBPNE for review. LSBPNE accepts the: 

• Credentials Evaluation Service Report from the CGFNS

• Credentials Evaluation Report from Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. International Education Consultants

IENs who have taken the NCLEX-PN and currently hold an LPN license from another country must ensure the credentials evaluation includes licensure verification. Licensure verifications from non-U.S. jurisdictions listed on a credentials evaluation report must be current and dated within nine months of the date of issuance or completion of the report.

All IENs must pass an English proficiency exam and have the educational testing service send the test report directly to LSBPNE. Examinations accepted by LSBPNE include the:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL/TOEFL iBT)

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic version)

• Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)

• Pearson English Language Test (PTE) (Academic version)

• Michigan English Test (MET) (formerly Michigan English Language Assessment Battery)

Once IEN applicants complete all requirements, they must submit an application for licensure by endorsement or exam to LSBPNE with the required fees and supporting documents. They must also provide a current government-issued photo ID, such as a Green Card, U.S. Residency Card, or driver’s license. Once LSBPNE staff reviews all documents, it determines eligibility to sit for the NCLEX-PN if the applicant hasn’t previously passed this exam. LSBPNE notifies IEN applicants in writing when staff has completed the review process and whether licensure has been granted. IENs aren’t eligible for temporary permits.

The overall application processing timeline varies but generally takes about 6 to 8 weeks. Included in this time frame is the three weeks it takes for the official results of the NCLEX-PN to be released to the Louisiana LPN license applicant.

LSBPNE issues temporary permits that allow qualified applicants for licensure by endorsement to practice nursing in Louisiana until they receive Louisiana LPN licensure. To be eligible, applicants must:

• Submit a completed endorsement application and supporting documentation

• Live in and plan to work in Louisiana

• Have an LPN nursing degree from an accredited or BON-approved program in the U.S.

• Passed the NCLEX-PN or a recognized predecessor

• Submit verification that they hold a current, unencumbered LPN license from another U.S. state or jurisdiction

• Submit a notarized sworn statement that they meet the requirements for Louisiana nursing licensure and don’t have any history of criminal activity, chemical dependency, or complaints against any licenses held for any profession in any U.S. state or territory

• Confirm they’ve submitted the forms and fees required for processing their criminal history record

A temporary endorsement permit is revoked immediately upon receipt of any information that indicates an applicant may not qualify for nurse licensure in Louisiana. LSBPNE issues temporary endorsement permits for 12 weeks, but they may extend them on a case-by-case basis.

All applications must be submitted online through the Louisiana Nurse Portal with fees paid by credit, debit, or prepaid card. All fees are nonrefundable. Application fees for nursing licensure and related costs include:

• Licensure by Endorsement/Exam: $185

• Conversion to Multistate License: $50

• Criminal Background Check: Varies

• Louisiana LPN License Renewal: $61.08

• Louisiana LPN License Renewal - Late: $162.88

• Verification of Licensure: $25

• Pearson VUE exam fee: $200