Requirements

Licensure as an lpn in another state does not guarantee that you will be granted a license to practice in Louisiana. If you have ever held a practical nursing license in Louisiana, you are not eligible for endorsement. You must renew your Louisiana practical nursing license by contacting the board office.

Applications must be completed within one (1) year from the date of your initial request. Failure to complete this process within one (1) year will void this application.

You must meet all current requirements for licensure in Louisiana at the time of application.

Requirements are as follows:

1. Hold a current, valid license in good standing in another state.
2. Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
3. Have graduated from an approved practical nursing program and have had instruction in IV therapy. Download Curriculum Requirements
4. Obtain a Louisiana State Police and FBI criminal background check. In order to obtain this, please follow the instructions on our website (http://www.lsbpne.la.gov/) under the “Forms” tab, choose "Criminal Background Check".
5. A certified copy of your birth certificate.
6. Report in writing to the executive director of the Louisiana State Board of  Practical Nurse Examiners by certified or registered mail marked “personal and confidential” any diagnosis of HIV/HBV.
7. Verification of original license by examination from the board of nursing in the state in which you were originally licensed. If you are licensed in a state that issues a compact license, please visit http://www.nursys.com/ and complete the verification process.

ISSUANCE OF A TEMPORARY WORK PERMIT

A temporary work permit may be issued upon receipt and favorable review of the following:

• • Completed application, to include uploads of all required documents as noted within the application (i.e. certified birth certificate, narratives, certified court documents, board orders, treatment records, etc.)
  • Application fee of $185.00 plus state charge
  • An official transcript from your practical nursing program. This must be requested by the applicant. The school must mail the transcript directly to the board office. If the applicant is a new graduate, or does not have work history, the transcript must be detailed showing all courses with clock hours completed in every component of a course (theory and clinical) and the numerical grades earned for the course. The transcript must include instruction in IV therapy. If IV therapy was not included in the course curriculum, before eligibility for a temporary permit or issuance of a license in the state of Louisiana, applicant must complete an IV therapy course. Upon completion, applicant must upload an original certificate of completion from the course provider. (The secure upload will be completed through the message center located within the applicant’s nurse portal account.)

The temporary work permit will be valid for a period of up to twelve weeks for applicants who meet the board’s criteria for licensure.

Upon completion of the application process and satisfactorily meeting the board’s criteria, you may then be granted licensing in Louisiana.