Applications for licensure are located on the Louisiana Nurse Portal.
You may also update your email or mailing address and request a name change, via the Nurse Portal.
RN Clinical Nursing Student
RN Licensure By Examination Applicant
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I was an LPN (or other licensed/certified healthcare provider) in another state but my license is no longer active. Do I still have to provide a letter of standing?
Yes, even if your license/certification is no longer active you are required to provide a letter from that licensing/certifying board stating whether or not that license/certification was unencumbered at the time it became inactive and if there was ever any disciplinary action against that license/certification.
If I have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony offense can I still be a Registered Nurse?
Applications submitted to LSBN are evaluated on a case by case basis. In the evaluation of prior criminal incidents LSBN considers many factors including but not limited to the number of offenses, the nature and/or severity of the offense(s), the age of the offense, the age of applicant at the time of the offense, as well as rehabilitation and other factors. Without a completed application and supporting documentation, LSBN cannot make a determination regarding an individual’s ability to enroll in clinical nursing courses and/or qualify for licensure. For additional information, please refer to the following link: https://www.doa.la.gov/media/gybngco4/46v47.pdf
Do I have to report an incident if I was never convicted of a criminal offense?
Yes, regardless of the outcome, if you were ever cited or arrested for a criminal offense (other than traffic violations), you must report the incident and provide the required documentation. This includes charges that were dismissed for any reason including the successful completion of a diversion program, charges that have been expunged. All documentation provided must be certified as a true copy by the issuing agency.
If I was previously convicted of a crime but the records have been expunged do I still have to report this to the board?
No person whose record of arrest or conviction has been expunged [ordered sealed, non-disclosed, and/or pardoned by a court in the applicant’s state or jurisdiction] shall be required to disclose to any person that he [or she] was arrested or convicted of the subject offense, or that the record of the arrest or conviction has been expunged. La. C. Cr. P. art 973 (C). If the applicant does not know the meaning of the terms set forth above, and/or has a question about the meaning of the terms, then it is incumbent upon the applicant to seek legal counsel.
What documentation do I need to supply with my application if I have a prior criminal record?
You must provide a detailed narrative explanation of what took place including the date(s) of all incidents, name of parish/county where the incident took place, name of arresting/citing agency, list of all violations, and the final disposition or current status of the matter. You must also enclose certified true copies of any and all arrest reports, court minute entries and court judgments/orders, probation/DA diversion or Pretrial Intervention program agreements and/or certificates of completion. In cases where the charges were refused by the District Attorney, a letter from the District Attorney is required.
I answered YES to one of the questions of the clinical application and provided all the required documentation and received Board approval. Do I have to submit the same information again with my application for licensure by exam?
If you were approved by the board, you do not have to provide the same information with the licensure application.
What information is required to receive special accommodations for taking the NCLEX?
To receive testing accommodations, the following are required:
Must indicate Yes to the following question on the application for Licensure by Examination:
- Do you require special testing accommodations?
Upload the completed documents Request for Special Testing Accommodations for the NCLEX (state.la.us)
- Candidate Section
- Program Head Section
- Physician Section
Does Louisiana accept graduates of online programs?
Applicants for licensure must have successfully completed a nursing program that meets or exceeds Louisiana standards.
**Nontraditional nursing programs, including online programs, that provide preceptor driven clinical experiences without substantial faculty oversight or have no requirement for a defined clinical experience are not eligible for licensure by examination as of July 1, 2018.
**Excelsior College’s students who graduated prior to May 10, 2021 are eligible to apply for licensure by examination.
Does the Board accept applicants by exam who are graduates of: The College Network, Rue Educational Publishers, or Moore Educational Publishers?
None of these awards a degree in nursing, nor are they affiliated with any approved school of nursing. They are for-profit organizations offering assistance and study materials to those enrolled in Excelsior College, External Degree Program. Excelsior provides their own study materials for their enrollees.
Excelsior College’s students who graduated prior to May 10, 2021 to are eligible to apply for licensure by examination.
Please contact Excelsior on questions concerning these organizations at www.excelsior.edu or 1-866-647-2388.
Can an LPN challenge the NCLEX-RN?
No. All applicants for NCLEX-RN are required to be graduates of approved RN programs.
When should I register with PearsonVue to take my NCLEX?
Registration with Pearson VUE should be done immediately after you submit your application for licensure.
Registering with Pearson VUE before you have submitted an application for licensure or delaying registration with Pearson VUE will cause delays in processing your application.
*If you delay registration with Pearson VUE, it is your responsibility to notify LSBN staff by submitting a message in the message center of your nurse portal account indicating that you have registered and are ready to receive your authorization to test.
You are not required to have a temporary permit to register. Waiting until after receiving a permit will result in a delay in receiving an authorization to test (ATT).
How do I register for the NCLEX?
To register for the NCLEX you will need to contact PearsonVue. There are two ways to register with PearsonVue:
- Online – Visit http://www.pearsonvue.com/nclex and choose a payment options.
- Phone – Call Pearson VUE NCLEX Candidate Services at 866-496-2539 pay the $200 by credit card.
How long after graduation are permits issued?
Allow up to three weeks after your graduation date to verify issuance of your temporary permit on the LSBN website.
The Board must receive evidence of completion of the nursing program.
- For in-state programs, this evidence must be provided from the school through the Affidavit of Graduation Portal, available only to the educational program, indicating the program was successfully completed and the degree was conferred;
- For out-of-state programs, this evidence must be provided from the school through completion of the Affidavit of Graduation form and submission of an official transcript indicating the degree was conferred.
Permit information/verification can be obtained on the Board website by choosing the Licensure Verification option.
Can a new graduate continue to work on the permit until the expiration date listed on the permit letter when failing the exam?
No. Permits are no longer valid upon receipt of test results or on the expiration date in the date in the licensure verification portal, whichever occurs first.
Can a permit be extended for RN applicants?
No, the expiration date of a permit cannot be extended.
Does the name on the ATT & ID have to be an exact match?
The FIRST and LAST name on the ID must match what is on the ATT.
Note: ID’s usually have the maiden name as the middle name if the individual is married; however, Pearson usually lists the given middle name on the ATT.
Can a candidate test in another jurisdiction and Louisiana get the results?
Yes. Candidates can use any Pearson Testing Center administering NCLEX and the results will be available to the Board making them eligible.
When and how can candidates get test results?
Official Examination results are released to the candidate within three weeks after testing.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to maintain current contact information in the Nurse Portal (e-mail and mailing address).
**NCLEX-RN results are not provided by telephone.
**Licensure results cannot be forwarded.
Quick Results Service is available through Pearson VUE website (www.pearsonvue.com/nclex) for a fee. These are unofficial results and cannot be used to authorize practice. Please wait two business days after testing before requesting these unofficial results. After signing into the website, follow the instructions for Quick Results Service to order and pay for these services.
Employers and candidates can verify licensure status via the LSBN’s website, www.lsbn.state.la.us.
**Candidates without active permits cannot work based on passing – a license must be issued.
** If the status is inactive, even if candidates know they have passed, a reasonable amount of time must be allowed to process the license.
If a candidate knows they failed the test, can they call and have the results faxed or emailed to them so they can see how their performance was?
The results along with retesting information if the candidate is eligible to continue to test will be sent through the message center in the nurse portal to the email on record.
If a candidate passes the NCLEX in December, will the candidate be issued a license that expires in the same month or will it expire in December of the following year?
The Board does not issue new licenses for new graduates that pass the NCLEX on or after December 15, unless the applicant requests a license for the current year.
For candidates that do not have a temporary work permit and pass the NCLEX after December 15 licensure will be held until the following year unless the candidate calls and requests to have the license issued.
Note: Licenses issued in a calendar year regardless of the date issued MUST be renewed by December 31.