Louisiana CNA Registry: Verify a Certification
Verify a Louisiana CNA through the Louisiana Department of Health, Health Standards Section, which maintains the state's nurse aide registry; the official lookup is linked on this page. The Health Standards Section runs the registry, and it shows whether a person completed CNA training and testing, plus any substantiated finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property. Federal law requires nursing facilities and home health agencies to check the registry before hiring any nurse aide, so this lookup is a required step, not an optional extra. If you need help with a search or can't find a record, call the registry directly at (225) 342-0138.
Look up a Louisiana nurse aide
The official lookup shows whether a person is listed as an active nurse aide in Louisiana, and any finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation on record. It is free and public.
Official link checked 2026-09-01
How to verify a Louisiana CNA
Open the official lookup
Use the Louisiana lookup above. It is free and public.
Search by full legal name
A certification number narrows the result fastest. Try former or hyphenated last names if nothing comes up.
Read the status and findings
Active means the listing is current. A substantiated finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation bars work as a nurse aide.
What the lookup shows
A search typically needs the person's first and last name, and results are more reliable with a middle initial or date of birth if the portal asks for one. A match shows certification status and basic nurse aide details on file with the state. The registry also records substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property; a person with such a finding cannot be employed as a nurse aide. This is not a full employment or criminal background check.
Louisiana note: Choose CNA under Employee Type at the portal
Louisiana registry at a glance
- Run by: Louisiana Department of Health, Health Standards Section
- Phone: (225) 342-0138
- Training: 80 hours, 40 of them clinical
- Federal floor: 75 hours, 16 supervised practical
- Lapse rule: a listing lapses after 24 consecutive months without paid nursing work
- Not included: a registry check is not a criminal background check
What CNAs earn in Louisiana
Typical annual CNA pay in Louisiana · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
BLS OES May 2025 · CNA salary in Louisiana by city →
Renewal, lapses, and moving to Louisiana
Louisiana CNA certification follows the federal 24-month renewal cycle: a nurse aide must have worked for pay doing nursing-related tasks during that period to stay current. Without qualifying paid work in those 24 months, certification lapses, and federal rules generally require retesting to regain it. Aides moving to Louisiana from another state go through the registry too, typically through a reciprocity or endorsement process rather than repeating training from scratch. Because exact renewal steps, proof-of-employment requirements, and transfer paperwork vary by circumstance, contact the Louisiana registry directly at (225) 342-0138 for your specific situation.
Keep your certification active
CNA work in Louisiana, by the numbers
About 20,690 CNAs work in Louisiana, according to BLS May 2025 figures, earning a median wage of $30,510 a year, or $14.67 an hour. That's $11,750 below the national CNA median of $42,260. Pay has still grown substantially over the decade: the state median rose from $20,140 in 2015 to $30,510 in 2025, a 51.5 percent increase. Louisiana sets its own training bar above the federal minimum: the state requires 80 hours of instruction, split evenly between 40 classroom hours and 40 clinical hours, compared with the federal floor of 75 hours with at least 16 of those supervised in a clinical setting. Nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an average of 196,200 CNA job openings each year through 2035, so demand for trained aides stays steady even in a lower-paying state like Louisiana.
Registries in nearby states
Each state runs its own registry. An aide who worked in another state may be listed there too, and employers must check every state where they believe the aide has worked.
Questions about the Louisiana registry
- How do I look up a CNA license in Louisiana?
- Use the Louisiana registry lookup linked on this page, run by the Louisiana Department of Health, Health Standards Section, and select CNA under Employee Type before you search. Enter the aide's name to check certification status. If the online tool doesn't give a clear answer, call the registry at (225) 342-0138 to confirm directly.
- I passed my CNA exam. How long until I appear on the registry?
- You're added to the registry once your exam results and required paperwork have been processed by the state, not on the day you test. Processing time varies and isn't published, so there's no fixed wait to plan around. If a reasonable amount of time has passed and you still don't appear, call the registry at (225) 342-0138 to check on your record.
- What if I search and can't find someone?
- A blank search result doesn't prove someone isn't certified; try again with variants first. Check for maiden or hyphenated last names, different spellings, or a middle initial. If you still find nothing, call the registry at (225) 342-0138 to confirm status directly rather than relying on the search alone.
- How often does a Louisiana CNA certification need to be renewed?
- Certification follows the federal 24-month cycle, meaning a CNA generally must renew every two years by showing paid nurse aide work during that period. The exact renewal process and any state-specific requirements are handled by the Louisiana registry, so contact the Health Standards Section at (225) 342-0138 for details on your renewal.
- How many hours of training does a CNA need in Louisiana?
- Louisiana requires 80 hours of CNA training: 40 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of supervised clinical practice. That's above the federal minimum of 75 hours, which requires at least 16 hours of supervised practical training. Programs must be state-approved to count toward certification.
- How do I update my name or address on the registry?
- Contact the Louisiana registry directly at (225) 342-0138 to update your name or address on file. The Health Standards Section handles these changes, and updates are routine, but the exact paperwork required is set by the registry itself, so ask them what they need before you call or write in.