LPN License: Requirements, NCLEX-PN, Lookup, Renewal, and Fees by State

Every state requires a board-approved practical or vocational nursing program ending in a certificate or diploma. These programs commonly run about 12 months full time; three boards state a length in their rules, from 9 to 13 months, with 9 stated most often. The board application carries a fee and, in most states, a fingerprint background check. NCLEX-PN registration goes to Pearson VUE and costs $200, paid separately.

Two states add a state law exam: Texas requires the Nursing Jurisprudence Examination for LVN applicants, and Kentucky requires its Jurisprudence Exam. A few states also license through a separate body. California licenses LVNs through the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) rather than the RN board, and Louisiana and West Virginia run their own practical nursing boards.

Start with the state board's official lookup, linked for all 51 boards in the table below. Search by name or license number, then read the status, the expiration date, and any public discipline. 27 boards run their own portal, 18 route through a statewide licensing portal, and 6 point to Nursys.

Nursys is NCSBN's national license database, and QuickConfirm is free to use. It carries licenses from every state that reports to it, and some boards send the public there instead of running their own search. Employers check a license before hire and often again at renewal. A license renewed in the last few days may not yet show the new expiration date.

An LPN with a multistate license from a compact state can practice in every other compact state. 40 states belong to the Nurse Licensure Compact, which covers LPN/VNs as well as RNs. Ten stay out: Alaska, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, and Oregon. Massachusetts is pending. The primary state of residence issues the multistate license.

Outside the compact, an LPN applies to the new state's board by endorsement, which means verification, a fee, and a background check. Verification usually runs through Nursys. 42 boards offer a temporary permit while the application is pending. Recent joiners: Ohio on January 1, 2023, Rhode Island on January 8, 2024, Washington on January 31, 2024, Pennsylvania on July 7, 2025, and Connecticut on October 1, 2025.

Yes. An LPN or LVN licensed in one state gets a license in another by endorsement: an application to the new state's board with verification of the current license, often through Nursys, plus a criminal background check where the state requires one. A nurse whose primary residence is in a compact state and who holds a multistate license can work in the other compact states without a new license. The table lists each state's compact status, whether its board offers a temporary permit during the review, and its application fee.

Renew online with the board before the license expires, attest to continuing education or continued competence, and pay the fee. 43 states use a two-year cycle. Five renew every year: Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Washington, and West Virginia. Iowa and New York renew every three years, Arizona every four. Some states place LPN renewals in the opposite year from RN renewals.

Continuing education runs from zero to 36 hours per cycle, and zero is the most common requirement. Twelve states set no hours: Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Iowa asks the most, 36 hours over three years. Twenty-one boards name mandatory topics, and a lapsed license means no practice until the board reinstates it.

The typical initial application fee is $105, from $0 in Missouri to $300 in California and Arizona. Renewal typically costs $93, from $45 in Rhode Island and Texas up to $300 in California. NCLEX-PN registration adds $200 to Pearson VUE, and fingerprinting is billed separately. Four boards publish no fee, so Colorado, Delaware, New Jersey, and Utah show none here.

LPNs typically earn $64,400 a year, or $30.96 an hour, in the latest government wage data (May 2025). Entry-level pay runs near $49,740 a year, or $23.91 an hour. The top of the range reaches $83,440 a year, or $40.12 an hour. About 648,410 people hold these jobs.

Employment is projected to change by 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 51,800 openings a year as workers retire or move into other roles. The salary guide breaks pay down by state and city. LPN-to-RN bridge programs commonly run 12 to 18 months, and registered nurses typically earn $97,550 a year.

Finish a board-approved practical nursing program, pass the NCLEX-PN, and send the board an application with the fee and fingerprints. Verify any license through the board's official lookup or Nursys QuickConfirm. A multistate license from one of the 40 compact states covers practice in the others. Most states renew every two years, and continuing education runs from zero to 36 hours. Rules change, so confirm the details with your board.