California LVN License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees
California is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so its licenses are single-state. LVNs renew every 2 years, complete 30 hours of continuing education per cycle, and pass the NCLEX-PN.
Look up a California LVN license
The lookup runs on California's state licensing portal, which covers LVNs alongside other licensed professions. Nursys Quick Confirm is a free national check you can use as a second source.
California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT), Department of Consumer Affairs · read 2026-09-03 · a dash means the board publishes no figure
Renewal and continuing education in California
California LVN licenses renew every two years, expiring on the last day of the license's assigned expiration month. Renewal requires completion of 30 hours of continuing education; the board does not state specific mandatory topics. A license that is not renewed becomes delinquent after 30 days, at which point a $150 delinquent fee applies. If a license is not renewed within four years of its expiration, it expires permanently and cannot be reinstated.
The renewal fee is $300, the same amount charged for the initial license. This fee is separate from the cost of taking the NCLEX-PN exam and from fingerprint-based background check processing, both required for licensure but billed apart from renewal. The board does not state the exact cost of the exam or the fingerprinting process.
How much does a California LVN license cost?
Board fees exclude exam registration and fingerprinting · California board fee schedule ↗ · read 2026-09-03
Moving to California: endorsement and temporary permits
California is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an LVN licensed in another state cannot practice in California on a multistate license. Instead, that nurse must apply for a California LVN license by endorsement, following the same verification and background-check process required of other applicants.
The applicant must have passed the NCLEX-PN, or the older NLN SBTPE exam for practical nurses, and applies through the DCA's BreEZe system for a $300 fee, submitting two fingerprint cards or Live Scan for a DOJ and FBI background check that takes eight to twelve weeks, proof of a 12th-grade education, and verification of licensure sent directly from the original state's board. California offers a temporary permit, but no license, including a temporary one, is issued until the DOJ report arrives.
Education and exam for an LVN license in California
California recognizes several paths into vocational nursing. Most candidates complete a board-approved vocational nursing program, typically 1,530 hours split between classroom theory, including 54 hours of pharmacology, and clinical training; full-time programs run about 12 to 14 months. The board also accepts graduation from an approved out-of-state program, extensive bedside nursing experience with verified skills and pharmacology training, or military corpsman training. All applicants need proof of a 12th-grade education, fingerprint-based background clearance, and a passing score on the NCLEX-PN exam.
What do LVNs earn in California?
BLS OES May 2025 · 82,850 LPNs employed in California · LPN salary in California by city →
Nearby states
Sources
- California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT), Department of Consumer Affairs ↗licensure, renewal, CE, and fee ruleshigh confidence
- bvnpt.ca.gov/applicants/index.shtml
- bvnpt.ca.gov/applicants/application_for_vocational_nurse_licensure_by_…
- bvnpt.ca.gov/applicants/application_for_vocational_nurse_licensure_by_…
- bvnpt.ca.gov/licensees/licensed_vocational_nurses.shtml
- bvnpt.ca.gov/licensees/renewal_application_form.shtml
- bvnpt.ca.gov/pdf/092022_fee_schedule.pdf
- Nursys ↗ national license verification
- BLS OES May 2025 California LPN wages and employment
Read 2026-09-03. Rules and fees change; confirm with the board before acting.