New Hampshire LPN License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees

New Hampshire belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact. An LPN who holds a multistate license from another compact state can practice in New Hampshire under that license without applying for a New Hampshire license. LPNs coming from a non-compact state, or those who want a New Hampshire-specific license, must apply through endorsement.

Endorsement applicants apply online with a current, unencumbered license and verification through Nursys or the original licensing board from the jurisdiction where they took the exam. New Hampshire also requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check and evidence of either 400 hours of practice in the past four years or 30 hours of continuing education in the past two years. The board does not require a separate state law exam for endorsement. A 120-day temporary license is available to out-of-state applicants for $40.

New Hampshire requires LPN candidates to graduate from a board-approved practical nursing education program in the United States or Canada, providing at least 600 hours of classroom instruction with concurrent clinical practice; program length in months is not stated. Graduates take the NCLEX-PN exam; the rules do not include a separate state jurisprudence exam. Candidates educated outside the U.S. or Canada undergo a credentials review, an NCSBN-endorsed credentialing exam, and must show English proficiency.