Pennsylvania LPN License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees

Pennsylvania belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, effective July 7, 2025, so an LPN holding a multistate license from another compact state can practice in Pennsylvania under that home-state license without applying separately. An LPN whose current license is single-state, or who wants Pennsylvania as a new home state, applies through endorsement instead.

Endorsement applicants have their out-of-state license verified through Nursys, complete an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history check through IdentoGO, and show English proficiency through an English-taught nursing program or a Board-approved English exam, along with 3 hours of child abuse recognition training. Pennsylvania does not require a separate jurisprudence or law exam. The fee is $120, or $145 if an exam is required, and a temporary permit is available while the application is pending.

Pennsylvania requires LPN candidates to hold a high school diploma or GED and complete a Board-approved practical nursing program of at least 1,500 hours over a minimum of 12 months, through a school, hospital, or other approved institution; candidates must be at least 18, and those trained out of state file an official transcript. Licensure also requires passing the NCLEX-PN (or its predecessor, the SBTPE) within one year of completing the program, plus 3 hours of DHS-approved child abuse recognition and reporting training.