Nursing License from Arkansas to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Louisiana accept an Arkansas nursing license?
Yes — both Arkansas and Louisiana are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Louisiana now; if you are moving your residence to Louisiana, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Louisiana your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
This is the move the compact was built for. Both Arkansas and Louisiana are NLC members, so the real question is not "does my license transfer" but "is this a relocation or just work". Working in Louisiana while living in Arkansas — travel contract, remote monitoring, per-diem across the border — needs nothing: your multistate license already covers it. Relocating to Louisiana means your primary state of residence changes, and the compact requires you to endorse into Louisiana and declare it your new home state. You keep practicing on the old privilege the entire time.
What's different between Arkansas and Louisiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Louisiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Arkansas to Louisiana (this page): Compact multistate — already covered.
Louisiana to Arkansas (the reverse move): Compact multistate — already covered.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Arkansas matter?
Arkansas gets Louisiana's most common result: 39 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (11).
- NLC membership
Arkansas and Louisiana are both NLC member states.
A multistate license issued by Arkansas covers practice in Louisiana, and one issued by Louisiana covers practice in Arkansas.
- Application fee
Louisiana lists $100–$200 for an out-of-state applicant and Arkansas lists $125 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Louisiana carry the same exam note for a licensee arriving from another state; any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
What changes, Arkansas → Louisiana
| Arkansas (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | NLC member — multistate license honored | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $125 (endorsement application; + state/FBI background-check fee paid in the separate CBC system plus Live Scan vendor fee (amounts not published on board pages); optional $30 temporary permit) | $100–$200 ($100 endorsement application; $200 if adding the optional 90-day temporary permit; + fingerprint background check fees) |
| Processing time | no processing timeframe stated by the board; temporary permit available while the application is pending | no processing timeframe published; optional 90-day temporary endorsement permit allows practice while the application is pending |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Board of Nursing | Louisiana State Board of Nursing |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Louisiana: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing when you move.
- Declare Louisiana as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Louisiana's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from Arkansas to Louisiana?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
What does the move cost?
If you are only working across the border, nothing. If you are relocating your residence to Louisiana: $100–$200 ($100 endorsement application; $200 if adding the optional 90-day temporary permit; + fingerprint background check fees).
How long will it take?
Practice can continue immediately on the multistate privilege; the residence-change endorsement processes in the background (no processing timeframe published; optional 90-day temporary endorsement permit allows practice while the application is pending).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Arkansas 2026-10-29, Louisiana 2026-07-21.
- LSBN — Instructions and Forms for Initial RN License by Endorsement (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana Administrative Code 46:XLVII.3341 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana Administrative Code 46:XLVII.3330 — Criminal history check for endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas SBN — RN Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas SBN — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas SBN — Criminal Background Check Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Arkansas 2026-10-29, Louisiana 2026-07-21
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