Nursing License from California to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Louisiana accept a California nursing license?
A nursing license transfers from California to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, verify your California license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. NCLEX is not retaken; your license is verified through Nursys.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a silver lining. California is outside the compact, so you have been carrying a single-state license — but Louisiana is a member. Endorse into Louisiana, establish it as your primary residence, meet the uniform licensure requirements, and the license you receive is multistate: one application turns into practice privileges across the whole compact.
What's different between California 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
California to Louisiana (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Louisiana to California (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from California matter?
Coming from California matters here: only 11 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Louisiana.
The others get: compact multistate — already covered (39).
- NLC membership
California is not in the NLC; Louisiana is an NLC member state.
Because they are not both active members, the NLC does not cover this move.
A multistate license issued by Louisiana does not cover practice in California.
- Application fee
Louisiana lists $100–$200 for an out-of-state applicant and California lists $350 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
California lists 10–12 weeks for the reverse move; Louisiana has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
California 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, California → Louisiana
| California (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| NLC status | Licensure by endorsement | NLC member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $350 (US-educated endorsement application ($750 if internationally educated); + $49 fingerprint hard card if out of state (Live Scan vendor fees vary); optional $100 temporary license) | $100–$200 ($100 endorsement application; $200 if adding the optional 90-day temporary permit; + fingerprint background check fees) |
| Processing time | 10–12 weeks (board processing-times page (updated 10/22/2026) lists a 10-12 week timeframe for US endorsement applications, processed in date order received; temporary license available (2-3 weeks)) | no processing timeframe published; optional 90-day temporary endorsement permit allows practice while the application is pending |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Registered 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 Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana State Board of Nursing website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, valid, unrestricted RN license in another US state or territory.
- Have actively practiced as a registered nurse within the most recent four years.
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check.
- Apply online through the Louisiana Nurse Portal (lsbn.boardsofnursing.org).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NCLEX moving from California to Louisiana?
No — the NCLEX transfers everywhere.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified California 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)
- California BRN — Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- California BRN — Endorsement Application Fees & Instructions (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- California BRN — Processing Times ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources California 2026-10-29, Louisiana 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com