Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Field guide · License renewal
Louisiana State Board of Nursing · 2-year renewal cycle
Verified against the Louisiana State Board of Nursing · Last reviewed · How RenewRN verifies its data
Built by Keegan, a travel RN · verified against official board sources
As of 2026, Louisiana RNs renew every 2 years by meeting one of several board-approved competency options; the CE option is 30 contact hours. The RN renewal fee is $100.
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| Renewal cycle | Every 2 years |
| Renewal deadline | December 31 of the renewal year; renewal period opens October 1 |
| Total CE hours (RN) | No fixed mandate (30 hrs if you choose the CE option) |
| Renewal fee (RN) | $100 |
| Compact state (NLC) | Yes, NLC member · check your eligibility |
| License types | RN, APRN, LPN |
| Typical pay | See Louisiana nurse salaries |
Louisiana requires Registered Nurses to complete either 30 board-approved contact hours of continuing education or 900 practice hours per 2-year renewal cycle. APRNs with prescriptive authority must additionally complete pharmacotherapeutics CE hours. The renewal period runs from October 1 through December 31, with a late renewal grace period through January 31. Louisiana is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state, allowing nurses with a multistate license to practice across all compact states.
Verified against the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, last checked 2026-08-10. Found something off? Let me know.
Louisiana CE Audit Response Guide
Response deadline, retention rules, board address, and the rejections that get nurses dinged.
Read the full Louisiana RN License Renewal Guide
Step-by-step walkthrough, common mistakes, and tips for a smooth renewal
Visit the Louisiana State Board of Nursing website for the official renewal portal.
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Track your renewal steps with ProYou attest to your CE when you renew and keep your certificates; you only submit documents if the board audits you.
A Louisiana RN satisfies relicensure by completing, during the 2-year licensure period, EITHER at least 30 board-approved contact hours of CE OR at least 900 employer-verified practice hours, and attests to it at online renewal (Oct 1 - Dec 31); no certificates are uploaded at renewal. LSBN CE brochure: “For RN license renewal, at least one of the two options below must have been completed during the [period]: 1. a minimum of 30 board-approved contact hours of continuing education; 2. a minimum of 900 practice hours as verified by the [employer].” Proof is submitted only if audited: LSBN audits annually (on or around March after renewal), notifying selected licensees by email, and “Evidence of completion of the CE/nursing practice requirements should be submitted to LSBN staff only when requested by LSBN.”
Where it happens: LSBN online renewal (Louisiana State Board of Nursing)
www.lsbn.state.la.us/renewalLSBN audits the CE/nursing-practice requirement annually after renewal, on or around March, notifying selected licensees by email; documentation is submitted to LSBN staff only when requested.
Verified 2026-07-03 against lsbn.state.la.us · lsbn.state.la.us. Always confirm with the board before relying on it.
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| Type | CE hours | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| RN | 30 / 2 yrs (CE option) | $100 |
| APRN | 30 / 2 yrs | $100 |
| LPN | 0 / 2 yrs | $61.08 |
APRN renewal in Louisiana. 12 hours of APRN Pharmacotherapeutics apply per renewal cycle (details in the requirements table below). The board is only one clock: your national certification and any DEA registration renew on their own cycles. Full Louisiana APRN renewal guide
| Category | Hours | Required | Types | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General CE or Practice Hours | 30 | Required | RN | RNs must complete either 30 board-approved contact hours of CE or 900 practice hours during the 2-year licensure period. Initial licensure by exam or endorsement during the previous calendar year also satisfies this requirement. |
| LPN General CE | 0 | Optional | LPN | Louisiana LPNs have no continuing-education hour requirement and renew annually (November 1 - January 31). LPN licensing is governed by the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners (LSBPNE), separate from the RN/APRN biennial cycle. |
| APRN Pharmacotherapeutics | 12 | Required | APRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP | APRNs with prescriptive authority must obtain 12 contact hours biennially (6 annually) in pharmacotherapeutics relative to their advanced practice population foci |
| APRN Controlled Substances | 3 | Required | APRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP | APRNs renewing controlled substances prescriptive authority must include 3 hours related to controlled substances, including drug diversion training and prescribing best practices (one-time requirement for addiction treatment) |
| APRN Nutrition & Metabolic Health | 1 | Conditional | APRNFNPCNM | APRNs practicing family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, or gynecology must complete at least 1 hour of CE on nutrition and metabolic health EVERY FOUR YEARS, not every renewal cycle (R.S. 37:920(G), enacted by Act 463 of the 2025 Regular Session, effective January 1, 2026). Two details most summaries get wrong: the Act states this hour is "included in, and not in addition to" the CE hours the board already required, so it does NOT raise the total; and the APRN practice-area list is far narrower than the physician list in the same Act, which names 18 specialties. CRNAs and PMHNPs are not among the named APRN practice areas. The statute directs the board to adopt rules determining the content. |
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs): Louisiana CNA renewal is handled by the state nurse-aide registry, not the Board of Nursing, and follows a work-hours / in-service model rather than the CE above. Check your state nurse-aide registry for CNA requirements.
Find free Louisiana CE. Verified, accredited and state-approved courses. No upsells. Browse free Louisiana nursing CE courses
Missed your Louisiana renewal deadline?
Late renewals accepted through January 31 with a $50 late fee; after January 31 the license lapses and reinstatement is required
What to do if your Louisiana license lapsedApproved CE Providers
Late Renewal Fees
Reinstatement Fees
Already lapsed? The Louisiana re-entry guide covers refresher rules, costs by lapse length, and the path back.
Applies to new RN licensure by examination. Verified against the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
First-Time Licensee Exemption
First-time licensees are exempt for the initial renewal cycle
CE Audit Information
Louisiana Board of Nursing may audit CE compliance.
These Louisiana renewal figures are free to cite, quote, or republish with attribution and a link (CC BY 4.0). Suggested citation:
RenewRN, “Louisiana Nursing License Renewal Requirements” (August 2026), renewrn.net/states/louisiana, verified against the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
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