How to Become a Nurse Practitioner in Louisiana 2026
Louisiana APRNs are licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. To qualify, you need an active Louisiana RN license, a graduate degree from a Board-approved program, and current national certification in your specialty. Applications are submitted through the Louisiana Nurse Portal, and you can’t practice or use APRN titles until the license is officially issued.
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The Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) licenses the state’s Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. Louisiana recognizes four APRN roles: Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). Each role also carries a population focus. A nurse practitioner may specialize in family, adult, pediatric, or psychiatric-mental health populations, among others.
APRN licensure in Louisiana is based on two things: advanced graduate education and national certification in your specialty area. You must also hold a current, unrestricted RN license in Louisiana before the Board will issue an APRN license.
On This Page
- APRN Education Requirements
- National Certification Requirements
- The Application Process
- Out-of-State APRNs
- Prescriptive Authority
- License Renewal and Continued Competence
- Board Contact and Professional Organizations
APRN Education Requirements
Prospective APRNs must complete a graduate program that prepares them for their intended role and population focus. The program must meet LSBN curriculum guidelines and may award a master’s degree, doctoral degree, or post-master’s certificate. For a list of approved programs in the state, see Nurse Practitioner programs in Louisiana.
Nurses who completed their APRN education before December 31, 2005, or who were enrolled by that date and maintained continuous enrollment, may be eligible for licensure without a master’s degree. The program must have been validated by a third party, either through explicit Board approval, acceptance by a Board-approved national certifying agency, or through an institution of higher learning whose program was accepted by a certification agency as examination-qualifying in the desired specialty.
National Certification Requirements
In almost all cases, an APRN must hold current national certification through a Board-accepted certifying organization. The required certifying body depends on your APRN role.
Certified Nurse Midwives are certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).
Clinical Nurse Specialists may earn certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Accepted ANCC CNS certifications include Adult Health Clinical CNS, Adult-Gerontology Clinical CNS, Pediatric Clinical CNS, Child/Adolescent Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical CNS, and Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical CNS. Accepted AACN CNS certifications include Adult/Gerontology Clinical CNS, Pediatric Clinical CNS, Neonatal Clinical CNS, and Acute/Critical Care in Adult, Pediatric, and Neonatal.
Nurse practitioners may certify through the ANCC, AACN, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB), or the National Certification Corporation (NCC). Accepted NP certifications by organization:
- ANCC: Adult NP, Family NP, Pediatric NP, Gerontological NP, Acute Care NP, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care, Adult-Psychiatric Mental Health, Psychiatric-Mental Health NP Across the Lifespan
- AANP: Adult NP, Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP, Family NP
- PNCB: Pediatric NP, Acute Care Pediatric NP
- NCC: Neonatal NP, Women’s Health Care NP
- AACN: Adult Acute Care NP, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP
Certification exam availability changes over time. The LSBN can still accept the ANCC Gerontological CNS and Public/Community Health CNS certifications for licensure, though those exams are no longer available to new applicants.
If no certification exam exists for your intended specialty, you may apply for licensure by “Commensurate” means. This path requires supervised practice under a preceptor. The Board may credit up to 400 hours of clinical practicum toward the requirement, with the remaining hours completed under a temporary permit.
The Application Process
Applications for APRN licensure are submitted online through the Louisiana Nurse Portal at lsbn.boardsofnursing.org. The portal handles initial licensure by examination, endorsement applications, and prescriptive authority requests.
All applicants must complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check, even if they’ve previously been fingerprinted for the LSBN. Fingerprints are typically made at a local law enforcement office using standard FBI cards. If cards won’t be available at your intended site, you can submit a fingerprint card request form to the Board in advance.
Several documents must come directly from third-party sources:
- Education verification: completed by a school official and mailed directly to the Board
- Certification verification: sent directly from your certifying agency
- Transcripts — sent directly from the institution (or institutions, if coursework spanned multiple schools)
The application form must be notarized. For current fee amounts, refer to the LSBN fee schedule on the Board website, as fees are subject to change.
Students may submit applications up to six weeks before degree conferral, but the LSBN does not issue temporary permits solely to allow graduates to begin practice earlier. You may not use APRN titles or practice in an advanced practice role until your license is officially issued.
Applicants should first consult the Louisiana Nurse Portal and the LSBN website for the most current application instructions and contacts. Questions about the application can also be directed to the LSBN by calling (225) 755-7517 or (225) 755-7500 and asking to speak with the licensing analyst who handles advanced practice licenses.
Out-of-State APRNs
If you hold or have held APRN licensure in another state, you’ll apply by endorsement through the Louisiana Nurse Portal. You’ll need to provide license verification from both your original state of licensure and your most current state. RN and APRN endorsement applications can be submitted together.
Temporary permits are issued in limited circumstances, such as when an advanced practitioner has been out of practice for two years or more.
Prescriptive Authority
Prescriptive authority is a separate application in Louisiana, filed only after your APRN license has been issued. To qualify, you must document three credit hours or 45 contact hours in each of the following:
- Advanced pharmacotherapeutics
- Advanced health assessment
- Advanced physiology/pathophysiology
APRNs who completed their program more than 2 years before applying for prescriptive authority must also document clinical experience. Contact the LSBN APRN Department directly for specifics on what counts.
Most APRNs seeking prescriptive authority in Louisiana must maintain a Board-approved Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA). Certain APRNs who qualify for a statutory exemption may be eligible to practice without a CPA under Louisiana law. The CPA is a formal written agreement between you and one or more Louisiana-licensed physicians or dentists that outlines the parameters of your collaborative practice, your clinical responsibilities, and the scope of your prescriptive authority, including which drug schedules you may prescribe. The APRN must satisfy the LSBN collaborative practice and prescriptive authority requirements and receive Board approval before prescribing. You’ll retain the CPA at your practice site.
To add controlled substances to your prescriptive authority privileges after initial approval, submit Form CON 1A to the LSBN.
APRNs with prescriptive authority who want to reinstate it after a lapse of 12 months or more must apply for reinstatement through the Nurse Portal.
License Renewal and Continued Competence
Initial APRN licenses in Louisiana are valid for one calendar year. After the first renewal, licenses are renewed on a biennial cycle. Verify the current renewal dates and deadlines directly on the LSBN APRN renewal page before submitting.
Continued competence requirements are set by your certifying agency, not directly by the LSBN. APRNs should confirm renewal requirements with their certification body.
APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete six contact hours annually in pharmacotherapeutics relevant to their population focus. If renewing controlled substance prescriptive authority, three of those hours must specifically address controlled substance prescribing. Continuing education providers must be ANCC-accredited; the LSBN publishes a list of accepted providers.
Nurses with Commensurate APRN status provide evidence of continuing education directly to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
Find nursing licensure requirements by state for RNs, LPNs, LVNs, and advanced practice nurses.
Board Contact and Professional Organizations
The Louisiana State Board of Nursing can be reached at (225) 755-7500. The Board’s APRN page at lsbn.state.la.us includes contact information for the APRN department, application instructions, and portal access.
State professional organizations include the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners (lanp.enpnetwork.com) and the Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists (lanacrna.org).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Louisiana require a collaborative practice agreement for nurse practitioners?
Most Louisiana APRNs with prescriptive authority must maintain a Board-approved Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA) with a licensed physician or dentist. The CPA must specify the scope of prescriptive authority, including which drug schedules are covered. Certain APRNs may qualify for a statutory exemption under Louisiana law. APRNs must satisfy the LSBN collaborative practice and prescriptive authority requirements and receive Board approval before prescribing.
Can I practice as an APRN in Louisiana while my application is pending?
No. Louisiana prohibits practice in an advanced practice role and the use of any associated APRN title until the LSBN has officially issued your license. Temporary permits are not available to new graduates for early practice. The exception is a temporary permit issued in specific circumstances, such as for out-of-state applicants who have been inactive for two years.
What are the CE requirements for Louisiana APRN license renewal?
Continued competence requirements for APRN licensure renewal are set by your national certifying agency. APRNs with prescriptive authority have an additional LSBN requirement: six contact hours per year in pharmacotherapeutics relevant to their population. Three of those hours must address controlled substances if the APRN has controlled substance prescribing privileges.
How do I apply for APRN licensure in Louisiana if I’m licensed in another state?
Out-of-state APRNs apply by endorsement through the Louisiana Nurse Portal. You’ll need to submit license verifications from both your original state of licensure and your most recent state. RN and APRN endorsement applications can be filed at the same time if you also need an RN license in Louisiana.
What APRN roles does Louisiana recognize?
Louisiana recognizes four APRN roles: Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), and Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM). Each role also requires a designated population focus, such as family, adult-gerontology, pediatric, or psychiatric-mental health.
Key Takeaways
- RN license is a prerequisite — you must hold a current, unrestricted Louisiana RN license before the LSBN will issue an APRN license.
- Graduate degree and national certification required — APRN licensure is based on advanced education and certification through a Board-accepted organization specific to your role and population focus.
- Applications go through the Louisiana Nurse Portal — paper applications are no longer accepted. All APRN licensure applications are submitted online.
- Prescriptive authority is a separate step — it requires a Collaborative Practice Agreement with a physician or dentist, as well as additional pharmacology coursework. File only after your APRN license is issued.
- Renewal is biennial after the first year – initial licenses are valid for one year. After that, licenses are renewed on a biennial cycle. Verify current renewal dates on the LSBN APRN renewal page.
Ready to start your APRN education in Louisiana? Find approved nurse practitioner and advanced practice programs with information on admission requirements and degree options.