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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Licensed Practical Nurse Single State Licensure Requirements Snapshot

    Pennsylvania Licensure Requirements

    Completion of Practical Nursing Program

    LPN Examination

    No Experience Requirement

    3 Hours of Child Abuse Education
     

    $95.00 Initial Fee

    $76.00 Renewal Fee

    A nurse licensed to practice practical nursing by the State Board of Nursing. Practical nursing is the performance of selected nursing acts in the care of the ill, injured or infirm under the direction of a licensed registered nurse, a licensed physician or a licensed dentist which do not require the specialized skill, judgment and knowledge required of an RN. 

    Education Requirement: 

    Completion of Practical Nursing Program
    To become a practical nurse, an applicant must finish high school or obtain a GED and satisfactorily complete a program in practical nursing prescribed and approved by the board in a school, hospital or other educational institution.

    For initial license, the applicant must complete 3 hours of approved training in how to recognize and report child abuse.

    Examination Requirement: 

    The applicant must pass the NCLEX-PN® (or its predecessor SBTPE).

    Education Required for Biennial Renewal 

    To renew license every two years, licensees must complete 2 hours of Board-approved training in how to recognize and report child abuse.

    Initial Licensing Fee: 

    $95 if applicant went to practical nursing school in Pennsylvania

    $115 if applicant went to practical nursing school outside of Pennsylvania

    $120 if applicant is applying based on having an LPN license from another state

    $145 if applicant is applying with an LPN license from another state but need to take the exam

    Licensure Renewal Fee: 

    $76.00 every two years

    Other Pathways to Licensure: 

    Licensure By Endorsement

    A practical nurse who has graduated from an approved practical nursing education program in the United States or Canada that is equivalent to a PA practical nursing program and who obtained LPN  licensure in another jurisdiction having passed an examination considered by the Board to be equivalent to the examination required for licensure in this Commonwealth but who does not hold a multistate license in another Compact state may be granted single state licensure by endorsement.

    Licensure via Act 41

    Act 41 grants all boards and commissions within the Commonwealth the authority to endorse licensees from other states, territories or jurisdictions (with substantially equivalent licensing requirements) who are active, in good standing, have practice under that license for no less than 3,600 hours in the five year preceding application, without discipline against their license and no criminal conviction that consititutes grounds for refusal of a license.

    Note: Licenses issued under Act 41 cannot be the basis for multistate licenses as applicants' specific education have not been reviewed. 

    Multistate Licensure

    Multistate license holders whose principal state of residence is not Pennsylvania may practice in the Commonwealth without a PA-issued LPN license. If principal place of residence is Pennsylvania,   apply for a multistate license. here.