StateLicensed

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) License Requirements in Hawaii

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$276
Exam
NCLEX-PN
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
Hawaii Board of Nursing (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Be at least 18 years old, pass a criminal background check. The official license-by-exam application asks applicants to certify they are at least 18 years of age (with proof of date of birth). All applicants for a Hawaii nurse license must undergo electronic fingerprinting for an FBI national criminal history check and a State of Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center (HCJDC) criminal history record check, arranged through Fieldprint Inc.; a license will not be issued until the fingerprint requirement is met. [1]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete training at a state-approved program. Hawaii requires graduation from an approved practical nursing education program (or, for foreign graduates, a CGFNS credentials evaluation showing an education comparable to a U.S. accredited nursing program), but the Board's official exam-application instructions and administrative rules (HAR Title 16, Chapter 89) do not publish a fixed statewide total instructional-hour minimum for LPN programs specifically. (A related rule, HAR 16-89-9(b), does specify that a Board-approved *remedial* course for candidates who fail the NCLEX three times must include a minimum of 60 hours of didactic instruction and 60 hours of clinical instruction, but that is a remediation-course requirement, not the initial program hour requirement.) [1]

  3. 3

    NCLEX-PN

    Pass the NCLEX-PN (fee: $200). The $200 NCLEX registration fee is paid to Pearson VUE/NCSBN, separate from the Hawaii Board of Nursing's $40 application fee. Candidates who fail the NCLEX three times (in any state/jurisdiction) must complete a Board-approved remedial course (min. 60 didactic + 60 clinical hours) before being approved for reexamination, per HAR 16-89-9(b). [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to Hawaii Board of Nursing (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) with the $40 application fee. [1]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, Hawaii Board of Nursing (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) issues your Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for Hawaii.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [1] $40
License fee [1] $36
Renewal fee [1] None specified
NCLEX-PN [2] $200
Hawaii State Center for Nursing fee (assessed at initial licensure, renewal, and restoration, per Act 66 SLH 2022) [1] $60

Application ($40, fee code 433) and license-issuance ($36, fee code 436) amounts are read directly from the official current LPN/RN exam-application form's fee table, along with the $60 Center for Nursing fee that applies at initial licensure, renewal, and restoration. That same table also lists a Compliance Resolution Fund (CRF) fee of '$50/$100' and a '1/2 Ren' (partial-period renewal) fee of $18, but the form does not clearly state which CRF amount applies to LPN renewal specifically or the full on-time biennial renewal total, so renewal is left null rather than guessed. (Third-party nursing-license sites commonly cite a $196 total active renewal fee, which is consistent with License $36 + CRF $100 + Center for Nursing $60, but no single official Board page was found stating that total explicitly, so it is not asserted here.)

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years.

All Hawaii nurse licenses, regardless of issuance date, expire June 30 of each odd-numbered year and must be renewed online via MyPVL. Rather than a fixed continuing-education hour count, Hawaii uses a 'continuing competency' model: unless exempt, all LPNs must complete at least one Board-recognized learning activity option (e.g., continuing education, a nurse residency program, or a recognized national certification) before renewing, per the Board's Continuing Competency Booklet — so ceHours is left null rather than assigning a specific hour figure. Licenses not renewed by June 30 are forfeited; nurses then have 2 years to restore before the license is terminated and they must reapply as new applicants.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available.

Hawaii is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC); it is shown as 'Currently No Action' on the compact commission's official jurisdiction map/table (nursecompact.com), so compacts is left empty. LPNs licensed by examination in another U.S. jurisdiction may instead apply for licensure without examination / by endorsement through the Board's separate 'Nurse (Without Exam) Endorsement' application.

2 state-approved training providers in Hawaii — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $40
  • $36
  • $200
Total$276

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for an LPN license in Hawaii?

Graduate from an approved practical nursing program (or have a CGFNS credentials evaluation if foreign-educated), submit the current 'Application for License by Exam - Nurse' form with the $40 application fee, complete fingerprinting through Fieldprint Inc. for an FBI/State criminal history check, and register with Pearson VUE for the NCLEX-PN once the Board confirms eligibility.

Who administers the LPN licensing exam in Hawaii?

Pearson VUE administers the NCLEX-PN under contract with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The $200 exam fee is paid directly to Pearson VUE, separate from the Board's $40 application fee.

How often do I need to renew my Hawaii LPN license?

Every 2 years. All Hawaii nurse licenses expire June 30 of each odd-numbered year and are renewed online through MyPVL. Renewal requires completing at least one continuing-competency learning activity (unless exempt) rather than a fixed CE-hour count.

Can I transfer my out-of-state LPN license to Hawaii?

Hawaii is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, so an out-of-state multistate license does not automatically authorize practice in Hawaii. LPNs licensed elsewhere apply through the Board's 'Nurse (Without Exam) Endorsement' application instead of retaking the NCLEX-PN.

Sources

  1. [1] cca.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PVL_Form_Nursing_RN_LPN_By_Exam_License_Application_2026-07.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
  2. [2] nclex.com/fees-payment.page — accessed 2026-07-10
  3. [3] cca.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2025-NURSING-RENEWAL-REQUIREMENTS-AND-FAQS-final.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
  4. [4] nursecompact.com/files/NLC_Map.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10