Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) License Requirements in Idaho
- Training hours
- —
- Upfront cost
- $200
- Exam
- NCLEX-PN
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- Issuing board
- Idaho Board of Nursing (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)
How to get licensed
- 1
Meet the prerequisites
Pass a criminal background check. No official Idaho Board of Nursing source states a fixed minimum age for LPN licensure, so left null rather than guessed. A fingerprint-based criminal history background check (FBI and Idaho State Police) is required of all applicants, per the Board's official Licensure Policy; fingerprint cards are valid for 180 days from the date prints were taken. dopl.idaho.gov timed out on direct fetch; content verified via archive snapshot 2025-07-15. [1]
- 2
Complete approved training
Complete training at a state-approved program. Idaho requires graduation from a Board-approved practical nursing education program (in-state, another U.S. jurisdiction, or Canada), per the Board of Nursing's official Licensure Policy. That policy document does not publish a fixed statewide total instructional-hour minimum for LPN programs, so left null rather than guessed. dopl.idaho.gov timed out on repeated direct automated fetch attempts; content verified via archive snapshot 2025-07-15. [1]
- 3
NCLEX-PN
Pass the NCLEX-PN (fee: $200). The $200 NCLEX registration fee is paid to Pearson VUE/NCSBN, separate from the Idaho Board of Nursing's own application fee. [2]
- 4
Submit your application
Submit your application to Idaho Board of Nursing (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses). [3]
- 5
Receive your license
Once your application is approved, Idaho Board of Nursing (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) issues your Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for Idaho.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee [3] | None specified |
| License fee [3] | None specified |
| Renewal fee [3] | None specified |
| NCLEX-PN [2] | $200 |
dopl.idaho.gov and the Idaho Administrative Rules site (adminrules.idaho.gov) both timed out on every direct automated fetch attempt, and no Wayback snapshot of an official Idaho Board of Nursing fee-schedule page or PDF (as opposed to the general Licensure Policy, which does not list dollar amounts) could be retrieved. The Board's own official announcements (verified via archive snapshot 2026-04-16) confirm two 2026 fee changes in principle -- a January 2025 fee decrease and an April 1, 2026 transition to birthday-based 2-year licenses (fees 'adjusted to align with the extended renewal period,' charged 'only for whole years') -- but do not state the resulting dollar figures for LPN application, license, or renewal. Third-party nursing-license sites commonly cite a ~$75 LPN license fee plus a ~$42 fingerprint-processing fee, but since these could not be confirmed on an official Idaho government page, all three fee fields are left null rather than guessed.
Renewal & continuing education
Renew every 2 years.
Beginning April 1, 2026, DOPL transitioned the Board of Nursing (along with other boards) from license terms expiring in a fixed month to 2-year licenses that expire on the licensee's own birthday; current licensees are being phased in by birth year (even/odd), and all new applicants now receive at least a 2-year license. Idaho uses a 'continued competence' framework for LPN renewal (activities such as clinical practice, nursing-related education, research, precepting, peer review, or service on a nursing-related board/committee) rather than a single fixed continuing-education hour count, so ceHours is left null rather than assigned a specific figure not found on an official page. dopl.idaho.gov timed out on direct fetch; content verified via archive snapshot 2026-04-16.
Reciprocity
Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available. Participates in: NLC.
Idaho is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), implemented Jan. 19, 2018 per the compact commission's official jurisdiction list, so an active multistate LPN license from another NLC member state is valid to practice in Idaho without separate endorsement. LPNs licensed elsewhere who don't hold a compact multistate license can apply for licensure by endorsement; per the Board's Licensure Policy, whether an applicant receives a multi-state or single-state license by endorsement depends on their declared primary state of residence.
4 state-approved training providers in Idaho — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.
Cost calculator
- $200
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for an LPN license in Idaho?
Graduate from a Board-approved practical nursing education program, complete a fingerprint-based FBI/Idaho State Police criminal history background check, and apply through the Idaho Board of Nursing before registering for the NCLEX-PN through the NCSBN candidate portal.
Who administers the LPN licensing exam in Idaho?
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/NCSBN, separate from the Idaho Board of Nursing's own application fee.
How often do I need to renew my Idaho LPN license?
Every 2 years. Starting April 1, 2026, the Idaho Board of Nursing transitioned to licenses that expire on the licensee's own birthday rather than a fixed month, phased in over two cycles by birth year.
Can I transfer my out-of-state LPN license to Idaho?
If you hold an active multistate license from another Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state, you can practice in Idaho without additional action. Otherwise, you can apply for licensure by endorsement through the Idaho Board of Nursing.
Sources
- [1] dopl.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BON-Licensure-Policy.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10
- [2] nclex.com/fees-payment.page — accessed 2026-07-10
- [3] dopl.idaho.gov/pressrelease/big-changes-are-on-the-way-stay-informed-about-important-licensure-updates-that-may-impact-your-renewal-cycle-28/ — accessed 2026-07-10
- [4] nursecompact.com/files/NLC_Map.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10