StateLicensed

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) License Requirements in North Carolina

Verified · July 2026
Training hours
—
Upfront cost
$275
Exam
NCLEX-PN
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Issuing board
North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON)

How to get licensed

  1. 1

    Meet the prerequisites

    Pass a criminal background check. NCBON requires a criminal background check (with a dedicated $38 fee on the Board's fee schedule); at renewal, any new felony/misdemeanor charge or conviction not previously reported must be disclosed with supporting documentation before renewal can be processed. No codified minimum age requirement was found on the Board's examination or endorsement pages. [3]

  2. 2

    Complete approved training

    Complete training at a state-approved program. North Carolina's program-approval rule (21 NCAC 36 .0321, Curriculum) does not publish a single codified total clock-hour minimum for practical nursing programs; it instead requires correlated theory and clinical practice across specified content areas, plus a focused client-care clinical experience of at least 90 hours in the program's final semester. Programs are typically about three semesters long in practice but that is not itself a codified hour requirement. [1]

  3. 3

    NCLEX-PN

    Pass the NCLEX-PN (fee: $200). Computer adaptive test administered at Pearson VUE test centers. National Pearson VUE registration fee, uniform across all U.S. jurisdictions; separate from NCBON's own examination/license fee. [2]

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Submit your application to North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) with the $75 application fee. [3]

  5. 5

    Receive your license

    Once your application is approved, North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON) issues your Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for North Carolina.

Fees

Fee Amount
Application fee [3] $75
License fee [3] None specified
Renewal fee [3] $100
NCLEX-PN [2] $200
Endorsement into state (RN & LPN) [3] $150
Criminal Background Check [3] $38
Reinstatement of lapsed license [3] $180

NCBON's fee schedule lists a single combined $75 'Examination - initial' fee covering both the exam application and license issuance for first-time RN & LPN applicants (no separate license-issuance line item). Applicants coming from another jurisdiction pay a $150 endorsement fee instead. Renewal is $100 every 2 years. Verified against the Board's official Fee Schedule page via a Wayback Machine snapshot (2025-12-16) after the live page returned a 403 to automated fetches.

Renewal & continuing education

Renew every 2 years. 30 continuing education hours required per cycle.

Licenses are valid for 2 years. Continuing competence (21 NCAC 36 .0232) can be met via any one of eight learning options; the simplest is 30 contact hours of continuing education, or alternatively 15 contact hours plus 640 hours of active practice, national certification, a Board-approved refresher course, 2 semester hours of post-licensure academic education, or 15 hours plus a qualifying nursing project/publication/presentation. Licensees only submit evidence if selected for random audit. Verified via a Wayback Machine snapshot (2026-01-27) after the live page returned a 403 to automated fetches.

Reciprocity

Endorsement/reciprocity from another state is available. Participates in: Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).

North Carolina has been an NLC member since the compact's original Jan. 19, 2018 implementation date, per NCSBN's official NLC jurisdiction map. LPNs licensed in another jurisdiction may also apply for licensure by endorsement ($150 fee) rather than relying on a multistate compact license; endorsement requires an active license held elsewhere within the past 5 years (or completion of a Board-approved refresher course if inactive 5+ years) and an unencumbered license history in every jurisdiction ever held.

38 state-approved training providers in North Carolina — browse programs and compare schools on tradecolleges.org.

Cost calculator

  • $75
  • $200
Total$275

Frequently asked questions

What agency licenses LPNs in North Carolina?

The North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON), which regulates both RNs and LPNs under the same practice act.

How much does it cost to get an LPN license in North Carolina by examination?

NCBON charges a combined $75 examination/license fee, plus a $38 criminal background check fee, separate from the $200 national NCLEX-PN registration fee paid to Pearson VUE.

How often do North Carolina LPNs renew their license?

Every 2 years, for a $100 fee. Continuing competence can be satisfied through several paths, most simply 30 contact hours of continuing education during the prior 2 years.

Is North Carolina a Nurse Licensure Compact state?

Yes. North Carolina has been an NLC member since the compact's original Jan. 19, 2018 implementation, so a North Carolina multistate license is valid to practice in other NLC member states.

Can an LPN licensed in another state transfer to North Carolina?

Yes, through licensure by endorsement for a $150 fee, provided the applicant held an active license elsewhere within the past 5 years and has no encumbrances on any license ever held.

Sources

  1. [1] reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2021%20-%20occupational%20licensing%20boards%20and%20commissions/chapter%2036%20-%20nursing/21%20ncac%2036%20.0321.html — accessed 2026-07-10
  2. [2] nclex.com/fees-payment.page — accessed 2026-07-10
  3. [3] ncbon.com/fee-schedule — accessed 2026-07-10
  4. [4] ncbon.com/rn-lpn-continuing-competence — accessed 2026-07-10
  5. [5] ncsbn.org/public-files/NLC_Map.pdf — accessed 2026-07-10