Louisiana · verified 2026-07-29
Nursing home administrator license requirements in Louisiana.
How do I become a licensed nursing home administrator in Louisiana?
To become a licensed nursing home administrator in Louisiana, you need a bachelor's degree, an Administrator-in-Training program of 1,040 hours, and the national NAB CORE of Knowledge and Nursing Home Administrator exams, plus this jurisdiction's own exam. The initial fee is about $1,115, and licenses renew with 18 continuing-education hours on a annual cycle.
The detail
Every requirement, sourced and dated
- Board
- Louisiana Board of Examiners of Nursing Facility Administrators (LABENFA) Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Education floor
- A bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution qualifies an applicant to sit the licensing examination; an applicant with no degree may instead qualify by proving at least 10 years of work as a licensed nursing facility administrator in Louisiana, or in another jurisdiction with substantially similar licensure requirements (La. Admin. Code tit. 46 XLIX-503(A)(5)). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Administrator-in-Training hours
- 1,040 hours
- 1,040 hours: A single AIT pathway: a minimum of 6 consecutive months (1,040 hours) full-time as Administrator-in-Training under a preceptor, rotating through Administration (360 hrs), Nursing (200 hrs), Dietary (160 hrs), Resident Activity (80 hrs), Social Work (80 hrs), Medical Records (80 hrs), and Environmental Management (80 hrs) (La. Admin. Code tit. 46 XLIX-701).
- National NAB exams
- Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Separate state exam
- Required Louisiana administers its own State Standards Examination ($120 fee, $150 retake fee) in addition to the national NAB examination (La. Admin. Code tit. 46 XLIX-1201). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Initial license fee
- $1,115 NFA Application Fee $600 + Initial Registration Fee $395 + State Exam Fee $120 = $1,115 (La. Admin. Code tit. 46 XLIX-1201). A separate $100 Application Packet fee may apply when study materials are purchased from the board. Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Renewal fee
- $395 Annual Registration Fee $395 (an Annual Conditional Registration Fee of $210 applies to conditional/inactive status) (La. Admin. Code tit. 46 XLIX-1201). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Continuing education
- 18 hours per annual cycle 18 hours of approved continuing education during the 12 months preceding re-registration; up to 9 of the 18 hours may be completed online (La. Admin. Code tit. 46 XLIX-903). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
- Reciprocity / endorsement
- by exam only The board may endorse an out-of-state license if the other state's standards are substantially equivalent, or if the applicant has been licensed 5+ years and practiced 3+ years (with 1 year of full-time experience allowed in lieu of an AIT program), holds a current license in good standing, and pays a $125 reciprocity-into-Louisiana fee, but the applicant must still pass the Louisiana State Standards Examination (La. Admin. Code tit. 46 XLIX-1107, XLIX-1201). Board source · checked 2026-07-29
Statutes and rules: La. R.S. 37:2501 et seq. (Louisiana Nursing Home Administrators Law); Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46, Part XLIX (Nursing Facility Administrators). Figures change on the board's own schedule. Confirm against the board before you apply or pay.
Next step
Make it personal
- Get your checklist. The requirements wizard resolves Louisiana's requirements for your exact degree.
- Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns Louisiana's hour target into a finish date.
- Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads Louisiana's endorsement rule.