Indiana licenses RNs and LPNs through a two-step structure: the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA) is the administrative body that runs the MyLicense portal, collects fees, and processes documents, and the Indiana State Board of Nursing is the professional board housed within the PLA. RN licenses renew October 31 of odd-numbered years; LPN licenses renew October 31 of even-numbered years. Indiana implemented the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) on July 1, 2020 — about a year later than the original July 2019 target — so an RN or LPN whose primary state of residence is Indiana can hold a multistate compact license for an additional $25 on top of the $50 application fee. Every initial applicant must clear a fingerprint-based criminal background check through IdentoGO that, critically, cannot be scheduled until after PLA confirms the application is on file.
Indiana Nursing License Requirements
Graduation from a Board-approved RN program (for RN applicants) or a Board-approved practical nursing program (for LPN applicants). Out-of-country graduates must complete a CGFNS or equivalent credentials evaluation.
Pass the NCLEX-RN (RNs) or NCLEX-PN (LPNs). NCLEX cannot be scheduled until the Indiana State Board of Nursing has registered the applicant as eligible.
Complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check through IdentoGO. <strong>Critical sequencing rule:</strong> the CBC must be submitted <em>after</em> PLA receives the application — fingerprints captured before the "Indiana Licensure Application Received" email arrives are rejected and must be redone at the applicant's expense.
For licensure by endorsement: route license verification from every state and territory where you currently or previously held a nursing license through Nursys (or by paper from non-Nursys boards). The Nursys "Quick Confirm" option does <em>not</em> satisfy this requirement — you must use Nurse License Verification for Endorsement.
For NLC multistate licensure: declare Indiana as your <strong>Primary State of Residence (PSOR)</strong> and provide qualifying proof (Indiana driver's license, voter registration, federal tax return, or military Form 2058). Pay the $25 multistate add-on on top of the $50 application fee.
Disclose any criminal history, prior board action, mental-health treatment, or other eligibility concern; expect supplemental documentation requests and additional Board review.
Apply through the PLA MyLicense portal and pay the $50 application fee (plus $25 if requesting multistate licensure).
How Much Does an Indiana Nursing License Cost?
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RN License by Examination or Endorsement (Single State) | $50 | PLA application fee — same fee for examination and endorsement, RN and LPN. Separate $200 NCLEX-RN fee is paid to Pearson VUE for examination applicants. |
| LPN License by Examination or Endorsement (Single State) | $50 | PLA application fee — same as RN. Separate $200 NCLEX-PN fee is paid to Pearson VUE for examination applicants. |
| Nurse Licensure Compact (Multistate) Add-On | $25 | Charged in addition to the $50 application fee for applicants requesting a multistate license. Requires Indiana to be your Primary State of Residence. |
| Temporary Permit | $10 | Optional permit allowing practice while the permanent license processes. Available for endorsement applicants with a valid, unencumbered license in another state. |
| Biennial Renewal (Single State, RN and LPN) | $50 | Standard online renewal through MyLicense. RNs renew by October 31 of odd-numbered years; LPNs renew by October 31 of even-numbered years. |
| Biennial Renewal (Multistate, RN and LPN) | $75 | Renewal fee for nurses holding an Indiana multistate license — $50 base plus $25 multistate add-on. |
| Late Renewal Penalty | $50 | Added to the $50 renewal fee if renewing after the October 31 deadline (license expired less than 3 years). |
| Reinstatement (Expired 3+ Years) | $100 | Required for licenses that have been expired for three or more years. Additional Board review may be required. |
| IdentoGO Fingerprint / Background Check | $38.2 | Paid to IdentoGO at the time of fingerprinting. Covers state general fund, FBI, and vendor fees. Must be scheduled after PLA receives the application. |
| NCLEX Examination Fee | $200 | Paid directly to Pearson VUE / NCSBN, not to the PLA. Required for both NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN. |
Fees above are paid to Indiana and the FSMB. Our service fee is separate — see pricing.
We handle the Indiana application end-to-end.
Eligibility screening, document prep, board follow-ups, and tracking — so you don't lose a Board meeting cycle to a missing form.
View full pricingHow Long Does It Take to Get an Indiana Nursing License?
Typical Processing
4-6 weeks from a complete submission to license issuance
Recommended Lead Time
Submit at least 8-10 weeks before intended start of practice
PLA targets initial review and applicant contact within about two weeks of submission, with end-to-end processing of 4-6 weeks once fingerprints clear and out-of-state license verifications arrive through Nursys. In-state fingerprint results post in 72-96 hours; out-of-state applicants wait 7-10 days. Examination applicants are eligible to schedule the NCLEX only after the Board registers them as eligible — typically about three weeks after submission. Applicants with criminal history, prior discipline, or out-of-country training should plan for 2-3 months instead.
Where Indiana Applications Get Delayed
Do <strong>not</strong> schedule fingerprinting before PLA confirms your application is on file. Indiana rejects any IdentoGO fingerprints captured before the "Indiana Licensure Application Received" email arrives with your service code — the results will not be linked to your file, and you must pay the $38.20 fee a second time and reprint. This is the single most common cause of multi-week delays.
Use <strong>Nurse License Verification for Endorsement</strong> on Nursys, not "Quick Confirm." Quick Confirm does not transmit verification to the Indiana Board, and applicants who default to it routinely have to redo the request. Verification must come from every state and territory where you have <em>ever</em> held a license, active or not.
NLC multistate licensure requires Indiana to be your <strong>Primary State of Residence (PSOR)</strong>. If you are moving from another compact state, your prior multistate license remains valid for only <strong>60 days</strong> after you establish Indiana residency — after that, practicing on the old multistate is a compliance violation. Apply for the Indiana multistate inside that 60-day window.
The $25 multistate add-on must be paid at application — adding multistate later requires a separate application and another fee. Out-of-state applicants who plan to relocate to Indiana commonly forget to mark the multistate box.
Indiana has <strong>two different renewal years</strong>: RNs renew October 31 of odd years, LPNs renew October 31 of even years. Nurses who hold both an Indiana RN and LPN license (or who switched from LPN to RN mid-cycle) sometimes track the wrong date.
Indiana is one of the few states with <strong>no CE requirement for staff RN/LPN renewal</strong>. This sounds easy, but nurses moving from CE-required states sometimes assume there is one and waste time/money on courses they do not need — and APRNs with prescriptive authority still owe 30 hours including 8 of pharmacology.
Out-of-country graduates must complete a CGFNS credentials evaluation in addition to NCLEX eligibility — adds months to the timeline and cannot be expedited.
Applications are <strong>abandoned after one year</strong> if all required materials are not submitted. Re-applying requires starting the file from scratch with a new fee.
Renewing Your Indiana Nursing License
Renewal Cycle
Biennial. RN licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years (next: October 31, 2027). LPN licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years (next: October 31, 2026). Renewal window opens 90 days before expiration.
CME Requirement
Indiana does <strong>not</strong> require continuing education for standard RN or LPN license renewal — one of only a handful of states without a CE mandate. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) with prescriptive authority must complete 30 hours of CE per renewal cycle including at least 8 hours of pharmacology. Even though staff RNs and LPNs have no CE requirement, the Board expects continued professional competency.
Late Grace Period
Practicing on a delinquent license is illegal. A $50 late penalty is added to the $50 renewal fee for licenses renewed after October 31 but expired less than three years (total $100). Licenses expired three or more years require reinstatement at a $100 fee plus possible Board review.
How Indiana Issues Nursing Licenses: PLA + State Board of Nursing
Indiana nursing licensure is administered through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PLA), which runs the MyLicense online portal, collects fees, and processes documents. The Indiana State Board of Nursing, housed within the PLA, sets standards and rules on disputed applications. The application fee is $50 for licensure by examination or endorsement, RN or LPN — the same flat fee in every direction. Add $25 for a multistate (NLC) license if Indiana is your Primary State of Residence. NCLEX itself is an additional $200 paid directly to Pearson VUE for examination applicants, and every initial applicant must clear a fingerprint-based criminal background check through IdentoGO.
Indiana and the NLC
Indiana implemented the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) on July 1, 2020. RNs and LPNs whose Primary State of Residence (PSOR) is Indiana are eligible for a multistate license that authorizes practice in every other NLC state. PSOR is established by Indiana driver's license, voter registration, federal tax return, or military Form 2058. The multistate add-on is $25 on top of the $50 base application fee — a small premium, but you have to mark the box at application time. If you move to Indiana from another compact state, your prior multistate license remains valid for only 60 days after you establish Indiana residency; apply for the Indiana multistate inside that window or you are practicing without proper authority.
Where Most Indiana Applications Get Stuck
Three Indiana-specific issues drive most delays:
- Premature fingerprinting. Indiana rejects fingerprints captured before PLA confirms the application is on file. The trigger is the "Indiana Licensure Application Received" email, which contains the service code IdentoGO needs to link the results to your file. Fingerprinting earlier produces results that are simply discarded — you pay the $38.20 fee again and reprint. This is the single most common cause of multi-week delays.
- Wrong Nursys verification path. Endorsement applicants must use Nurse License Verification for Endorsement on Nursys, not "Quick Confirm." Quick Confirm does not transmit a record to Indiana, and applicants who default to it routinely have to redo it. Verification must come from every state where you have ever held a license — active or not.
- Skipping the multistate box at application. Adding multistate after the initial license is issued requires a separate application and another fee. Out-of-state applicants relocating to Indiana commonly forget to check the multistate box and end up paying twice.
What You'll Pay
Indiana fees are among the lowest in the country. Single-state application is $50 (RN or LPN, examination or endorsement). Multistate adds $25, for a $75 total. Examination applicants pay an additional $200 to Pearson VUE for the NCLEX. Add $38.20 for IdentoGO fingerprinting. A $10 Temporary Permit is available for endorsement applicants with a clean license elsewhere. Renewal is $50 single-state / $75 multistate, biennial. Late renewal adds a $50 penalty (total $100) for licenses expired less than three years; reinstatement after three years is $100 plus possible Board review.
Realistic Timeline
PLA targets 4-6 weeks end-to-end once fingerprint results post and out-of-state license verifications arrive. In-state fingerprint clearance posts in 72-96 hours; out-of-state fingerprint scans take 7-10 days. Initial PLA contact (any missing-document requests) typically arrives within about two weeks of submission. Examination applicants become NCLEX-eligible roughly three weeks after submission, once the Board registers them with NCSBN. Applicants with criminal history, prior board action, or out-of-country training should plan on 2-3 months instead. Submit at least 8-10 weeks before your intended start date — and remember that the application is abandoned after one year of inactivity, forcing a full restart.
Renewal and CE
Indiana runs on a biennial renewal cycle, with a quirk: RN licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years (next: October 31, 2027) while LPN licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years (next: October 31, 2026). The MyLicense renewal window opens 90 days before expiration. Indiana is one of the few states with no continuing education requirement for standard RN or LPN renewal. The Board expects continued professional competency, but there is no numeric CE hour mandate. APRNs with prescriptive authority are the exception — they must complete 30 hours of CE per cycle including 8 hours of pharmacology. Late renewal triggers a $50 penalty (total $100) for licenses expired less than three years; three-plus years requires reinstatement at $100 plus possible Board review.
How White Glove Helps
We manage Indiana RN and LPN applications end-to-end with particular focus on the IdentoGO sequencing problem that derails most files. We file the MyLicense application first, wait for the "Indiana Licensure Application Received" email and service code, then schedule fingerprinting at the closest IdentoGO center so results land cleanly on your record the first time. We route originating-state license verifications through Nursys using Nurse License Verification for Endorsement (not Quick Confirm) and hand-track every state where you have ever been licensed. For nurses establishing Indiana as their PSOR, we coordinate the multistate add-on at initial filing — not after — and watch the 60-day clock if you are moving from another compact state. We also flag the RN-odd-year / LPN-even-year renewal split so you do not miss a cycle.
Indiana Nursing License FAQ
How much does an Indiana nursing license cost?
+
How long does it take to get an Indiana nursing license?
+
Is Indiana a Nurse Licensure Compact state?
+
When can I schedule my Indiana fingerprint appointment?
+
What CE is required to renew an Indiana nursing license?
+
When does my Indiana nursing license expire?
+
Why do most Indiana nursing license applications get delayed?
+
What Working with Us Costs
Transparent, a la carte service fees. The state and FSMB fees listed above are paid directly to those agencies. Our concierge service is separate.
View PricingBook Online
Share your details and preferred availability.