Verify a Louisiana CNA and Keep the Registry Status Current
Louisiana CNA verification is handled through the Louisiana Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry, not the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. Use the official registry to confirm certification status, certification number, original certification date and expiration date.
Louisiana’s renewal process is unusual because a CNA generally does not renew by simply submitting a standard renewal form. Certification is maintained through qualifying paid work history reported to the Registry by an approved employer or provider.
Quick Answer: How to Verify a Louisiana CNA
Use the official Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry maintained by the Louisiana Department of Health Health Standards Section. The Registry is the state source for CNA certification status and printable proof of certification.
Louisiana’s LDH instructions currently tell CNAs checking their own certification to enter the Social Security number only, including the dashes, and then scroll to the bottom of the Registry page to view the record. Because a Social Security number is sensitive, enter it only on the official Louisiana government registry—not on third-party license websites.
Print the Registry result
LDH says printable verification from the Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry is the proof supplied by the Registry for CNA certification.
Work history controls recertification
A CNA must complete at least 8 hours of qualifying paid nursing or nurse-related work during each 24-month certification period.
Do not use the nursing board
Louisiana RN and APRN records use different nursing-license systems. CNA certification belongs to the LDH Nurse Aide Registry.
If the Registry asks for a Social Security number, confirm that you are on the official tlc.dhh.la.gov registry before entering it. Do not put a Social Security number into a private license directory or search engine.
Louisiana CNA Certification Is Not an RN or LPN License
People often search “Louisiana CNA license verification,” but Louisiana describes the credential as CNA certification and maintains it through the Nurse Aide Registry. Choosing the wrong nursing system can produce a false “no result.”
Louisiana CNA Registry Lookup: Step-by-Step
Use this process before hiring, starting a CNA assignment, checking your own expiration date, confirming renewal, preparing for retesting or transferring certification.
Open the LDH Nurse Aide Registry route
Start from the Louisiana Department of Health CNA Registry page or the official Registry at tlc.dhh.la.gov. Avoid private pages that present themselves as the licensing agency.
Select CNA verification, not DSW verification
Louisiana maintains both Nurse Aide and Direct Service Worker records. Choose the CNA option when you are checking nurse aide certification.
Use the identifier required by the Registry
LDH’s current CNA instructions say to enter the Social Security number only and include the dashes. Enter sensitive information only on the verified Louisiana government Registry.
Scroll down to the Registry result
LDH specifically instructs users to scroll to the bottom of the result page after searching. Do not assume a blank area at the top means no record exists.
Confirm the certification details
Review the original certification date, current certification status, expiration date and certification number shown by the Registry.
Check the retest date if status is Not Certified
An expired CNA who qualifies for recertification testing should review the “Retest Required By” date shown by the Registry before scheduling an exam.
Print or save the verification
Louisiana says the public Registry listing can be printed as proof of CNA certification. Save the verification date when using it for employment or credentialing.
Resolve missing or incorrect information with the Registry
If the official Registry cannot be accessed or the result appears incorrect, use LDH Nurse Aide Registry contact resources rather than repeatedly entering sensitive information into other websites.
What the Louisiana CNA Registry Result Can Show
The Registry record gives you more than a simple yes-or-no answer. Read each field before relying on the certification.
| Registry information | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Original certification date | Shows when Louisiana CNA certification began. | Use it with the current certification period and work-history record when resolving renewal questions. |
| Certification status | Shows whether the CNA is currently listed as Certified or another status such as Not Certified. | Do not schedule work that requires current certification until the Registry shows the required status. |
| Expiration date | Louisiana CNA certification is maintained in two-year periods. | Confirm qualifying work history has been reported before this date. |
| Certification number | Provides the Registry identifier used for records and verification. | Save it for employer records, Registry inquiries and reciprocity paperwork. |
| Retest Required By | Helps an expired CNA determine whether the one-time recertification retest window remains open. | Do not schedule retesting until the Registry confirms eligibility. |
| Finding / adverse information | LDH may place validated findings involving abuse, neglect, misappropriation, exploitation or extortion on CNA/DSW registry records. | Follow LDH Registry instructions and review the official finding before making an employment decision. |
Louisiana CNA Renewal: How Recertification Actually Works
Louisiana does not describe CNA maintenance as a simple online renewal application. Aides are certified for two years and must have qualifying paid work history reported to the Nurse Aide Registry during each 24-month period.
2 years
The Louisiana CNA certification period begins on the certification date and lasts two years.
At least 8 hours
The CNA must perform at least 8 hours of paid nursing or nurse-related services during the 24-month certification period.
Work history must already be reported
LDH says eligible nurse aides are automatically recertified at midnight on the expiration date when the required work history has been reported before the certification period ends.
Check your current expiration date
Do not estimate your renewal deadline from memory. Verify the actual date in the Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry.
Confirm you performed qualifying paid work
The work must involve nursing or nurse-related duties and meet Louisiana’s approved-setting rules.
Ask the employer whether work history was reported
A CNA cannot self-report work history. The provider or approved entity must submit it to the Registry.
Check the Registry before expiration
Do not wait until the certification changes to Not Certified. Confirm that qualifying employment has reached the Registry while there is still time to correct reporting problems.
Verify again after the expiration date
If the work requirement and reporting were satisfied, check that the Registry now shows the new certification period.
Louisiana expressly states that CNAs cannot report their own work history. If the Registry is missing employment, contact the provider or facility that employed you and ask it to submit the required documentation.
Which Louisiana CNA Work Counts Toward Renewal?
The 8-hour rule is not simply “any job as a caregiver.” Louisiana requires paid nursing or nurse-related duties in an approved setting.
| Work setting or situation | Renewal treatment | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing home | Qualifying approved setting | Nursing homes report CNA work history electronically through eNAT-7/LARS. |
| Hospital | Qualifying approved setting | Hospitals may also report CNA work history through LARS. |
| Home health agency | May qualify when properly licensed and nursing-related duties are performed | Reporting may need provider action because facilities outside nursing homes are not always required to report automatically. |
| Personal care attendant agency | May qualify when the agency and duties meet LDH requirements | The work must be nursing or nurse-related and meet Registry reporting requirements. |
| Assisted living, hospice, respite, adult day health or qualifying ICF/DD setting | Listed by LDH among approved settings | Make sure the employer/provider submits the work history if it is not automatically reported. |
| Private-duty sitting | Generally does not qualify by itself | LDH notes an exception when the work is performed through an appropriately licensed provider. |
| Staffing agency | Special rule | Louisiana accepts staffing-agency employment for this purpose only when the work was performed in a nursing home, and the required work history must be reported according to Registry rules. |
If you worked in an approved setting outside a nursing home, ask whether the employer submitted your work history to the Registry. Louisiana recommends reporting qualifying work even when the provider is not otherwise required to submit it automatically.
Louisiana CNA Status Says “Not Certified”: What to Do
A “Not Certified” result can have more than one cause. The correct fix depends on whether you actually completed qualifying work and whether you are still inside the retesting window.
Louisiana CNA Recertification by Retesting
Retesting is a limited recovery route for certain CNAs whose certification expired because the required qualifying work history was not met.
Within 2 years after expiration
A CNA listed as Not Certified may be eligible to retest if the Registry’s retest deadline has not passed.
One recertification attempt
Louisiana provides one opportunity to pass the required recertification testing during the eligibility period.
Fail either part and retraining is required
If the CNA does not pass both the written/oral and skills portions during the permitted retest, the next route is retraining.
Verify that the Registry says Not Certified
The retest route is not for an already Certified CNA whose retest field is blank.
Check the Retest Required By date
Make sure the two-year retesting window has not expired.
Print the Registry verification
LDH instructs eligible retest candidates to print the Registry page showing certification status and certification period.
Choose an approved testing vendor
Louisiana uses Prometric and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System for CNA competency testing and eligible recertification retesting.
Bring the required identification and documents
Follow the testing vendor’s current application and admission instructions exactly. Fees and scheduling procedures belong to the testing vendor and can change.
When Louisiana Requires CNA Retraining
The one-time retest is not available indefinitely. Louisiana requires retraining when the recertification window or attempt has been exhausted.
Retraining required
If more than two years have passed since certification expired, the CNA is outside the recertification retest period and must use the retraining route.
Retraining required after unsuccessful attempt
Louisiana states that a CNA who does not pass both parts of the one-time retest must retrain before returning to the certification process.
If you actually worked the required hours and only the reporting was missing, employer-submitted work history may resolve the status without retesting or retraining. Verify the cause first.
Louisiana CNA Reciprocity: Transfer Into or Out of Louisiana
Reciprocity lets an eligible nurse aide transfer certification between states, but Louisiana has separate rules for moving into Louisiana and moving out.
Prometric processes reciprocity
To transfer CNA certification into Louisiana, you must have active certification and be in good standing in every state where you are currently certified. Prometric processes Louisiana reciprocity applications.
- Review the current Prometric reciprocity procedure before applying.
- Submit the required application and current supporting documents.
- Follow Prometric’s current identity and fee instructions.
- Do not begin by sending another state’s reciprocity form to the Louisiana Registry.
Contact the destination state
Louisiana instructs CNAs moving to another state to contact that state’s Nurse Aide Registry because each jurisdiction has its own transfer requirements.
- Print Louisiana Registry verification when the destination state accepts it.
- Ask the destination state whether it requires its own application or verification form.
- Contact your training program for old transcripts or exam records because Louisiana’s Registry does not keep those documents.
- Do not send destination-state reciprocity forms to Louisiana unless the receiving state specifically instructs you to do so.
Louisiana CNA Registry Findings and Employment Eligibility
Registry status is not only about expiration. Louisiana can place a formal finding on CNA and Direct Service Worker records involving substantiated misconduct such as abuse, neglect, misappropriation, exploitation or extortion.
Check certification status
Employers should verify the CNA record before relying on the aide’s certificate, résumé or statement of current status.
Some employers must check both
LDH states that most providers it licenses are required to check both the CNA Registry and Direct Service Worker Registry when determining employment eligibility.
Review the official information
Do not interpret a finding from a third-party summary. Use the Louisiana Registry and LDH contact process to understand the official record and its effect.
LDH lists 225-342-3240 for questions involving CNA/Direct Service Worker adverse-action findings. Ordinary Nurse Aide Registry questions use 225-342-0138.
Louisiana CNA Employer Verification Checklist
Healthcare providers should verify CNA status from the official Registry and make sure qualifying employment is reported correctly so an otherwise eligible aide does not lose certification because of missing work history.
Verify and document
- Correct full name and identity
- Louisiana CNA certification number
- Current Registry status
- Certification expiration date
- Relevant CNA Registry finding information
- DSW Registry result when required
- Date the verification was performed
- Person or department that completed the check
Report qualifying work history
- Confirm the work included nursing or nurse-related duties.
- Confirm the facility/provider qualifies under LDH rules.
- Use LARS/eNAT-7 where required or available.
- Use NAT-7 or provider documentation when the Registry instructs that route.
- Submit before the CNA’s certification period ends whenever possible.
- Do not tell the CNA to self-report; Louisiana does not allow it.
Employment through a staffing agency is accepted for CNA work-history purposes only when the work was performed in a nursing home under Louisiana’s Registry rules. The required work history must be submitted through the proper provider/facility process.
No Louisiana CNA Result or Wrong Status? Troubleshoot Here
Do not assume a CNA was never certified because the first lookup fails. Work through the problem that matches what you see.
Use LDH, not the nursing board
CNA certification status is held by the Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry.
Follow the SSN format exactly
LDH’s current instruction says to use the Social Security number only and include the dashes. Use it only on the official Registry.
Ask the employer to report it
If qualifying work was completed but never posted, the employer/provider—not the CNA—must submit the work history.
Check the Retest Required By date
If the CNA lacks qualifying work history, the Registry can show whether the one-time retesting window remains open.
Contact the training program
The Louisiana Registry says it does not keep original certificates, training transcripts or certification exam scores.
Report access issues
If the official Registry does not function as instructed, LDH lists 225-342-0138 for Nurse Aide Registry assistance.
Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry Contact Information
Check the online Registry first because most status, certification number, expiration and retesting questions can be answered there. Contact LDH when the online record does not resolve the issue.
| Contact | Official detail | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry | Louisiana Department of Health — Health Standards Section | Certification status, work history and Registry questions. |
| Registry phone | 225-342-0138 | Nurse Aide Registry and online-access problems. |
| Findings phone | 225-342-3240 | CNA/DSW adverse-action finding questions. |
| Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry, P.O. Box 3767, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3767 | Registry submissions when LDH instructions require mailing. | |
| Prometric Louisiana CNA | 800-797-0671 | Prometric testing and Louisiana reciprocity questions. |
Prometric states that Louisiana Nurse Aide documents sent to Prometric should use its current Middle River, Maryland address shown on the Louisiana Nurse Aide page. Check the live Prometric page before mailing forms.
Official Louisiana CNA Verification and Renewal Resources
Use each link for its intended purpose. Registry verification, work-history maintenance, retesting and reciprocity are separate tasks.
Official CNA certification lookup.
Use to verify status, certification number, original certification date, expiration date and retest eligibility.
Main state guidance page.
Use for verification instructions, work-history rules, renewal, findings, LARS, employer reporting and Registry contacts.
CNA-specific certification guidance.
Use for reciprocity, automatic recertification, retesting, retraining and maintaining certification.
Expired-status and recertification route.
Use to confirm qualifying work, the one-time retest rules, retraining triggers and emergency verification guidance.
Testing and reciprocity resource.
Use for Prometric exam information, candidate resources, Louisiana reciprocity processing and testing support.
State registry directory.
Use to navigate to Louisiana or another participating state’s nurse aide registry resources.
Registry administrator.
Use for LDH Health Standards programs, CNA/DSW resources and broader provider compliance information.
Louisiana CNA License Verification FAQs
These answers cover Louisiana CNA lookup, certification renewal, work history, expired status, retesting, reciprocity, Registry findings and employer verification.
How do I verify a Louisiana CNA certification?
Use the official Louisiana Nurse Aide Registry maintained by the Louisiana Department of Health. LDH’s current instructions tell CNAs to enter the Social Security number with dashes and scroll to the bottom of the result page to see certification information.
Is Louisiana CNA verification handled by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing?
No. Louisiana CNA certification is maintained by the Louisiana Department of Health Health Standards Section through the Nurse Aide Registry. RN and other professional nursing licenses use different regulatory systems.
How long is Louisiana CNA certification valid?
Louisiana nurse aides are certified for two years beginning with the certification date.
How many hours must a Louisiana CNA work to renew certification?
A Louisiana CNA must complete at least eight hours of paid nursing or nurse-related work in an approved setting during every 24-month certification period.
Does a Louisiana CNA submit a renewal application every two years?
Louisiana’s standard maintenance process is based on qualifying work history. LDH says an eligible CNA is automatically recertified at midnight on the expiration date when the required work history has been reported to the Registry before the certification period ends.
Can a Louisiana CNA report their own work history?
No. Louisiana specifically states that CNAs cannot report their own work history. It must be submitted by an approved employer, provider or other qualifying entity according to Registry rules.
What if my qualifying CNA work was not reported?
Contact the provider or facility where you performed the work and ask it to submit the required work history. LDH says certification can be updated to Certified after qualifying work is verified even when the original reporting was missed.
Can a Louisiana CNA retest after certification expires?
A CNA listed as Not Certified may be eligible for one recertification retest within two years after certification expiration. Check the Registry’s Retest Required By date before applying.
What happens if I fail the Louisiana CNA recertification test?
Louisiana provides one recertification retest opportunity. If you fail either required part of that attempt, retraining is required.
What if my Louisiana CNA certification expired more than two years ago?
If the certification has been expired for more than two years, Louisiana requires retraining rather than the limited recertification retest route.
Does private-duty or staffing-agency work count toward Louisiana CNA renewal?
Private-duty sitting generally does not qualify unless it is performed through an appropriately licensed provider. Staffing-agency work is accepted for CNA work-history purposes only when performed in a nursing home under Louisiana Registry rules.
How do I transfer an out-of-state CNA certification to Louisiana?
You must have active certification and be in good standing in every state where you are currently certified. Prometric processes reciprocity applications for Louisiana, so review the current Prometric procedure and submit the required application and documents.
Can I print Louisiana CNA verification as proof of certification?
Yes. LDH states that the Registry provides proof of CNA certification through printable verification of the online Registry listing.
What is a finding on the Louisiana CNA Registry?
A finding is adverse information placed on a CNA or DSW Registry record by LDH involving matters such as abuse, neglect, misappropriation, exploitation or extortion. Use the official Registry and LDH contact process to review the record.
Is verificationlicense.org the Louisiana CNA Registry?
No. verificationlicense.org is an independent information guide. It does not issue, renew, reactivate, transfer or change Louisiana CNA certifications. Final status comes from the Louisiana Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry.
Ready to Check a Louisiana CNA?
Start with the Louisiana Department of Health Nurse Aide Registry. Confirm the current certification status, expiration date, certification number and any retest information before relying on a certificate, résumé or employer statement.
If renewal is approaching, remember the rule that matters most: complete at least eight hours of qualifying paid nursing or nurse-related work during the 24-month period and make sure the approved employer or provider reports that work to the Registry. If status already says Not Certified, first determine whether the problem is missing work-history reporting, retest eligibility or a requirement to retrain.