Moving between states / Louisiana

Flag of ArizonaArizonatoFlag of LouisianaLouisiana, RN or LPN

Moving from Arizona to Louisiana as a registered or practical nurse

What a registered or practical nurse licensed in Arizona has to do to work in Louisiana, what the move does to your pay, and who in Louisiana is hiring from out of state.

Works on day one. Both Arizona and Louisiana are in the Nurse Licensure Compact. A multistate RN or LPN licence from Arizona is valid in Louisiana the day you arrive. Once Louisiana is your primary residence, apply there for a Louisiana multistate licence; most boards allow 30 to 60 days.

What the move does to your paycheck

On a $60,000 salary Louisiana takes roughly $300 a year more than Arizona does.

SalaryArizona state taxLouisiana state taxDifference a year
$40,000$1,000$1,200-$200
$60,000$1,500$1,800-$300
$90,000$2,250$2,700-$450

Rough figures for a single filer: exact in the flat-rate and no-tax states, approximated at 70% of the top bracket in the progressive ones. Property and sales tax are not in it.

CNA: Arizona to Louisiana

Transfers by reciprocity. Your Arizona certificate stays on the Arizona State Board of Nursing (CNA and LNA certification); to work in Louisiana you apply to the Louisiana Department of Health, Nurse Aide Registry for reciprocity. It accepts an active certificate in good standing from another state; there is no retest if your record is clean. Most registries list you within two to six weeks.

Electrician: Arizona to Louisiana

Exam likely. Louisiana licenses at state level through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and reciprocates with other state boards, but Arizona licenses locally through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, which is not a party to those agreements. Expect to document your hours and sit the Louisiana journeyman exam.

CDL: Arizona to Louisiana

Transfers at the DMV. A commercial driver's licence transfers like any licence: within 30 days of becoming a Louisiana resident you surrender the Arizona CDL at a Louisiana driver licence office, pass the vision test, pay the fee, and your endorsements carry over. A hazmat endorsement needs a fresh TSA threat assessment in Louisiana. Your driving record follows you through the federal CDLIS system.

No statewide program in Louisiana pays people to move in. Towns sometimes list an offer through MakeMyMove, and employers in short-staffed trades pay relocation themselves; ask for it in writing before you accept.

Openings filed in Louisiana

371 open positions filed with the Department of Labor by Louisiana employers who could not fill them locally.

Your own route from Arizona to Louisiana

Tell us your trade and your licence. We write the steps for your case, check the job offer for scams, and keep your resume ready for Louisiana employers.

Plan my move to Louisiana

Same move, by trade

CNA: Arizona to Louisiana · Electrician: Arizona to Louisiana · Truck driver: Arizona to Louisiana · All licences: Arizona to Louisiana

From Arizona to the states next to Louisiana

Texas (no state income tax) · Arkansas (progressive, top rate 3.9%) · Mississippi (flat 4.4% state income tax)

To Louisiana from the states next to Arizona

California · Nevada · Utah · Colorado · New Mexico

Everything about working in Louisiana · All moves between states · All 50 states

Moving for a job? Start with your state.

Licence transfer, what the state takes from your pay, and who pays you to come. Free, no account.

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