A CNA certification can not be renewed in a state different than the one that issued it, however, in some circumstances a license can be issued based on active status on the registry of your home state without additional training or testing. In order to be eligible to transfer your CNA certification to Texas, it must be current and in good standing in your home state. If your certification is not active, you will be required to retrain and retest to become certified in Texas.
In Louisiana, nurse aides are certified for two years, beginning with the certification date and they are required to work at least eight hours during every 24 month period (2 years) once certified. In order for aides to maintain their certification, the eight hours must include "nursing or nurse related" duties and should have been performed in approved settings such as: nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, personal care attendant agencies, assisted living programs, hospice agencies, respite agencies, supervised independent living agencies, adult day health care programs and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled.
Duties performed in schools serving children with special needs, work in correctional facilities caring for patients, supervised independent living agencies, adult day health care programs, supported employment and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled must be reviewed to determine whether they meet the license renewal criteria.
Provided there is no other reason which would prohibit recertification, if you lost your Louisiana CNA certification because you do not have the required work history, you may retest or complete another training program to be certified again. To be recertified in Louisiana, CNAs who do not have proof of at least eight hours of paid employment in an approved setting in a 24-month period may retest once within the two years immediately following the expiration of the certification. If you fail or you do not pass both parts of the test (written/oral or skills) during this two-year period then you are required to retrain.
Regardless of the reason, if certification is lost because the required work history has not been reported to the registry, that work history is to be submitted to the registry. You may view your contact information and work history as it appears on the Louisiana registry here. If work in an approved setting is not listed, contact the employer and ask them to report the work history to the registry. This could possibly be the work history you need for recertification.
You may start the endorsement process in Texas once you are active and in good standing on the Louisiana registry. If you need additional help, you may contact the Louisiana CNA registry online using this form.