Reciprocity

The Louisiana Geoscience Practice Act authorizes the LBOPG to license a person who has not met the examination requirement of the Act, if the person is licensed or registered to practice a discipline of geoscience under the law of another state or a foreign country. It allows the Board to issue licenses to applicants who provide proof of licensure or registration under requirements that the LBOPG determines to be substantially similar to those established by the Act.

To encourage licensure by reciprocity, the LBOPG has been working with other states to make reciprocal agreements and to promote cooperative licensure.

The LBOPG will license a person from another state that has a reciprocity agreement in effect with Louisiana, provided that they have been licensed in that state for five years and that they meet all LBOPG licensing requirements except the examination requirement (i.e., paying the LBOPG licensing fee, completing the LBOPG license application, and submitting transcripts and three references to the LBOPG).

Currently Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi have such a reciprocity agreement in effect with Louisiana.  Every other state with requirements that are similar to, or more stringent than, Louisiana's has been contacted and offered a reciprocity agreement.