Can LPNs start IVs and give IV meds? IV therapy scope by state

Written and reviewed by Rachel Goldberg, MSN, RN, CEN · 5 min read · Updated November 2026

Checked against official sources: November 2026

Rules, fees and deadlines differ by state and change without notice. Check with your state board of nursing before you rely on them.

Short answer

LPNs can start peripheral IVs and give some IV medications in many states, but only after state-required IV training and within employer policy. New York bars LPN IV push except flushes, Florida requires a 30-hour IV course, Texas requires a validation course first, and California requires board IV certification.

IV therapy rules in four states at a glance

There is no national LPN IV rule. Each board writes its own, and employers can be stricter. The table summarizes what four boards publish, checked in November 2026. Where a board's pages do not address a task, the table says so rather than guessing.

LPN and LVN IV therapy rules from four state boards (checked November 2026)
State	Before any IV work	IV push	PICC and central lines
New York	IV training with supervised clinical practice and competency checks; repeated at least yearly in hospitals, nursing homes and other listed settings	Not allowed, except saline and heparin flushes	May not insert or remove central lines or PICCs, flush ports, or give IV drugs through them (outpatient dialysis has its own rules)
Florida	Course of at least 30 hours, then supervised clinical practice verified by an RN	Not among the restricted items in Rule 64B9-12.003; employer approval applies	Allowed under RN or practitioner direction after at least 4 hours of central and PICC line training
Texas	Validation course before any IV therapy, including venipuncture and IV push	Depends on facility policy after validation	Inserting or removing PICC or midline catheters is outside LVN scope
California	Board certification in IV therapy, by approved course or verification by an RN or physician	The board's site does not publish this	The board's site does not publish this

The labels differ too. Florida calls a trained nurse an IV certified LPN, California issues an actual board certificate, and the Texas board says it does not define or set qualifications for an IV validation course or LVN IV certification.

Can LPNs push IV medications?

It depends on the state. New York's Board for Nursing guidance says LPNs may not give any drug or solution by IV push other than flushes. It also bars LPNs from giving IV first doses, drugs needing hemodynamic monitoring or titration, sedation or anesthesia drugs, antineoplastics and experimental drugs.

Texas Position Statement 15.3 leaves IV push, piggybacks and titrated drips to facility policy once the LVN has completed a validation course. Florida's July 2023 rule restricts four items and does not name IV push, so the employing institution's approval decides. In every case, an employer may set tighter limits than the board.

Can an LPN hang blood?

New York's guidance states that state law does not allow LPNs to give blood transfusions in hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, home care agencies and hospice programs, citing 10 NYCRR 400.15 and 700.4.

Florida Rule 64B9-12.003 says an IV certified LPN may not initiate blood or blood products, chemotherapy, plasma expanders or investigational drugs unless under the direct supervision of an RN or listed practitioner, meaning on the premises and immediately available. The same rule says caring for patients receiving these therapies is appropriate.

Do LPNs need IV certification?

Some form of IV training is required in all four states, but the label varies. Florida requires a post-graduation course of at least 30 hours covering topics from vein anatomy to blood components and parenteral nutrition, then supervised clinical practice, with the employer verifying competence through a signed RN statement.

Without that course, a Florida LPN may still do a limited set of tasks under direction: calculate and adjust flow rates, watch for reactions, inspect the site and change dressings, remove a peripheral catheter, and hang hydrating fluids. California's certificate costs $50 under the board fee schedule effective September 21, 2022.

Can an LPN remove a PICC line?

Not in Texas or New York. The Texas board states that inserting and removing PICC lines or midline catheters is beyond the LVN scope of practice. New York's guidance says LPNs may not insert or remove central venous access devices, including PICCs, outside the dialysis exception.

Florida's central line training must cover anatomy, site assessment, dressing and cap changes, flushing, medication and fluid administration, blood drawing and complications. Removal is not on that list, so ask the Florida Board of Nursing before assuming it is allowed.

How the NCLEX-PN tests IV therapy

The 2026 NCLEX-PN test plan lists these IV activities: calculate and monitor IV flow rate, administer IV piggyback medications, monitor a blood transfusion, maintain a central venous catheter, and maintain and remove a peripheral IV catheter. It has no statement for IV push or for inserting a peripheral IV.

So on the exam, expect questions about watching a transfusion, checking a site, or timing a piggyback, rather than pushing a drug. On the job, the state table above and your employer's policy decide what you actually do.

Sources

New York State Board for Nursing: Guidance for LPNs Who Provide IV Therapy Services to Patients. NY training and annual update, IV push ban except flushes, restricted drug list, peripheral insertion limits, central line and PICC limits, no LPN blood transfusions in listed settings

Florida Administrative Code Chapter 64B9-12: Administration of IV Therapy by LPNs (amended July 20, 2023). Restricted items without direct supervision, direct supervision definition, limited scope without the course, 30-hour course, 4-hour central and PICC line training content

Texas Board of Nursing: Position Statement 15.3, LVNs Engaging in IV Therapy, Venipuncture, or PICC Lines. Validation course before IV therapy, BON does not define IV certification, PICC and midline insertion and removal beyond scope, IV push and drips per facility policy

California BVNPT: VN Post-Licensure Certification. California IV, blood withdrawal and combined certificates and the course or verification routes

NCSBN: 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan. IV-related activity statements in Pharmacological Therapies and Reduction of Risk Potential

Common questions

Can LPNs start IVs?

In many states, yes, after IV training. New York's guidance lets trained LPNs insert a short peripheral IV in an arm, hand, leg, foot or scalp vein, but not midlines or femoral, jugular or umbilical lines. Texas requires a validation course first, and California requires board IV certification.

Can LPNs give IV meds through a peripheral line?

Often, within limits. New York allows trained LPNs to give certain IV drugs, including secondary intermittent infusions, through a peripheral catheter, except by IV push and except listed high-risk drugs. Texas leaves this to facility policy after validation.

Does an IV course from one state carry over to another?

Do not assume it does. Each board sets its own IV training rules, so check the board in the state where you will work, and your new employer's competency process, before you take IV assignments.