NCBLPC - NC Board of Licensed Professional Counselors

Overview of Requirements for Licensure as a Professional Counselor

The following is a general overview of the requirements for Licensure as a Professional Counselor in North Carolina. Please refer to the Application Information Packet and NC General Statutes for complete information.

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Masters degree in Counseling from a regionally accredited institution of learning that includes 48 semester hours and a minimum 300 hour practicum/internship. Degrees in Sociology, Theology, Divinity and Experimental or General Psychology generally do not qualify for licensure as a Professional Counselor but all applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

2 years post-masters supervised work experience in Counseling and Counseling-related activities. Applicants must work a minimum of eight hours per week.

2000 hours supervised professional practice in Counseling and Counseling-related activities as defined by the Board. Up to 750 hours may be counted from practicum & internships.

100 hours face-to-face supervision time with qualified supervisor as defined by the Board. Face-to-face supervision must be accrued at a rate of not less than 1 hour for every 40 hours worked.

Passing score on the NCE, CRC, or CCMHC

Approved Professional Disclosure Statement

Completed application packet reviewed and approved by the Board.

Each applicant has two years from the date the application is received in the Board office to complete the requirements for licensure. The Board office will notify all applicants within 12 weeks of the status of their application. After this initial notification it is the applicant’s responsibility to track all remaining requirements sent to the Board office.

Qualified supervisors have at least five years of counseling experience with a minimum of two years licensed experience. All supervisors will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be Board approved. Supervision acquired during masters-level work need not be done by licensed mental health professionals as long as supervisors are Counselor Educators for the graduate program. Any prospective supervisor should complete the Verification of Arrangements for Clinical Supervision Form. Requests for approval will be answered in writing and sent directly to the supervisor.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Application Process:

Q. How long do I have to complete the application process?
A.
From the date your completed application is received by the Board, you will have a maximum period of two years to meet any remaining requirements determined by the Board to be necessary to complete the requirements for licensure. Exceptions will be granted only for military deployment as required by federal law. Depending on the number and nature of any remaining requirements, you may be given less than two years to meet them, as determined by the Board. If you do not meet the Board's requirements within the time given, not to exceed two years, you will be required to reapply in full for licensure.

Q. What are the steps in the application process?
A.

The first step in the application process is the completion of the application. All areas of the application must be completed! This completed application must be sent to the Board office with at least three references, a check, money order, or credit card for $100 (or $95 and receipt if you paid $5 for the packet), a professional disclosure statement for review, and a stamped self-addressed envelope. Official transcripts must be sent directly from the schools. Other items that may need to be sent to the Board office if applicable are: verification of a license in another state, official copy of NCE scores, documentation of supervised professional practice as required. Applications not meeting this standard of completion will be returned to the applicant. Hint: arrange to have your transcripts sent to the Board office prior to completing the application and make sure the school lists any aliases on the transcript (married name, etc.)

When your completed initial application packet (application, transcripts, professional disclosure statement, references) is received in the Board office it undergoes an initial review to determine eligibility to take the NCE. If you have already taken the NCE, your application will move to the next step. If you qualify to take the NCE by meeting the educational requirements set by the Board, you will receive a letter and registration form authorizing you to take the NCE. If you do not meet the educational requirements as set by the Board, your application will be reviewed at the next scheduled Board meeting.

After the initial review, a letter will be sent to you describing any remaining requirements needed to qualify for licensure as a Professional Counselor.

From this point on, the Board office compiles and verifies all information received for applicants. It is the applicant’s responsibility to insure that all materials have reached the Board office.

When the applicant has provided the Board with all materials required, the Board will do one final review at its next scheduled meeting and, if the Board feels that the candidate has met all requirements, will license the candidate as a Professional Counselor.

Applicants may not use the term “LPC” until they have received notice from the Board stating that they may do so.

Q. What if I am licensed in another state?
A.

The NCBLPC has no reciprocal agreement with any other state counselor licensing boards. If you hold an active license in another state and wish to become licensed in North Carolina, you must submit an application packet in full and pay the application fee. If the requirements for the state in which you are licensed meet or exceed those of North Carolina, verification of your active counseling license with no disciplinary action can be used to document your supervised counseling experience, counselor education, and exam score. Additional information is provided in the instructions for preparing the application. Counselors who are licensed in another state in which the requirements meet or exceed those of North Carolina must still submit at least 3 Professional References and a Professional Disclosure Statement.

Q. How can I find out if my graduate school is regionally accredited?
A.
NCBLPC uses the 2006 Higher Education Directory by Higher Education Publications. The Higher Education Directory ® replaced the Education Directory, Colleges and Universities published by the U.S. Department of Education and last issued in 1984. It is the only "official" listing of institutions that offer degrees whose accreditations are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. Ask a librarian to help you gain access to this directory.

Q. If I have met all educational requirements, passed the NCE, and done most of my supervised practice hours, can I open my own practice if I have supervision?
A.
Since our licensure law was passed in 1994, it has not been possible in NC for unlicensed counselors to work independently or as sub-contractors. The law says that one cannot hold oneself out to the public as a counselor or charge for services until one is licensed, because counseling licensure requires post-masters supervision and supervised practice is a critically important part of a competent counselor's training and preparation. The LPC board expanded the definition of supervised professional practice two years ago to include private practices. Until the board clarified this definition, a license was required to work in a private counseling practice. The expanded definition says a supervised professional practice is one where there is on-site, case-by-case supervision, the same type of supervision provided by the other exempt sites. And because the law says one cannot offer their services to the public or charge for services until licensed, unlicensed counselors do have to be employees.

Q. Since I cannot write LPC after my name until I have a license, and NC does not have provisional licensing for counselors, what can I write after my name if I am a licensure applicant?
A.
If you have sent in your application, you can write "LPC Applicant." If you have received a letter from the board that says you are "Board Eligible," you can write "Board Eligible" after your name. The board has written to NCDMH and NCDMA to say that "Board Eligible" status for LPCs is equivalent to "Provisionally Licensed" for other mental health professionals.

Licensure Application Information

Overview of Requirements for Licensure as a Professional Counselor