Counseling License from Arkansas to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) ↗
Yes, for working in Indiana — both Arkansas and Indiana are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and your Arkansas license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need a Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Working in Indiana and moving to Indiana are two different transactions here. Cross-border practice, whether a telehealth caseload or in-person sessions, runs on an Indiana privilege bought through CompactConnect and anchored to your Arkansas license, which must stay active, unencumbered, and at the independent level. A move of residence needs a new home-state license from the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Both states being compact members shortens that license application, since Indiana verifies you through the compact's data system, but you still complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
What changes, Arkansas → Indiana
| Arkansas (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| Application fee | $100 (initial LPC application fee per 17 CAR 75-1301(a)(1) (2026 Rule Revision). The Board may waive it for applicants on public assistance, recently approved for unemployment, or with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Separate fees: $250 LPC license fee (75-1302, first fee prorated), jurisprudence exam fee paid to NBCC, and background-check fees. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Arkansas charges $50 + $30 commission admin fee = $80 for a privilege, and requires the jurisprudence exam).) | $50 (LMHC reciprocity application fee, paid by card online; nonrefundable. Criminal background check paid separately to the vendor; other-state verification fees may apply; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Indiana charges a $50 state fee + $30 commission administrative fee = $80 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam required for the privilege).) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Indiana: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Indiana through the compact commission and complete any Indiana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Indiana: apply for a Indiana license with the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Indiana accept an Arkansas counseling license?
Yes, for working in Indiana — both Arkansas and Indiana are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and your Arkansas license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need a Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Arkansas to Indiana?
National exam is not retaken if the applicant passed the NCMHCE or an equivalent state-constructed exam at the same or higher level for the other-state license. NBCC sends the official NCMHCE score report to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. The NCE is NOT equivalent to the NCMHCE, so NCE-only licensees must take the NCMHCE in Indiana. Other exams are reviewed for equivalency by the Board. The Board's current LMHC reciprocity checklist lists no jurisprudence exam.
What does the move cost?
To work in Indiana while living in Arkansas: a $30 commission fee plus Indiana's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take an Indiana license: $50 (LMHC reciprocity application fee, paid by card online; nonrefundable. Criminal background check paid separately to the vendor; other-state verification fees may apply; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Indiana charges a $50 state fee + $30 commission administrative fee = $80 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam required for the privilege).)
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Indiana jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Indiana license for a relocation: the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications.
Can I see Indiana clients by telehealth while living in Arkansas?
Yes, on an Indiana privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Indiana, as long as your Arkansas license stays active and unencumbered and Arkansas remains your primary residence.
If I move from Arkansas to Indiana, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Indiana is your home state and you need an Indiana license. Because both states are compact members, Indiana verifies you through the compact's data system, and you complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Indiana PLA: Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Information (LMHC Reciprocity checklist, exam policy, Counseling Compact); Internet Archive capture 2026-07-08 ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling: board page (Out-of-State Licensure link, compact go-live, applicant portal) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling 2026 Rule Revision (17 CAR 75-303, 75-602, 75-901, 75-905, 75-1301 to 75-1305) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Act 457 of 2023, Automatic Occupational Licensure for Out-of-State Licensure Act (Board's Out-of-State Licensure document) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling: Counseling Compact Go-Live FAQ (live 2026-07-30; $50 privilege fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]