Counseling License from Arkansas to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists ↗
Yes, for working in Tennessee — both Arkansas and Tennessee 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 Tennessee without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Tennessee, you will need a Tennessee license once Tennessee becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Arkansas and Tennessee are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Arkansas and want to see clients located in Tennessee, in person or by telehealth, you do not need a Tennessee license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Arkansas license and Arkansas as your primary residence, you buy a Tennessee privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Tennessee jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Tennessee becomes your home state and you must obtain a Tennessee license from the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists; because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What changes, Arkansas → Tennessee
| Arkansas (current) | Tennessee (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).) | $200 (LPC/MHSP application fee per Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0450-01-.06(4)(c) and the application checklist; + $10 state regulatory fee ($210 total at application); background-check vendor fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Tennessee's total privilege cost is $210 including the $30 commission fee, and it requires a jurisprudence exam, per the commission's fee table).) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications | no timeframe published; files completed at least 30 days before a Board meeting are ordinarily processed at that meeting (0450-01-.05(5)(c)), and the application asks applicants to allow 14 working days for mailed documents to be filed |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) | Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Tennessee 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 Tennessee: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Tennessee through the compact commission and complete any Tennessee jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Tennessee: apply for a Tennessee license with the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists; a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee accept an Arkansas counseling license?
Yes, for working in Tennessee — both Arkansas and Tennessee 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 Tennessee without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Tennessee, you will need a Tennessee license once Tennessee becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Arkansas to Tennessee?
National exams are not retaken on the reciprocity route: the reciprocity rule (0450-01-.04(5)) and the Board's 2019 reciprocity policy require only the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam, whose results are sent to the Board by NBCC. Exam-route applicants must pass the NCE and NCMHCE.
What does the move cost?
To work in Tennessee while living in Arkansas: a $30 commission fee plus Tennessee's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take a Tennessee license: $200 (LPC/MHSP application fee per Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0450-01-.06(4)(c) and the application checklist; + $10 state regulatory fee ($210 total at application); background-check vendor fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Tennessee's total privilege cost is $210 including the $30 commission fee, and it requires a jurisprudence exam, per the commission's fee table).)
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Tennessee jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Tennessee license for a relocation: no timeframe published; files completed at least 30 days before a Board meeting are ordinarily processed at that meeting (0450-01-.05(5)(c)), and the application asks applicants to allow 14 working days for mailed documents to be filed.
Can I see Tennessee clients by telehealth while living in Arkansas?
Yes, on a Tennessee privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Tennessee, as long as your Arkansas license stays active and unencumbered and Arkansas remains your primary residence.
If I move from Arkansas to Tennessee, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Tennessee is your home state and you need a Tennessee license. Because both states are compact members, Tennessee 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.
- Tennessee Board: Policy Statement Regarding Licensure by Reciprocity (adopted 2019-12-06, amended 2020-01-03) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board: LPC application packet PH-2722 (file revised 8/2023; LPC/MHSP by reciprocity checklist, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board for Professional Counselors ch. 0450-01 (April 2020 revision; 0450-01-.04(5), .05(5), .06) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board page (Internet Archive copy, 2026-08-16 snapshot; live tn.gov reset connections): policies list incl. TN/NC and TN/KY reciprocity agreements, compact status ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board: Reciprocity Agreement between Tennessee and North Carolina ↗ (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
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