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Transfer Your Counseling License to Arkansas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Updated · Data verified · source: Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) ↗
Generated from a source-cited dataset with AI-assisted research; facts checked against official sources · How these pages are made

Does my counseling license transfer to Arkansas?

Arkansas issues and accepts Counseling Compact privileges, so a counselor licensed and living in another operational state can see Arkansas clients without an Arkansas license. A move to Arkansas is different: Arkansas becomes your home state and you need its license, obtained by endorsement through the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) (fee: $100 (initial LPC application fee per 17 CAR 75-1301(a)(1) (2026 Rule Revision). The Board must waive it (17 CAR 75-1301(b): 'shall waive') for applicants receiving Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, TANF or Lifeline assistance, approved for unemployment within the last 12 months, 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).); no verified processing time).

Moving to Arkansas from a specific state?

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license)

Before filing anything with the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), work out whether you are moving or just reaching across the line. A counselor who stays licensed and resident in another operational compact state can serve Arkansas clients on a privilege, including by telehealth, and never needs an Arkansas license. A counselor moving to Arkansas changes home states, and that requires an Arkansas license; if your current home state is also a compact member, the compact shortens the application.

Arkansas's independent counselor license is the LPC; the Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) is the supervised tier. The Board says no reciprocity agreement exists. Out-of-state applicants complete the formal application, and under 17 CAR 75-901 applicants who have continually maintained full LPC or equivalent licensure may be eligible for licensure by endorsement. The Board reviews the application documentation, good standing and any discipline, and may waive the national exam, so this is endorsement, not full reciprocity. The Board's Licensed by Endorsement Instructions (10/16/2026) set a two-step portal process: an Application for Examination by Endorsement, then the license application with a statement of intent, official transcript, four letters of recommendation, the Arkansas jurisprudence certificate, a background check and license verification (sent by the home-state board or as a link to its license search), followed by Board review at a meeting. A second route is automatic occupational licensure under Act 457 of 2023 (Ark. Code 17-7-101 et seq.), implemented at 17 CAR 75-905. It requires Arkansas RESIDENCY, at least 1 year in good standing on a license with a similar scope of practice, no disqualifying offense or pending complaint, the application and license fees, and a passing Board jurisprudence exam. The Board may waive the exam. The licensee then has up to 1 year to meet the remaining requirements, including the criminal background check. Automatic licensure for uniformed-service members, veterans and spouses is at 17 CAR 75-904. Arkansas has been an OPERATIONAL Counseling Compact state since 2026-07-30 (Board FAQ). An LPC-equivalent counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Arkansas on a privilege ($50 Arkansas fee + $30 commission fee, jurisprudence exam) without this license. Relocating to Arkansas still requires an Arkansas license. compact_member and compact_status are assembler-provided. The 2026 Rule Revision PDF, footer-dated 06/29/26, is the rules document the Board currently posts; its earlier 2024 rule URL now returns 404. The Board's host blocked plain curl (HTTP 403), but WebFetch worked, and the arkleg.state.ar.us rule attachment refused connections.

Arkansas requirements at a glance

Out-of-state counseling license transfer requirements for Arkansas, verified 2026-10-29
ExamNational exam is not retaken: counselor applicants need a passing NCE or NCMHCE, and the Board may waive the NCE/NCMHCE when it finds another exam equivalent or the applicant meets the licensure-by-endorsement rule (17 CAR 75-901(b)(4)). The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling Jurisprudence Exam, administered through NBCC, IS required of all applicants except uniformed-service applicants under 17 CAR 75-904.
Fees$100 (initial LPC application fee per 17 CAR 75-1301(a)(1) (2026 Rule Revision). The Board must waive it (17 CAR 75-1301(b): 'shall waive') for applicants receiving Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, TANF or Lifeline assistance, approved for unemployment within the last 12 months, 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).)
Processing timethe Board publishes no end-to-end timeframe. Its Licensed by Endorsement Instructions (10/16/2026) say the first-step Application for Examination by Endorsement 'can take several weeks to be approved', the file then goes on a Board meeting agenda, and after approval license processing 'usually takes about 10 business days, but it can take longer'

Step by step

  1. Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a full LPC-equivalent license, continually maintained and currently in good standing, with a license verification form from each state where licensed.
  5. Complete the Board's two-step portal process: an Application for Examination by Endorsement (core curriculum summary, unofficial transcript, photo), then the LPC by Endorsement license application, followed by Board review at a meeting.
  6. Submit the standard application documentation: statement of intent, transcripts and references (faculty references are waived if licensed more than 3 years in another state).
  7. Pass the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling Jurisprudence Exam through NBCC.
  8. Complete the criminal background check required by Arkansas Code 17-27-313.
  9. Attend an oral interview if the Board requires one.
  10. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) ↗Arkansas application ↗Counseling Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Arkansas:

Arizona → ArkansasGeorgia → ArkansasIllinois → ArkansasIndiana → ArkansasLouisiana → ArkansasMinnesota → ArkansasMissouri → ArkansasOhio → ArkansasOklahoma → ArkansasTennessee → ArkansasWyoming → Arkansas

Nearby states

Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Arkansas:

Arkansas for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Is Arkansas in the Counseling Compact?

Yes. Arkansas was operational as of 2026-10-29, issuing privileges to its own licensees and accepting privileges from other operational states. A counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Arkansas on a privilege; moving to Arkansas still requires an Arkansas license.

Can I see Arkansas clients by telehealth from another state?

Yes, if your home state is also operational and you hold an Arkansas privilege. The privilege covers telehealth as well as in-person work. From a home state that is not operational, you need Arkansas's own authorization, normally an Arkansas license.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29

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