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

Colorado has passed the Counseling Compact into law, and its board may describe the state as having joined, but as of 2026-09-27 it was not issuing or accepting privileges. That makes Colorado a non-compact state in practice: no privilege lets you see a client located here, in person or by telehealth, and a Colorado license cannot yet anchor privileges elsewhere. Plan on a Colorado license by endorsement, and check the commission's announcements, because states have been switching on every few weeks.

Colorado's independent counselor license is the LPC. Beware the title trap: in Colorado 'LPCC' means Licensed Professional Counselor CANDIDATE, a pre-licensure supervised registration, not the independent tier as in Ohio or California. The DPO FAQ says Colorado has no reciprocity but licenses out-of-state counselors by endorsement. Rule 1.12 (4 CCR 737-1, implementing the Occupational Credential Portability Program in C.R.S. 12-20-202(3) and 12-245-207) gives two alternatives for a current, unrestricted licensee: (a) degree + passed competency exam + 2 years post-master's supervised practice (or 1 year post-doctoral), with the other state's post-degree hours substantially similar, or 2 years of active practice; or (b) at least 1 year of licensure in a jurisdiction with a substantially similar scope of practice. Every applicant must pass the Board jurisprudence exam. No residency condition appears in the rule. The Board may deny only if it shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the applicant lacks substantially equivalent credentials or committed an act that would be grounds for discipline. This is endorsement, not full reciprocity. A separate LPC-by-Telehealth registration exists for non-residents who will practice only by telehealth and appoint a Colorado registered agent. The DPO fingerprinting page lists a Professional Counselor fingerprint service code, but the LPC endorsement application preview does not list fingerprinting as a requirement, so it is not listed above. Colorado has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not yet operational (pending, assembler-provided); the Board's page refers to Compact rulemaking only.