Transfer Your Counseling License to Connecticut: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) ↗
Connecticut has enacted the Counseling Compact, but it was not yet issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice here. An out-of-state counselor needs a Connecticut license, normally by endorsement from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); how Connecticut treats your NCE or NCMHCE score is in the exam question below. Fee: $200 (Professional Counselor initial application fee per CGS 20-195cc(a) and the Department's Professional Counselor Licensing page. The Department's LPC requirements page also says 'There is no application fee for this license', which conflicts with both the statute and the licensing page, so the statutory $200 is recorded here. Out-of-state license-verification fees are charged separately by the other states.). Processing: 3–4 weeks (DPH general licensing policy: once an application is complete, an eligibility determination is made 'within three to four weeks'. The clock starts only when the application file is complete.).
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Verdict
Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Connecticut 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 Connecticut a non-compact state in practice: no privilege lets you see a client located here, in person or by telehealth, and a Connecticut license cannot yet anchor privileges elsewhere. Plan on a Connecticut license by endorsement, and check the commission's announcements, because states have been switching on every few weeks.
Connecticut's independent counselor license is the LPC; the Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) is the supervised tier. Three routes exist for an out-of-state counselor. (1) Endorsement under CGS 20-195dd(c): licensed in a state whose requirements are substantially similar to or higher than Connecticut's, with no discipline or pending complaints. (2) Experience substitution under 20-195dd(d): a licensee may substitute 3 years of licensed work experience for the 3,000-hour / 2-year supervised-experience requirement, but the degree and NCE/NCMHCE are still reviewed. (3) The universal route under CGS 19a-14d (P.A. 21-152, amended P.A. 22-47 and 24-68), which covers chapter 383c: holds a valid license in another U.S. jurisdiction, has practiced under it at least 4 years, is in good standing everywhere with no discipline, pending complaints or surrender under investigation, passes any required background check, and pays the fees. DPH says no transcripts, training verification or exam are required, but the statute allows DPH to require an exam and to deny a license in the state's best interest. No residency condition applies. This is endorsement, not full reciprocity. Connecticut has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not yet operational (pending, assembler-provided). The DPH page still says the Compact 'is expected to be implemented some time in 2025', which is stale. Keep the assigned pending value.
Connecticut requirements at a glance
| Exam | National exam is not retaken: Connecticut accepts a passed NCE or NCMHCE (NBCC), and applicants who already passed either do not sit again. There is no Connecticut jurisprudence exam. Under the 4-year universal route (CGS 19a-14d) the Department's page says applicants are not required to complete an examination, although the statute lets the Department require all or part of the licensing exam. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $200 (Professional Counselor initial application fee per CGS 20-195cc(a) and the Department's Professional Counselor Licensing page. The Department's LPC requirements page also says 'There is no application fee for this license', which conflicts with both the statute and the licensing page, so the statutory $200 is recorded here. Out-of-state license-verification fees are charged separately by the other states.) |
| Processing time | 3–4 weeks (DPH general licensing policy: once an application is complete, an eligibility determination is made 'within three to four weeks'. The clock starts only when the application file is complete.) |
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current professional counselor license (or equivalent) in another U.S. state or jurisdiction, with no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints.
- Show the other state's requirements are substantially similar to or higher than Connecticut's (CGS 20-195dd(c)), or have practiced under that license for at least 4 years under CGS 19a-14d.
- Have license verification sent directly from every state licensing authority where a counselor license is or was held.
- Show passage of the NCE or NCMHCE, unless applying through the 4-year route.
- Complete a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history records check (CGS 20-195ii).
- Apply online through eLicense.
- Pay the fees ($200 (Professional Counselor initial application fee per CGS 20-195cc(a) and the Department's Professional Counselor Licensing page. The Department's LPC requirements page also says 'There is no application fee for this license', which conflicts with both the statute and the licensing page, so the statutory $200 is recorded here. Out-of-state license-verification fees are charged separately by the other states.)) and allow 3–4 weeks (DPH general licensing policy: once an application is complete, an eligibility determination is made 'within three to four weeks'. The clock starts only when the application file is complete.).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Connecticut:
Nearby states
Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Connecticut:
Connecticut for other professions
- Nursing in Connecticut
- Cosmetology / Barber in Connecticut
- Real Estate in Connecticut
- Contractor in Connecticut
- Teaching in Connecticut
- CPA / Accounting in Connecticut
- Electrician in Connecticut
- Plumber in Connecticut
- Engineering in Connecticut
- Pharmacy in Connecticut
- Physical Therapy in Connecticut
- Psychology in Connecticut
- Social Work in Connecticut
- Occupational Therapy in Connecticut
Frequently asked questions
Does my counseling license transfer to Connecticut?
Connecticut has enacted the Counseling Compact, but it was not yet issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice here. An out-of-state counselor needs a Connecticut license, normally by endorsement from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); how Connecticut treats your NCE or NCMHCE score is in the exam question below. Fee: $200 (Professional Counselor initial application fee per CGS 20-195cc(a) and the Department's Professional Counselor Licensing page. The Department's LPC requirements page also says 'There is no application fee for this license', which conflicts with both the statute and the licensing page, so the statutory $200 is recorded here. Out-of-state license-verification fees are charged separately by the other states.). Processing: 3–4 weeks (DPH general licensing policy: once an application is complete, an eligibility determination is made 'within three to four weeks'. The clock starts only when the application file is complete.).
Do I have to retake the NCE or NCMHCE to get licensed in Connecticut?
National exam is not retaken: Connecticut accepts a passed NCE or NCMHCE (NBCC), and applicants who already passed either do not sit again. There is no Connecticut jurisprudence exam. Under the 4-year universal route (CGS 19a-14d) the Department's page says applicants are not required to complete an examination, although the statute lets the Department require all or part of the licensing exam.
How much does a Connecticut counseling license cost by endorsement?
$200 (Professional Counselor initial application fee per CGS 20-195cc(a) and the Department's Professional Counselor Licensing page. The Department's LPC requirements page also says 'There is no application fee for this license', which conflicts with both the statute and the licensing page, so the statutory $200 is recorded here. Out-of-state license-verification fees are charged separately by the other states.)
How long does Connecticut take to process the application?
3–4 weeks (DPH general licensing policy: once an application is complete, an eligibility determination is made 'within three to four weeks'. The clock starts only when the application file is complete.)
Is Connecticut in the Counseling Compact?
Connecticut has enacted the compact but was not yet operational as of 2026-09-27, so it neither issues nor accepts privileges. For now you need Connecticut's own authorization, normally a Connecticut license, to practice with clients located in Connecticut.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Connecticut DPH: Professional Counselor License Requirements (NCE/NCMHCE, out-of-state experience substitution, verification) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Connecticut DPH: Professional Counselor Licensing (fees, 4-year route link, Counseling Compact notice) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Connecticut DPH: Applicants Licensed in Another US State for at Least 4 Years ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 383c (CGS 20-195cc fees; 20-195dd(c) endorsement, (d) experience substitution) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 368a (CGS 19a-14d, license for persons practicing 4+ years in another U.S. jurisdiction) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Connecticut DPH: Practitioner Licensure General Policies and Procedures (3-4 week eligibility determination) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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