Counseling License from Georgia to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Louisiana accept a Georgia counseling license?
Yes, for working in Louisiana — both Georgia and Louisiana are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Georgia is your primary state of residence and your Georgia license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Louisiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Louisiana, you will need a Louisiana license once Louisiana becomes your home state.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Georgia and Louisiana are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Georgia and want to see clients located in Louisiana, in person or by telehealth, you do not need a Louisiana license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Georgia license and Georgia as your primary residence, you buy a Louisiana privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Louisiana jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Louisiana becomes your home state and you must obtain a Louisiana license from the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC); because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What's different between Georgia and Louisiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Louisiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Georgia to Louisiana (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Louisiana to Georgia (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Georgia matter?
Coming from Georgia matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Louisiana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Counseling Compact membership
Georgia and Louisiana are both Counseling Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Louisiana while Georgia is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Louisiana needs a Louisiana license.
- Application fee
Louisiana lists $300 for an out-of-state applicant and Georgia lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Louisiana lists 6–8 weeks; Georgia lists up to 4 weeks for the reverse move.
Louisiana's longest listed wait is 4 weeks longer than Georgia's.
- Exam rules on record
Louisiana and Georgia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Louisiana (this move): National exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants show passage of the NCE or NCMHCE with an official score report sent directly from NBCC; under amended LAC 46:LX.1101(A) (Notice of Intent, Sept. 2024) an applicant with at least 1 year of practice may instead complete an oral exam administered by the Board. No state jurisprudence exam is listed for endorsement; applicants submit a Declaration of Practices and Procedures instead.
- Georgia (the reverse move): National exam is not retaken: the applicant submits an official passing score on the NBCC NCE or NCMHCE. An applicant who has not passed either exam may be required to pass one before endorsement is considered. No Georgia jurisprudence exam is required for endorsement or for a compact privilege.
What changes, Georgia → Louisiana
| Georgia (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule (dated 04/18/2023: '$100 application fee + $10 processing fee = $110'); the $10 is a mail-in application processing fee. Applications are now filed in the GOALS portal, and the online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 on 2026-10-29, so the portal amount could not be checked. Fingerprint background check paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Georgia charges $100 + $30 commission admin fee = $130 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam).) | $300 (non-refundable out-of-state licensure application, license and seal fee (Board fee schedule item 2; also stated on the LPC endorsement application); optional $60 expedited processing; fingerprint background check costs separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Louisiana charges $130 + $30 commission fee = $160 total, no jurisprudence exam.) |
| Processing time | up to 4 weeks (the Board's How-to Guide says applications are 'generally processed within 20 business days of receipt' (about 4 weeks), and the count restarts after a deficiency letter. Completed applications may also go to a Board meeting and must be complete at least 15 days before it to be placed on the agenda. Incomplete applications may be withdrawn if deficiencies are not fixed within 60 days of notice.) | 6–8 weeks (Board states 'allow 2-3 weeks for milestones to be updated and at least 6-8 weeks for application approval once the application is completed'; expedited processing ($60) gets a staff response within 5 business days, but files referred for Board review wait for the next meeting) |
| Licensing authority | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) | Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana 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 Louisiana: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Louisiana through the compact commission and complete any Louisiana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Louisiana: apply for a Louisiana license with the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does the move cost?
To work in Louisiana while living in Georgia: a $30 commission fee plus Louisiana's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take a Louisiana license: $300 (non-refundable out-of-state licensure application, license and seal fee (Board fee schedule item 2; also stated on the LPC endorsement application); optional $60 expedited processing; fingerprint background check costs separate.
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Louisiana jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Louisiana license for a relocation: 6–8 weeks (Board states 'allow 2-3 weeks for milestones to be updated and at least 6-8 weeks for application approval once the application is completed'; expedited processing ($60) gets a staff response within 5 business days, but files referred for Board review wait for the next meeting)
Can I see Louisiana clients by telehealth while living in Georgia?
Yes, on a Louisiana privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Louisiana, as long as your Georgia license stays active and unencumbered and Georgia remains your primary residence.
If I move from Georgia to Louisiana, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Louisiana is your home state and you need a Louisiana license. Because both states are compact members, Louisiana 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 Georgia 2026-10-29, Louisiana 2026-09-27.
- Louisiana LPC Board: Application Information (endorsement applications, background checks, 6-8 week processing; Internet Archive capture 2026-02-19) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana LPC Board: Application for Licensure by Endorsement as LPC ($300, NCE/NCMHCE, 5-year practice rule; Internet Archive capture 2026-06-16) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana LPC Board: Fee Schedule (Internet Archive capture 2026-04-14) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana LPC Board: FAQ (LPC by endorsement, 40 CE hours; Internet Archive capture 2026-05-19) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana Register Notice of Intent: LAC 46:LX.1101 Endorsement (Act 253 of 2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements (Louisiana $160 total) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia SOS: How to Guide, Professional Counselor (Endorsement checklist, 20-business-day processing; read live) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: Policy Statements, VII Endorsement - Professional Counselors (read live) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: Fee Schedule (04/18/2023; endorsement $100 + $10 processing fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: Verification of Licensure from Another State/Jurisdiction, Form N ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Georgia Composite Board: board page (Counseling Compact now live; GOALS portal) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-3-.04 Licensure by Endorsement (Georgia Rules and Regulations) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Georgia 2026-10-29, Louisiana 2026-09-27
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