Counseling License from Georgia to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) ↗
Yes, for working in Ohio — both Georgia and Ohio 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 Ohio without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Ohio, you will need a Ohio license once Ohio becomes your home state.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Working in Ohio and moving to Ohio are two different transactions here. Cross-border practice, whether a telehealth caseload or in-person sessions, runs on an Ohio privilege bought through CompactConnect and anchored to your Georgia license, which must stay active, unencumbered, and at the independent level. A move of residence needs a new home-state license from the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT). Both states being compact members shortens that license application, since Ohio verifies you through the compact's data system, but you still complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
What changes, Georgia → Ohio
| Georgia (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| Application fee | $100 ($100 non-refundable LPC endorsement application fee; the 05/02/2023 paper form lists $110, which includes a $10 mail-in processing fee. The current online GOALS fee schedule (goals.sos.ga.gov) returned HTTP 403 and 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).) | $100 (LPCC reciprocity application fee per OAC 4757-1-05 and the Board's out-of-state page ('$100 + $3.50 processing', re-read 2026-09-27); + $3.50 eLicense processing fee; BCI/FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-transfer fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Ohio charges $25 + $30 commission admin fee = $55 for a privilege, per the commission's fee table).) |
| Processing time | ~5 weeks (the endorsement application form says to allow up to 25 business days (about 5 weeks) to process a complete application. The Board may also take up the file at a meeting, and an application must be complete 15 days before a meeting to be placed on its agenda. Incomplete applications are withdrawn after 60 days.) | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist) |
| Licensing authority | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists (Secretary of State), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio 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 Ohio: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Ohio through the compact commission and complete any Ohio jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Ohio: apply for a Ohio license with the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Ohio accept a Georgia counseling license?
Yes, for working in Ohio — both Georgia and Ohio 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 Ohio without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Ohio, you will need a Ohio license once Ohio becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Georgia to Ohio?
National exam is not retaken: NCE (or NCMHCE) results are sent by NBCC score transfer or submitted with the application, and the 7-year exam-age limit is waived for applicants licensed in an equivalent capacity in another state. No separate jurisprudence exam; applicants must watch the Board's online Laws and Rules video.
What does the move cost?
To work in Ohio while living in Georgia: a $30 commission fee plus Ohio's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take an Ohio license: $100 (LPCC reciprocity application fee per OAC 4757-1-05 and the Board's out-of-state page ('$100 + $3.50 processing', re-read 2026-09-27); + $3.50 eLicense processing fee; BCI/FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-transfer fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Ohio charges $25 + $30 commission admin fee = $55 for a privilege, per the commission's fee table).)
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Ohio jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Ohio license for a relocation: the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist)
Can I see Ohio clients by telehealth while living in Georgia?
Yes, on an Ohio privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Ohio, as long as your Georgia license stays active and unencumbered and Georgia remains your primary residence.
If I move from Georgia to Ohio, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Ohio is your home state and you need an Ohio license. Because both states are compact members, Ohio 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.
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Out of State Applicants (counselor reciprocity steps and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counselors (LPC/LPCC application instructions, exam policy) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board Laws and Rules compilation (ORC 4757.18; OAC 4757-1-05, 4757-13-03, 4757-13-06) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counseling Compact Privileges (eligibility, $25 state fee, go-live 2026-01-05) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia SOS: How to Guide, Professional Counselor (Endorsement checklist; Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-24, live page returned 403) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board: Application for Licensure as a Professional Counselor by Endorsement, 05/02/2023 (Internet Archive copy of the official PDF; live file returned 403) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board: Policy Statements, VII Endorsement - Professional Counselors (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-24) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-3-.04 Licensure by Endorsement (Georgia Rules and Regulations) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]