Counseling License from Indiana to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) ↗
Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Indiana and Arkansas are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Indiana is your primary state of residence and your Indiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Arkansas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Arkansas, you will need a Arkansas license once Arkansas 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
Indiana and Arkansas are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Indiana and want to see clients located in Arkansas, in person or by telehealth, you do not need an Arkansas license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Indiana license and Indiana as your primary residence, you buy an Arkansas privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Arkansas becomes your home state and you must obtain an Arkansas license from the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What changes, Indiana → Arkansas
| Indiana (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| Application fee | $50 (LMHC reciprocity application fee, paid by card online; nonrefundable. Criminal background check paid separately to the vendor; other-state verification fees may apply; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Indiana charges a $50 state fee + $30 commission administrative fee = $80 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam required for the privilege).) | $100 (initial LPC application fee per 17 CAR 75-1301(a)(1) (2026 Rule Revision). The Board may waive it for applicants on public assistance, recently approved for unemployment, 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 time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) | Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas 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 Arkansas: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Arkansas through the compact commission and complete any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Arkansas: apply for a Arkansas license with the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas accept an Indiana counseling license?
Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Indiana and Arkansas are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Indiana is your primary state of residence and your Indiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Arkansas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Arkansas, you will need a Arkansas license once Arkansas becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Indiana to Arkansas?
National 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.
What does the move cost?
To work in Arkansas while living in Indiana: a $30 commission fee plus Arkansas's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take an Arkansas license: $100 (initial LPC application fee per 17 CAR 75-1301(a)(1) (2026 Rule Revision). The Board may waive it for applicants on public assistance, recently approved for unemployment, 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).)
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Arkansas license for a relocation: the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Can I see Arkansas clients by telehealth while living in Indiana?
Yes, on an Arkansas privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Arkansas, as long as your Indiana license stays active and unencumbered and Indiana remains your primary residence.
If I move from Indiana to Arkansas, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Arkansas is your home state and you need an Arkansas license. Because both states are compact members, Arkansas 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.
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling: board page (Out-of-State Licensure link, compact go-live, applicant portal) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling 2026 Rule Revision (17 CAR 75-303, 75-602, 75-901, 75-905, 75-1301 to 75-1305) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Act 457 of 2023, Automatic Occupational Licensure for Out-of-State Licensure Act (Board's Out-of-State Licensure document) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling: Counseling Compact Go-Live FAQ (live 2026-07-30; $50 privilege fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Indiana PLA: Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Information (LMHC Reciprocity checklist, exam policy, Counseling Compact); Internet Archive capture 2026-07-08 ↗ (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]