Counseling License from Indiana to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) ↗
Yes, for working in Louisiana — both Indiana and Louisiana 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 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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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Indiana and Louisiana 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 Louisiana, in person or by telehealth, you do not need a Louisiana license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Indiana license and Indiana 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 changes, Indiana → Louisiana
| Indiana (current) | Louisiana (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).) | $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 | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications | 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 | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) | 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
Does Louisiana accept an Indiana counseling license?
Yes, for working in Louisiana — both Indiana and Louisiana 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 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.
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Indiana to Louisiana?
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.
What does the move cost?
To work in Louisiana while living in Indiana: 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. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Louisiana charges $130 + $30 commission fee = $160 total, no jurisprudence exam.)
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 Indiana?
Yes, on a Louisiana privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Louisiana, as long as your Indiana license stays active and unencumbered and Indiana remains your primary residence.
If I move from Indiana 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 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)
- 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
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