Counseling License from Indiana to Missouri: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Missouri accept an Indiana counseling license?
Yes, for working in Missouri — both Indiana and Missouri 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 Missouri without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Missouri, you will need a Missouri license once Missouri 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
Working in Missouri and moving to Missouri are two different transactions here. Cross-border practice, whether a telehealth caseload or in-person sessions, runs on a Missouri privilege bought through CompactConnect and anchored to your Indiana license, which must stay active, unencumbered, and at the independent level. A move of residence needs a new home-state license from the Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration). Both states being compact members shortens that license application, since Missouri verifies you through the compact's data system, but you still complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
What's different between Indiana and Missouri
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Missouri. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Indiana to Missouri (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Missouri to Indiana (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Indiana matter?
Coming from Indiana matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Missouri.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Counseling Compact membership
Indiana and Missouri are both Counseling Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Missouri while Indiana is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Missouri needs a Missouri license.
- Application fee
Missouri lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Indiana lists $50 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Missouri and Indiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Missouri (this move): No national exam is retaken. The Committee's LPC reciprocity checklist (RSMo 324.009 path) does not require NCE/NCMHCE score submission; eligibility rests on at least 1 year of full licensure in another state. Reciprocity applicants must pass the open-book online Missouri Jurisprudence (Legal and Ethical Responsibilities) Exam.
- Indiana (the reverse move): National exam is not retaken if the applicant passed the NCMHCE or an equivalent state-constructed exam at the same or higher level for the other-state license. NBCC sends the official NCMHCE score report to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. The NCE is NOT equivalent to the NCMHCE, so NCE-only licensees must take the NCMHCE in Indiana. Other exams are reviewed for equivalency by the Board. The Board's current LMHC reciprocity checklist lists no jurisprudence exam.
What changes, Indiana → Missouri
| Indiana (current) | Missouri (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) |
| 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 (LPC Application for Licensure by Reciprocity fee (form MO 375-1100, rev. 7-2026); waived with proof of military service; MACHS fingerprint fee paid separately to the vendor (amount not stated on the pages read). NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Missouri charges $100 + $30 commission fee = $130, with the Missouri jurisprudence exam.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications | the Committee publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) | Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Missouri 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 Missouri: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Missouri through the compact commission and complete any Missouri jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Missouri: apply for a Missouri license with the Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration); 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 Missouri while living in Indiana: a $30 commission fee plus Missouri's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take a Missouri license: $100 (LPC Application for Licensure by Reciprocity fee (form MO 375-1100, rev.
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Missouri jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Missouri license for a relocation: the Committee publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Can I see Missouri clients by telehealth while living in Indiana?
Yes, on a Missouri privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Missouri, as long as your Indiana license stays active and unencumbered and Indiana remains your primary residence.
If I move from Indiana to Missouri, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Missouri is your home state and you need a Missouri license. Because both states are compact members, Missouri 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 2026-10-29.
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: Application Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: LPC Reciprocity Qualifications checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: Application for Licensure by Reciprocity ($100 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: Counselor Compact Update ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Missouri Division of Professional Registration: Section 324.009 RSMo reciprocity requirements summary ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements (Missouri $130 total) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Indiana PLA: Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Information (LMHC Reciprocity checklist, exam policy, Counseling Compact); Internet Archive capture 2026-10-10 ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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