Transfer Your Counseling License to Kansas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB): Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) ↗

A counselor licensed elsewhere gets into Kansas by endorsement through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB): Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), subject to Kansas's own rule on the national exam (see below). Kansas is a Counseling Compact state on paper only for now: it had not begun issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27. Fee: $50 (Reciprocity application fee per the BSRB reciprocity packet; nonrefundable. Under K.S.A. 65-5807(c), a separate license fee is due once eligibility is confirmed. Its amount (K.A.R. 102-3-2) could not be verified because the official regulation site (rules.ks.gov / sos.ks.gov) was not machine-readable or refused access. Other-state verification fees may apply. Kansas is not yet an operational Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies.). Processing: 4–7 weeks (BSRB reciprocity packet: 'Please allow 30 days for review of your complete application' (~4 weeks). K.S.A. 48-3406(c) requires the license within 45 days of a complete application (~6.4 weeks, rounded up to 7) for applicants who have established or intend to establish Kansas residency (15 days for military servicemembers and spouses).).

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Verdict

Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing

Kansas has passed the Counseling Compact into law, and its board may describe the state as having joined, but as of 2026-09-27 it was not issuing or accepting privileges. That makes Kansas a non-compact state in practice: no privilege lets you see a client located here, in person or by telehealth, and a Kansas license cannot yet anchor privileges elsewhere. Plan on a Kansas license by endorsement, and check the commission's announcements, because states have been switching on every few weeks.

Kansas's independent counselor license is the LCPC. The LPC is the non-clinical tier, which cannot independently diagnose and treat mental disorders. Kansas 'does not have reciprocity with any one state' but licenses by reciprocity under K.S.A. 65-5807 (last amended L. 2023, ch. 90). Option 1 is substantially equivalent standards. Option 2 is 12 months of licensure with a similar scope, no serious discipline and a master's degree. LCPC applicants must also meet two of the three clinical-competence areas. This is credential-based endorsement, not full reciprocity. DISCREPANCY: the BSRB FAQ page still describes the second option as 5 years of continuous clinical licensure and practice plus 3 years of clinical practice (citing K.A.R. 102-3-4b). The statute and the current reciprocity packet use the 12-month standard. Kansas also has a general license-portability law, K.S.A. 48-3406. It covers military members and spouses and anyone who has established or intends to establish Kansas residency. It routes applicants through the board's reciprocity statute and otherwise grants a probationary license to someone with a similar-scope license, at least one year of work in the occupation and no discipline, within 45 days (15 for military). The reciprocity application asks whether the applicant has established or intends to establish residency. The BSRB also offers an LCPC out-of-state temporary permit. Kansas has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not yet issuing or accepting privileges (assembler-provided pending). ksbsrb.ks.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated requests on 2026-09-27, so BSRB pages were read from Internet Archive captures of the official pages. Statutes were read live from ksrevisor.gov.

Kansas requirements at a glance

Out-of-state counseling license transfer requirements for Kansas, verified 2026-09-27
Exam	No exam is retaken. Kansas uses the NCMHCE for clinical (LCPC) licensure, but under K.S.A. 65-5807(b) a reciprocity applicant for the LCPC shows clinical competence through at least TWO of three areas. They are: (1) a passed national clinical exam approved by the board OR 15 graduate credit hours in diagnosis and treatment; (2) three years of clinical practice diagnosing or treating mental disorders; (3) an attestation of competence from an independently licensed professional. An exam score report is needed only if the exam is used and not already reported by the licensing state. Kansas requires no jurisprudence exam.
Additional requirements	Hold an active counselor license in another state, and either show that state's standards are substantially equivalent to Kansas's or show 12 months of licensure with a similar scope, no serious discipline and at least a master's degree in counseling or a related field Demonstrate competence to diagnose and treat mental disorders through at least two of: national clinical exam or 15 graduate credit hours, three years of clinical practice, or a licensed-professional attestation Have each licensing board send the License Verification (out-of-state clearance) form directly to the BSRB Have transcripts sent directly to the BSRB when using the 15 graduate credit hours option Submit the reciprocity application with the $50 application fee
Fees	$50 (Reciprocity application fee per the BSRB reciprocity packet; nonrefundable. Under K.S.A. 65-5807(c), a separate license fee is due once eligibility is confirmed. Its amount (K.A.R. 102-3-2) could not be verified because the official regulation site (rules.ks.gov / sos.ks.gov) was not machine-readable or refused access. Other-state verification fees may apply. Kansas is not yet an operational Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies.)
Processing time	4–7 weeks (BSRB reciprocity packet: 'Please allow 30 days for review of your complete application' (~4 weeks). K.S.A. 48-3406(c) requires the license within 45 days of a complete application (~6.4 weeks, rounded up to 7) for applicants who have established or intend to establish Kansas residency (15 days for military servicemembers and spouses).)

Step by step

Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB): Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB): Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Hold an active counselor license in another state, and either show that state's standards are substantially equivalent to Kansas's or show 12 months of licensure with a similar scope, no serious discipline and at least a master's degree in counseling or a related field.
Demonstrate competence to diagnose and treat mental disorders through at least two of: national clinical exam or 15 graduate credit hours, three years of clinical practice, or a licensed-professional attestation.
Have each licensing board send the License Verification (out-of-state clearance) form directly to the BSRB.
Have transcripts sent directly to the BSRB when using the 15 graduate credit hours option.
Submit the reciprocity application with the $50 application fee.
Pay the fees ($50 (Reciprocity application fee per the BSRB reciprocity packet; nonrefundable. Under K.S.A. 65-5807(c), a separate license fee is due once eligibility is confirmed. Its amount (K.A.R. 102-3-2) could not be verified because the official regulation site (rules.ks.gov / sos.ks.gov) was not machine-readable or refused access. Other-state verification fees may apply. Kansas is not yet an operational Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies.)) and allow 4–7 weeks (BSRB reciprocity packet: 'Please allow 30 days for review of your complete application' (~4 weeks). K.S.A. 48-3406(c) requires the license within 45 days of a complete application (~6.4 weeks, rounded up to 7) for applicants who have established or intend to establish Kansas residency (15 days for military servicemembers and spouses).).

Official links

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB): Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) ↗Kansas application ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Kansas:

California → Kansas Florida → Kansas Georgia → Kansas Illinois → Kansas Michigan → Kansas New York → Kansas North Carolina → Kansas Ohio → Kansas Pennsylvania → Kansas Texas → Kansas

Nearby states

Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Kansas:

Kansas for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my counseling license transfer to Kansas?

Do I have to retake the NCE or NCMHCE to get licensed in Kansas?

No exam is retaken. Kansas uses the NCMHCE for clinical (LCPC) licensure, but under K.S.A. 65-5807(b) a reciprocity applicant for the LCPC shows clinical competence through at least TWO of three areas. They are: (1) a passed national clinical exam approved by the board OR 15 graduate credit hours in diagnosis and treatment; (2) three years of clinical practice diagnosing or treating mental disorders; (3) an attestation of competence from an independently licensed professional. An exam score report is needed only if the exam is used and not already reported by the licensing state. Kansas requires no jurisprudence exam.

How much does a Kansas counseling license cost by endorsement?

$50 (Reciprocity application fee per the BSRB reciprocity packet; nonrefundable. Under K.S.A. 65-5807(c), a separate license fee is due once eligibility is confirmed. Its amount (K.A.R. 102-3-2) could not be verified because the official regulation site (rules.ks.gov / sos.ks.gov) was not machine-readable or refused access. Other-state verification fees may apply. Kansas is not yet an operational Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies.)

How long does Kansas take to process the application?

4–7 weeks (BSRB reciprocity packet: 'Please allow 30 days for review of your complete application' (~4 weeks). K.S.A. 48-3406(c) requires the license within 45 days of a complete application (~6.4 weeks, rounded up to 7) for applicants who have established or intend to establish Kansas residency (15 days for military servicemembers and spouses).)

Is Kansas in the Counseling Compact?

Kansas has enacted the compact but was not yet operational as of 2026-09-27, so it neither issues nor accepts privileges. For now you need Kansas's own authorization, normally a Kansas license, to practice with clients located in Kansas.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

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