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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) ↗

Kentucky has enacted the Counseling Compact, but it was not yet issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice here. An out-of-state counselor needs a Kentucky license, normally by endorsement from the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC); how Kentucky treats your NCE or NCMHCE score is in the exam question below. Fee: $150 (application fee for licensure as a professional counselor per 201 KAR 36:020 Section 1(1), which 201 KAR 36:072 applies to reciprocity applicants; non-refundable; FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; annual renewal also $150. Kentucky is not yet issuing Counseling Compact privileges.). Processing: no processing timeframe is published; the Board FAQ says complete applications go to the monthly Board meeting's Applications Committee.

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Verdict

Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing

Kentucky 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 Kentucky a non-compact state in practice: no privilege lets you see a client located here, in person or by telehealth, and a Kentucky license cannot yet anchor privileges elsewhere. Plan on a Kentucky license by endorsement, and check the commission's announcements, because states have been switching on every few weeks.

Kentucky's independent tier is the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). The LPCA is the associate tier and cannot be obtained through reciprocity (201 KAR 36:072 Sec. 1(2)). There are two routes. (1) Endorsement under KRS 335.527 needs a 60-hour counseling degree, an active license in good standing, good moral character, the fee, and at least 5 years' experience as a licensed or certified professional counselor. It exempts the applicant from Kentucky's supervised-experience and exam requirements. (2) Reciprocity by written agreement under 201 KAR 36:072. The Board FAQ names North Carolina (since 2024-02-02: LCMHC with at least 2 years fully licensed, FBI check, 3-hour KY law course, fee) and Tennessee (since 2023-03-30: LPC-MHSP with at least 5 years of full-time experience, good standing, background check, fee). These are the only published partner states. Applicants with under 5 years must otherwise meet full Kentucky LPCC requirements; the FAQ also points them to the Counseling Compact. This is endorsement, not full reciprocity. Kentucky has ENACTED the Counseling Compact (KRS 335.560) but is not yet issuing or accepting privileges. compact_member and compact_status are assembler-provided. apps.legislature.ky.gov timed out on 2026-09-27, so KRS 335.527 and 201 KAR 36:020 were read from Internet Archive captures of the official LRC pages.

Kentucky requirements at a glance

Out-of-state counseling license transfer requirements for Kentucky, verified 2026-09-27
ExamNo exam is retaken. Endorsement applicants with 5+ years of licensed experience are exempt by statute from the examination requirement (KRS 335.527(2)(b)), and the Board FAQ confirms no NCE or NCMHCE scores are required. North Carolina reciprocity-agreement applicants must also complete a 3-hour Board-approved Kentucky Professional Counselor Law course. No separate jurisprudence exam on the endorsement path.
Additional requirements
  • Hold an active, valid professional counselor license in good standing in another state, with at least 5 years' experience as a licensed or certified professional counselor
  • Hold a qualifying degree: 60 graduate hours in counseling or a related field covering the nine KRS 335.527 content areas (CACREP-accredited if the program began Summer 2015 or later)
  • Submit a letter of good standing from every jurisdiction where a license or certificate is held
  • Submit an FBI criminal background check performed within 90 days of the application
Fees$150 (application fee for licensure as a professional counselor per 201 KAR 36:020 Section 1(1), which 201 KAR 36:072 applies to reciprocity applicants; non-refundable; FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; annual renewal also $150. Kentucky is not yet issuing Counseling Compact privileges.)
Processing timeno processing timeframe is published; the Board FAQ says complete applications go to the monthly Board meeting's Applications Committee

Step by step

  1. Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold an active, valid professional counselor license in good standing in another state, with at least 5 years' experience as a licensed or certified professional counselor.
  5. Hold a qualifying degree: 60 graduate hours in counseling or a related field covering the nine KRS 335.527 content areas (CACREP-accredited if the program began Summer 2015 or later).
  6. Submit a letter of good standing from every jurisdiction where a license or certificate is held.
  7. Submit an FBI criminal background check performed within 90 days of the application.
  8. Pay the fees ($150 (application fee for licensure as a professional counselor per 201 KAR 36:020 Section 1(1), which 201 KAR 36:072 applies to reciprocity applicants; non-refundable; FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; annual renewal also $150. Kentucky is not yet issuing Counseling Compact privileges.)) and allow no processing timeframe is published; the Board FAQ says complete applications go to the monthly Board meeting's Applications Committee.

Official links

Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) ↗Kentucky application ↗

Coming from a specific state?

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

California → KentuckyFlorida → KentuckyGeorgia → KentuckyIllinois → KentuckyMichigan → KentuckyNew York → KentuckyNorth Carolina → KentuckyOhio → KentuckyPennsylvania → KentuckyTennessee → KentuckyTexas → Kentucky

Nearby states

Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Kentucky:

Kentucky for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my counseling license transfer to Kentucky?

Kentucky has enacted the Counseling Compact, but it was not yet issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice here. An out-of-state counselor needs a Kentucky license, normally by endorsement from the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC); how Kentucky treats your NCE or NCMHCE score is in the exam question below. Fee: $150 (application fee for licensure as a professional counselor per 201 KAR 36:020 Section 1(1), which 201 KAR 36:072 applies to reciprocity applicants; non-refundable; FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; annual renewal also $150. Kentucky is not yet issuing Counseling Compact privileges.). Processing: no processing timeframe is published; the Board FAQ says complete applications go to the monthly Board meeting's Applications Committee.

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

No exam is retaken. Endorsement applicants with 5+ years of licensed experience are exempt by statute from the examination requirement (KRS 335.527(2)(b)), and the Board FAQ confirms no NCE or NCMHCE scores are required. North Carolina reciprocity-agreement applicants must also complete a 3-hour Board-approved Kentucky Professional Counselor Law course. No separate jurisprudence exam on the endorsement path.

How much does a Kentucky counseling license cost by endorsement?

$150 (application fee for licensure as a professional counselor per 201 KAR 36:020 Section 1(1), which 201 KAR 36:072 applies to reciprocity applicants; non-refundable; FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; annual renewal also $150. Kentucky is not yet issuing Counseling Compact privileges.)

How long does Kentucky take to process the application?

no processing timeframe is published; the Board FAQ says complete applications go to the monthly Board meeting's Applications Committee.

Is Kentucky in the Counseling Compact?

Kentucky 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 Kentucky's own authorization, normally a Kentucky license, to practice with clients located in Kentucky.

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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]