Counseling License from Louisiana to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arkansas accept a Louisiana counseling license?
Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Louisiana and Arkansas are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Louisiana is your primary state of residence and your Louisiana 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 an Arkansas license once Arkansas 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
Louisiana and Arkansas are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Louisiana 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 Louisiana license and Louisiana 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's different between Louisiana and Arkansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Louisiana to Arkansas (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Arkansas to Louisiana (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Louisiana matter?
Coming from Louisiana matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arkansas.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Counseling Compact membership
Louisiana and Arkansas are both Counseling Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Arkansas while Louisiana is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Arkansas needs an Arkansas license.
- Application fee
Arkansas lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Louisiana lists $300 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Louisiana lists 6–8 weeks for the reverse move; Arkansas has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Louisiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arkansas (this move): 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.
- Louisiana (the reverse move): 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 changes, Louisiana → Arkansas
| Louisiana (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $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.) | $100 (initial LPC application fee per 17 CAR 75-1301(a)(1) (2026 Rule Revision). The Board must waive it (17 CAR 75-1301(b): 'shall waive') for applicants receiving Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, TANF or Lifeline assistance, approved for unemployment within the last 12 months, 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 | 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) | the Board publishes no end-to-end timeframe. Its Licensed by Endorsement Instructions (10/16/2026) say the first-step Application for Examination by Endorsement 'can take several weeks to be approved', the file then goes on a Board meeting agenda, and after approval license processing 'usually takes about 10 business days, but it can take longer' |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) | 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 an 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
What does the move cost?
To work in Arkansas while living in Louisiana: 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).
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. An Arkansas license for a relocation: the Board publishes no end-to-end timeframe.
Can I see Arkansas clients by telehealth while living in Louisiana?
Yes, on an Arkansas privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Arkansas, as long as your Louisiana license stays active and unencumbered and Louisiana remains your primary residence.
If I move from Louisiana 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 Louisiana 2026-09-27, Arkansas 2026-10-29.
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling: board page (Out-of-State Licensure link, compact go-live, applicant portal) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling: Licensed by Endorsement Instructions (10/16/2026; two-step portal process, ~10 business days license processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 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 2026-10-29)
- Act 457 of 2023, Automatic Occupational Licensure for Out-of-State Licensure Act (Board's Out-of-State Licensure document) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling: Counseling Compact Go-Live FAQ (live 2026-07-30; $50 privilege fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Louisiana 2026-09-27, Arkansas 2026-10-29
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