Counseling License from Louisiana to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Minnesota accept a Louisiana counseling license?
Yes, for working in Minnesota — both Louisiana and Minnesota 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 Minnesota without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Minnesota, you will need a Minnesota license once Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota, in person or by telehealth, you do not need a Minnesota license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Louisiana license and Louisiana as your primary residence, you buy a Minnesota privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Minnesota jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Minnesota becomes your home state and you must obtain a Minnesota license from the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC); because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What's different between Louisiana and Minnesota
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Minnesota. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Louisiana to Minnesota (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Minnesota 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 Minnesota.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Counseling Compact membership
Louisiana and Minnesota are both Counseling Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Minnesota while Louisiana is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Minnesota needs a Minnesota license.
- Application fee
Minnesota lists $150 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; Minnesota has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Minnesota and Louisiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Minnesota (this move): No exam is retaken for reciprocity. Minn. Stat. 148B.56 sets no exam condition: the Board rules on substantial similarity (licensed under 5 years) or 5+ years of active practice, then decides whether to grant the LPC or the LPCC. Minnesota-route LPCC applicants must pass the NCMHCE (148B.5301). The reciprocity application asks for license verification, transcripts and the other state's laws and rules, not a separate score transfer. No Minnesota jurisprudence exam.
- 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 → Minnesota
| Louisiana (current) | Minnesota (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.) | $150 (non-refundable LPCC application fee (Minn. Stat. 148B.53 subd. 3); the reciprocity application also requires the $250 initial license fee and a $35 criminal background check fee, paid together as $435 ($400 if exempt from the check). NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Minnesota charges $50 + $30 commission fee = $80, no 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's reciprocity application (updated 2026-10-01) states no processing timeframe |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) | Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota 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 Minnesota: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Minnesota through the compact commission and complete any Minnesota jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Minnesota: apply for a Minnesota license with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC); 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 Minnesota while living in Louisiana: a $30 commission fee plus Minnesota's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take a Minnesota license: $150 (non-refundable LPCC application fee (Minn.
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Minnesota jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Minnesota license for a relocation: the Board's reciprocity application (updated 2026-10-01) states no processing timeframe.
Can I see Minnesota clients by telehealth while living in Louisiana?
Yes, on a Minnesota privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Minnesota, as long as your Louisiana license stays active and unencumbered and Louisiana remains your primary residence.
If I move from Louisiana to Minnesota, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Minnesota is your home state and you need a Minnesota license. Because both states are compact members, Minnesota 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, Minnesota 2026-10-29.
- Minnesota BBHT: LPC/LPCC Reciprocity Application, updated 2026-10-01 (instructions, $435 fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minn. Stat. 148B.56 Reciprocity (Revisor of Statutes, 2025 chapter 148B) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minn. Stat. 148B.53 subd. 3 Fees (Revisor of Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota BBHT: Reciprocity Licenses by State (updated 2024-03-15) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota BBHT: LPC and LPCC Reciprocity page (Internet Archive capture 2026-04-21) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements (Minnesota $80 total) ↗ (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, Minnesota 2026-10-29
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