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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) ↗

Louisiana issues and accepts Counseling Compact privileges, so a counselor licensed and living in another operational state can see Louisiana clients without a Louisiana license. A move to Louisiana is different: Louisiana becomes your home state and you need its license, obtained by endorsement through the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) (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.); processing: 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)).

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Verdict

Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice

Before filing anything with the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC), work out whether you are moving or just reaching across the line. A counselor who stays licensed and resident in another operational compact state can serve Louisiana clients on a privilege, including by telehealth, and never needs a Louisiana license. A counselor moving to Louisiana changes home states, and that requires a Louisiana license; if your current home state is also a compact member, the compact shortens the application.

Louisiana's independent tier is the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); the PLPC is the provisional, supervised tier. Endorsement is under LAC 46:LX.1101 (Mental Health Counselor Licensing Act, R.S. 37:1101 et seq.). The practice threshold is recorded as 1 YEAR, following the most recent official rule action: the Board's September 2024 Louisiana Register Notice of Intent amending LAC 46:LX.1101 to implement Act 253 of 2024. The Board FAQ (2026-05 capture) agrees. Applicants licensed at least 1 year need not meet all of Louisiana's academic and supervision requirements but must show NCE/NCMHCE passage. The Board's downloadable endorsement form (2026-06 capture) still states the older 5-year threshold. It is treated as superseded, and this is flagged. The adopted final rule text in the Louisiana Register was not read. Applicants below the threshold must come from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements and may be asked for their full licensure file. Military members and spouses are endorsed under 50 USC 4025a. This is endorsement, not full reciprocity. Louisiana has been an OPERATIONAL Counseling Compact state since 2026-04-20. An LPC-equivalent counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Louisiana on a privilege ($130 Louisiana fee + $30 commission fee, no jurisprudence exam) without this license. Relocating to Louisiana still requires a Louisiana license. compact_member and compact_status are assembler-provided. lpcboard.org returned HTTP 403 to all automated fetches on 2026-09-27, so Board pages were read from Internet Archive captures of the official URLs (dates in sources).

Louisiana requirements at a glance

Out-of-state counseling license transfer requirements for Louisiana, verified 2026-09-27
ExamNational 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.
Additional requirements
  • Hold a current, active LPC license in good standing in another jurisdiction, verified by each licensing board on the Board's License Verification Form
  • Submit an official NBCC score report for the NCE or NCMHCE (or, on the 1-year route, complete the Board's oral exam)
  • Show at least 1 year of full, active LPC licensure (LAC 46:LX.1101 as amended under Act 253 of 2024); applicants licensed under 1 year must come from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent academic and supervision requirements
  • Provide a colleague or supervisor letter verifying active practice and document 40 continuing education hours per Chapter 7 of the Board Rules
  • Complete a state and federal fingerprint background check within 60 days of application
  • Submit a Declaration of Practices and Procedures and a current photograph
Fees$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.)
Processing time6–8 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)

Step by step

  1. Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a current, active LPC license in good standing in another jurisdiction, verified by each licensing board on the Board's License Verification Form.
  5. Submit an official NBCC score report for the NCE or NCMHCE (or, on the 1-year route, complete the Board's oral exam).
  6. Show at least 1 year of full, active LPC licensure (LAC 46:LX.1101 as amended under Act 253 of 2024); applicants licensed under 1 year must come from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent academic and supervision requirements.
  7. Provide a colleague or supervisor letter verifying active practice and document 40 continuing education hours per Chapter 7 of the Board Rules.
  8. Complete a state and federal fingerprint background check within 60 days of application.
  9. Submit a Declaration of Practices and Procedures and a current photograph.
  10. Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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).

Official links

Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) ↗Louisiana application ↗Counseling Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

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

Arizona → LouisianaArkansas → LouisianaCalifornia → LouisianaFlorida → LouisianaGeorgia → LouisianaIllinois → LouisianaIndiana → LouisianaMichigan → LouisianaMinnesota → LouisianaNew York → LouisianaNorth Carolina → LouisianaOhio → LouisianaPennsylvania → LouisianaTennessee → LouisianaTexas → LouisianaWyoming → Louisiana

Nearby states

Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Louisiana:

Louisiana for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my counseling license transfer to Louisiana?

Louisiana issues and accepts Counseling Compact privileges, so a counselor licensed and living in another operational state can see Louisiana clients without a Louisiana license. A move to Louisiana is different: Louisiana becomes your home state and you need its license, obtained by endorsement through the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LPC) (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.); processing: 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)).

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

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.

How much does a Louisiana counseling license cost by endorsement?

$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.)

How long does Louisiana take to process the application?

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)

Is Louisiana in the Counseling Compact?

Yes. Louisiana was operational as of 2026-09-27, issuing privileges to its own licensees and accepting privileges from other operational states. A counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Louisiana on a privilege; moving to Louisiana still requires a Louisiana license.

Can I see Louisiana clients by telehealth from another state?

Yes, if your home state is also operational and you hold a Louisiana privilege. The privilege covers telehealth as well as in-person work. From a home state that is not operational, you need Louisiana's own authorization, normally a Louisiana license.

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]