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Counseling License from Minnesota to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Updated · Data verified · source: Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) ↗
Generated from a source-cited dataset with AI-assisted research; facts checked against official sources · How these pages are made

Does Arkansas accept a Minnesota counseling license?

Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Minnesota and Arkansas are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Minnesota is your primary state of residence and your Minnesota 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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Verdict

Compact privilege — work there without a second license

Minnesota and Arkansas are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Minnesota 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 Minnesota license and Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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

Minnesota to Arkansas (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.

Arkansas to Minnesota (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.

The route is the same in both directions.

Does coming from Minnesota matter?

Coming from Minnesota 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

Minnesota and Arkansas are both Counseling Compact member states.

A compact privilege lets you practice in Arkansas while Minnesota 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 Minnesota lists $150 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.

Exam rules on record

Arkansas and Minnesota 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.
  • Minnesota (the reverse 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.

What changes, Minnesota → Arkansas

Side-by-side: Minnesota vs Arkansas (Counseling (LPC / LMHC)), verified 2026-10-29
Minnesota (current)Arkansas (destination)
Counseling Compact statusLicensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license)Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license)
Application fee$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.)$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 timethe Board's reciprocity application (updated 2026-10-01) states no processing timeframethe 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 authorityMinnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC)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

  1. Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
  2. To work in Arkansas: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Arkansas through the compact commission and complete any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement.
  3. Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
  4. 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

Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (Arkansas Department of Health), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) ↗Arkansas application ↗Counseling Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Arkansas → MinnesotaCounseling in MinnesotaCounseling in ArkansasAll counseling statesThe Counseling Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

What does the move cost?

To work in Arkansas while living in Minnesota: 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 Minnesota?

Yes, on an Arkansas privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Arkansas, as long as your Minnesota license stays active and unencumbered and Minnesota remains your primary residence.

If I move from Minnesota 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 2026-10-29.

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29

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