Transfer Your Counseling License to Missouri: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration) ↗
A counselor licensed elsewhere gets into Missouri by endorsement through the Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration), subject to Missouri's own rule on the national exam (see below). Missouri is a Counseling Compact state on paper only for now: it had not begun issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27. Fee: $100 (LPC Application for Licensure by Reciprocity fee (form MO 375-1100); waived with proof of military service; MACHS fingerprint fee paid separately to the vendor (amount not stated on the pages read)). Processing: the Committee publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Moving to Missouri from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Missouri 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 Missouri a non-compact state in practice: no privilege lets you see a client located here, in person or by telehealth, and a Missouri license cannot yet anchor privileges elsewhere. Plan on a Missouri license by endorsement, and check the commission's announcements, because states have been switching on every few weeks.
Missouri's independent counselor license is the LPC. The PLPC (provisional) practices under supervision and is ineligible for reciprocity. The reciprocity route implements RSMo 324.009, Missouri's statutory reciprocity law (HB 2046, 2020). Per the Division's summary of 324.009, the applicant must hold a current license in good standing for at least 1 year and must not be under investigation or have pending discipline. No residency requirement is stated. Applicants who do not qualify use the full route: counseling degree, NCE, and 3,000 hours / 24 months of supervised experience. The rule text (20 CSR 2095) could not be read: sos.mo.gov returned 403 and revisor.mo.gov refused connections on 2026-09-27. Missouri has ENACTED the Counseling Compact but is not yet issuing or accepting privileges. The Committee's compact page still says privilege applications are 'expected to open in 2025', which is stale but consistent with pending. compact_member and compact_status are assembler-provided.
Missouri requirements at a glance
| Exam | No national exam is retaken. The Committee's LPC reciprocity checklist (RSMo 324.009 path) does not require NCE/NCMHCE score submission; eligibility rests on at least 1 year of full licensure in another state. Reciprocity applicants must pass the open-book online Missouri Jurisprudence (Legal and Ethical Responsibilities) Exam, which the Committee says cannot be waived. |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $100 (LPC Application for Licensure by Reciprocity fee (form MO 375-1100); waived with proof of military service; MACHS fingerprint fee paid separately to the vendor (amount not stated on the pages read)) |
| Processing time | the Committee publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Missouri's current requirements on the Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold full (independent, not supervised or provisional) professional counselor licensure in another state for at least 1 year.
- Have no past or current discipline and no pending complaint on the out-of-state license.
- Complete a fingerprint background check through MACHS.
- Pass the open-book Missouri Jurisprudence (Legal and Ethical Responsibilities) Exam.
- Submit proof of 2 hours of suicide prevention training.
- Submit a notarized reciprocity application with license verification and proof of lawful presence.
- Pay the fees ($100 (LPC Application for Licensure by Reciprocity fee (form MO 375-1100); waived with proof of military service; MACHS fingerprint fee paid separately to the vendor (amount not stated on the pages read))) and allow the Committee publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Missouri:
Nearby states
Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Missouri:
Missouri for other professions
- Nursing in Missouri
- Cosmetology / Barber in Missouri
- Real Estate in Missouri
- Contractor in Missouri
- Teaching in Missouri
- CPA / Accounting in Missouri
- Electrician in Missouri
- Plumber in Missouri
- Engineering in Missouri
- Pharmacy in Missouri
- Physical Therapy in Missouri
- Psychology in Missouri
- Social Work in Missouri
- Occupational Therapy in Missouri
Frequently asked questions
Does my counseling license transfer to Missouri?
A counselor licensed elsewhere gets into Missouri by endorsement through the Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors (Division of Professional Registration), subject to Missouri's own rule on the national exam (see below). Missouri is a Counseling Compact state on paper only for now: it had not begun issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27. Fee: $100 (LPC Application for Licensure by Reciprocity fee (form MO 375-1100); waived with proof of military service; MACHS fingerprint fee paid separately to the vendor (amount not stated on the pages read)). Processing: the Committee publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Do I have to retake the NCE or NCMHCE to get licensed in Missouri?
No national exam is retaken. The Committee's LPC reciprocity checklist (RSMo 324.009 path) does not require NCE/NCMHCE score submission; eligibility rests on at least 1 year of full licensure in another state. Reciprocity applicants must pass the open-book online Missouri Jurisprudence (Legal and Ethical Responsibilities) Exam, which the Committee says cannot be waived.
How much does a Missouri counseling license cost by endorsement?
$100 (LPC Application for Licensure by Reciprocity fee (form MO 375-1100); waived with proof of military service; MACHS fingerprint fee paid separately to the vendor (amount not stated on the pages read))
How long does Missouri take to process the application?
the Committee publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Is Missouri in the Counseling Compact?
Missouri 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 Missouri's own authorization, normally a Missouri license, to practice with clients located in Missouri.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: Application Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: LPC Reciprocity Qualifications checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: Application for Licensure by Reciprocity ($100 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors: Counselor Compact Update ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Division of Professional Registration: Section 324.009 RSMo reciprocity requirements summary ↗ (accessed 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]