Counseling License from North Carolina to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Kentucky accept a North Carolina counseling license?
Yes — Kentucky has a reciprocity arrangement covering North Carolina license holders. Apply to the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track and complete Kentucky's remaining requirements.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Kentucky names North Carolina on its published reciprocity list, so the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) handles your application on that track, provided you meet the agreement's conditions (license tier, and in some agreements a minimum number of years' experience). Confirm the list is current with the board before you file. Both states have enacted the Counseling Compact, but neither was issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-10-29. When both go operational, cross-border work between them could run on a privilege; a relocation would still need a Kentucky license.
What's different between North Carolina and Kentucky
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Kentucky. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
North Carolina to Kentucky (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Kentucky to North Carolina (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from North Carolina matter?
Coming from North Carolina matters here: only 2 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Kentucky.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (48).
- Reciprocity agreements
Kentucky's reciprocity agreement list names 2 states (North Carolina and Tennessee), including North Carolina.
North Carolina's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee), including Kentucky.
- Counseling Compact membership
North Carolina has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not issuing under it yet; Kentucky has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not issuing under it yet.
Because they are not both active members, the Counseling Compact does not cover this move.
- Application fee
Kentucky lists $150 for an out-of-state applicant and North Carolina lists $238 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
North Carolina lists 4–6 weeks for the reverse move; Kentucky has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Kentucky and North Carolina carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Kentucky (this move): No exam is retaken. Endorsement applicants with 5+ years of licensed experience are exempt by statute from the examination requirement (KRS 335.527(2)(b)), and the Board FAQ confirms no NCE or NCMHCE scores are required. North Carolina reciprocity-agreement applicants must also complete a 3-hour Board-approved Kentucky Professional Counselor Law course. No separate jurisprudence exam on the endorsement path.
- North Carolina (the reverse move): National exam is not retaken: the Board accepts the NCE, NCMHCE or CRC exam (21 NCAC 53 .0305), with official scores sent by the examining organization. Every applicant, including endorsement and reciprocity applicants, must ALSO complete the Board's LCMHC Jurisprudence Exam within six months before applying.
What changes, North Carolina → Kentucky
| North Carolina (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Reciprocity with 3 states · Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Reciprocity with 2 states · Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $238 (Board-stated endorsement/reciprocity application fee of $238, which includes the $38 criminal background check fee; nonrefundable; jurisprudence exam provider fee not verified) | $150 (application fee for licensure as a professional counselor per 201 KAR 36:020 Section 1(1), which 201 KAR 36:072 applies to reciprocity applicants, and per the Board's LPCC application (DPL-LPC-04, Rev. July 2026); non-refundable; FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; annual renewal also $150. Kentucky is not yet issuing Counseling Compact privileges.) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (Board-stated 'Application Processing Timeframe (provided there are no legal/special considerations) 4-6 weeks from completed application submission') | no processing timeframe is published; the Board FAQ says complete applications go to the monthly Board meeting's Applications Committee |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) | Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active, valid professional counselor license in good standing in another state, with at least 5 years' experience as a licensed or certified professional counselor.
- Hold a qualifying degree: 60 graduate hours in counseling or a related field covering the nine KRS 335.527 content areas (CACREP-accredited if the program began Summer 2015 or later).
- Submit a letter of good standing from every jurisdiction where a license or certificate is held.
- Submit an FBI criminal background check performed within 90 days of the application.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Kentucky joined the Counseling Compact. Can I use a privilege there?
Not yet. Kentucky had enacted the compact but was not issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-10-29, so counseling clients located in Kentucky takes Kentucky's own authorization, normally a Kentucky license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- Kentucky LPC Board FAQ (Endorsement and Reciprocity FAQs, reciprocity-agreement states) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Kentucky LPC Board: Application for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, DPL-LPC-04 Rev. July 2026 ($150 fee; endorsement per KRS 335.527 and reciprocity-agreement routes; KSP and FBI fingerprint check) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- KRS 335.527 Licensing reciprocity requirements (endorsement: 5 years; exam and supervision exemption; Internet Archive capture of the official LRC page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 201 KAR 36:072 Reciprocity requirements (Board-published amendment text) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- 201 KAR 36:020 Fees (Internet Archive capture 2026-06-11 of the official LRC page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Kentucky LPC Board: laws and regulations page (KRS 335.527, 201 KAR 36:072, Counseling Compact KRS 335.560) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NCBLCMHC: Licensure by Endorsement (requirements, $238 fee, 4-6 week processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NCBLCMHC: LCMHC License by Reciprocity (South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NC OAH: 21 NCAC 53 .0304 Applicants Licensed in Other States ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NC OAH: 21 NCAC 53 .0305 Examination (NCE/NCMHCE/CRC; jurisprudence exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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