Counseling License from North Carolina to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does South Carolina accept a North Carolina counseling license?
Yes — South Carolina has a reciprocity arrangement covering North Carolina license holders. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (SC LLR) under its reciprocity/endorsement track and complete South Carolina's remaining requirements.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
South Carolina names North Carolina on its published reciprocity list, so the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (SC LLR) 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 South Carolina license.
What's different between North Carolina and South Carolina
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into South Carolina. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
North Carolina to South Carolina (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
South Carolina 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 1 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into South Carolina.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (49).
- Reciprocity agreements
South Carolina's reciprocity agreement list names 1 state (North Carolina), including North Carolina.
North Carolina's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee), including South Carolina.
- Counseling Compact membership
North Carolina has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not issuing under it yet; South Carolina 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
South Carolina lists $130 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; South Carolina has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
South Carolina and North Carolina carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- South Carolina (this move): No exam retake and no exam verification requested: the endorsement application asks only for an official license verification from the state where actively licensed. No jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead certifies having read the Board's statutes, regulations and Code of Ethics.
- 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 → South Carolina
| North Carolina (current) | South Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Reciprocity with 3 states · Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Reciprocity with 1 state · 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) | $130 (non-refundable endorsement application fee per the Board's Counselors Endorsement Application (05/21/2025 v1); the Board's LPC initial license fee under S.C. Code Regs. 10-33(B)(2) is also $130. Returned-check fee up to $30. The fee for the separate North Carolina reciprocity application was not verified. S.C. Code 40-75-220(B) requires fingerprint-based SLED and FBI criminal records checks of every LPC applicant at the applicant's cost (amount not stated); the 2025 form also asked applicants disclosing a conviction for a SLED and other-state background check. South Carolina is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (Board-stated 'Application Processing Timeframe (provided there are no legal/special considerations) 4-6 weeks from completed application submission') | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) | South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (SC LLR) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (SC LLR) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (SC LLR) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, active and unrestricted LPC-equivalent (independent-level) license in good standing in another state, with no current or pending investigation (S.C. Code Regs. 36-14(A)).
- Have an official license verification sent directly to the Board by the state board where actively licensed.
- Certify on the application that you have read and understand the Board's statutes, regulations and Code of Ethics.
- Submit a copy of a driver's license or other photo ID, a copy of the Social Security card, and a notarized Verification of Lawful Presence.
- Complete fingerprint-based state (SLED) and national (FBI) criminal records checks, paid by the applicant (S.C. Code 40-75-220(B), as amended by 2024 Act No. 189).
- North Carolina LCMHC holders may instead use the Board's North Carolina reciprocity route: a current, active and unrestricted NC LCMHC license in good standing, the Board-approved application and fee, the same statutes, regulations and Code of Ethics certification, and any other documentation the Board requires.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
South Carolina joined the Counseling Compact. Can I use a privilege there?
Not yet. South Carolina had enacted the compact but was not issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-10-29, so counseling clients located in South Carolina takes South Carolina's own authorization, normally a South Carolina license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- SC LLR Counselors Endorsement Application (05/21/2025 v1) (Internet Archive copy of the official PDF, 2026-03-07 snapshot; live llr.sc.gov refused connections) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- S.C. Code Regs. ch. 36 (Reg. 36-14, Licensure by Endorsement, amended eff. 2022-05-27; re-read 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- S.C. Code Regs. ch. 10 (Reg. 10-33, counselor board fee schedule, amended eff. 2025-05-23) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- S.C. Code Title 40 ch. 75 (40-75-220(B) fingerprint-based SLED and FBI criminal records checks; 40-75-260 licensure of applicants licensed in other jurisdictions; 40-75-910 et seq. Counseling Compact) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- SC LLR Board: Professional Counselors page (endorsement requirements, electronic applications, NC LCMHC reciprocity route; Internet Archive capture 2026-10-10, live llr.sc.gov refused connections) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- SC LLR Board home page (compact notice and background-check alert titles; Internet Archive capture 2026-10-02) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NCBLCMHC: LCMHC License by Reciprocity (South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NCBLCMHC: Licensure by Endorsement (requirements, $238 fee, 4-6 week processing) ↗ (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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