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LicenseReciprocity

Counseling License from North Dakota to North Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) ↗

A counseling license transfers from North Dakota to North Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC), verify your North Dakota license, and meet North Carolina's endorsement requirements. 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..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

A counseling license moves from North Dakota to North Carolina by endorsement. Both states have enacted the Counseling Compact, but neither was issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27. When both go operational, cross-border work between them could run on a privilege; a relocation would still need a North Carolina license. You apply to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC), which verifies your North Dakota license and standing, matches it to North Carolina's independent tier, and applies its own rule on crediting your national exam score, plus any North Carolina jurisprudence and background requirements.

What changes, North Dakota → North Carolina

Side-by-side: North Dakota vs North Carolina (Counseling (LPC / LMHC)), verified 2026-09-27
North Dakota (current)North Carolina (destination)
Counseling Compact statusCounseling Compact enacted — not yet issuingCounseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$150 (LPCC application fee per NDAC 97-02-01.1-04 and the LPCC application form. Because the LPCC is a specialty license issued only to ND LPCs, an out-of-state applicant also files the LPC reciprocity application ($150, of which $50 is non-refundable per the form; NDAC 97-02-01-01.1), so the realistic total is $300. LPCC renewal $75 biennially on top of the $150 LPC renewal. NBCC score-report and transcript fees are separate. North Dakota is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.)$238 (Board-stated endorsement/reciprocity application fee of $238, which includes the $38 criminal background check fee; nonrefundable; jurisprudence exam provider fee not verified)
Processing timeno processing timeframe published in the Board's rules or application forms; applications are valid for one year from submission4–6 weeks (Board-stated 'Application Processing Timeframe (provided there are no legal/special considerations) 4-6 weeks from completed application submission')
Licensing authorityNorth Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners (NDBCE)North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Carolina sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm North Carolina's current requirements on the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold an active, independent, unrestricted counselor license in good standing in another state for at least two years immediately before applying.
  5. Document 5 years full-time (or 8 years part-time, or an equivalent combination) of licensed counseling experience within the last 10 years, including at least 2,500 direct client contact hours.
  6. Pass the North Carolina LCMHC Jurisprudence Exam within six months before applying.
  7. Consent to a criminal background check.
  8. Have your current licensing board send the Out-of-State License Verification Form directly to the Board.
  9. Pay the fees ($238 (Board-stated endorsement/reciprocity application fee of $238, which includes the $38 criminal background check fee; nonrefundable; jurisprudence exam provider fee not verified)) and allow 4–6 weeks (Board-stated 'Application Processing Timeframe (provided there are no legal/special considerations) 4-6 weeks from completed application submission').

Official links

North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) ↗North Carolina application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: North Carolina → North DakotaCounseling in North DakotaCounseling in North CarolinaAll counseling statesThe Counseling Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does North Carolina accept a North Dakota counseling license?

A counseling license transfers from North Dakota to North Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC), verify your North Dakota license, and meet North Carolina's endorsement requirements. 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..

Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from North Dakota to North Carolina?

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 does the move cost?

$238 (Board-stated endorsement/reciprocity application fee of $238, which includes the $38 criminal background check fee; nonrefundable; jurisprudence exam provider fee not verified)

How long will it take?

4–6 weeks (Board-stated 'Application Processing Timeframe (provided there are no legal/special considerations) 4-6 weeks from completed application submission')

North Carolina joined the Counseling Compact. Can I use a privilege there?

Not yet. North Carolina had enacted the compact but was not issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so counseling clients located in North Carolina takes North Carolina's own authorization, normally a North Carolina 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]