Counseling License from Ohio to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Indiana accept an Ohio counseling license?
Yes, for working in Indiana — both Ohio and Indiana are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Ohio is your primary state of residence and your Ohio license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need an Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Working in Indiana and moving to Indiana are two different transactions here. Cross-border practice, whether a telehealth caseload or in-person sessions, runs on an Indiana privilege bought through CompactConnect and anchored to your Ohio license, which must stay active, unencumbered, and at the independent level. A move of residence needs a new home-state license from the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Both states being compact members shortens that license application, since Indiana verifies you through the compact's data system, but you still complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.
What's different between Ohio and Indiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Indiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Ohio to Indiana (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Indiana to Ohio (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Ohio matter?
Coming from Ohio matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Indiana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- Counseling Compact membership
Ohio and Indiana are both Counseling Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Indiana while Ohio is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Indiana needs an Indiana license.
- Application fee
Indiana lists $50 for an out-of-state applicant and Ohio lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Indiana and Ohio carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Indiana (this move): National exam is not retaken if the applicant passed the NCMHCE or an equivalent state-constructed exam at the same or higher level for the other-state license. NBCC sends the official NCMHCE score report to the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. The NCE is NOT equivalent to the NCMHCE, so NCE-only licensees must take the NCMHCE in Indiana. Other exams are reviewed for equivalency by the Board. The Board's current LMHC reciprocity checklist lists no jurisprudence exam.
- Ohio (the reverse move): National exam is not retaken: NCE (or NCMHCE) results are sent by NBCC score transfer or submitted with the application, and the 7-year exam-age limit is waived for applicants licensed in an equivalent capacity in another state. No separate jurisprudence exam; applicants must watch the Board's online Laws and Rules video.
What changes, Ohio → Indiana
| Ohio (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · Counseling Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $100 (LPCC reciprocity application fee per OAC 4757-1-05 and the Board's out-of-state page ('$100 + $3.50 processing', re-read 2026-09-27); + $3.50 eLicense processing fee; BCI/FBI fingerprinting paid separately to the vendor; NBCC score-transfer fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Ohio charges $25 + $30 commission admin fee = $55 for a privilege, per the commission's fee table).) | $50 (LMHC reciprocity application fee, paid by card online; nonrefundable. Criminal background check paid separately to the vendor; other-state verification fees may apply; NBCC score-report fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Indiana charges a $50 state fee + $30 commission administrative fee = $80 for a privilege; no jurisprudence exam required for the privilege).) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist) | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Indiana: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Indiana through the compact commission and complete any Indiana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Indiana: apply for an Indiana license with the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency): Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does the move cost?
To work in Indiana while living in Ohio: a $30 commission fee plus Indiana's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take an Indiana license: $50 (LMHC reciprocity application fee, paid by card online; nonrefundable.
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Indiana jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. An Indiana license for a relocation: the Board publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC reciprocity applications.
Can I see Indiana clients by telehealth while living in Ohio?
Yes, on an Indiana privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Indiana, as long as your Ohio license stays active and unencumbered and Ohio remains your primary residence.
If I move from Ohio to Indiana, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Indiana is your home state and you need an Indiana license. Because both states are compact members, Indiana 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.
- Indiana PLA: Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Information (LMHC Reciprocity checklist, exam policy, Counseling Compact); Internet Archive capture 2026-10-10 ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Out of State Applicants (counselor reciprocity steps and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counselors (LPC/LPCC application instructions, exam policy) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board Laws and Rules compilation (ORC 4757.18; OAC 4757-1-05, 4757-13-03, 4757-13-06) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counseling Compact Privileges (eligibility, $25 state fee, go-live 2026-01-05) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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