Counseling License from Ohio to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) ↗
Yes, for working in Minnesota — both Ohio and Minnesota 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 Minnesota without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Minnesota, you will need a Minnesota license once Minnesota becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Ohio and Minnesota are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Ohio and want to see clients located in Minnesota, in person or by telehealth, you do not need a Minnesota license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Ohio license and Ohio as your primary residence, you buy a Minnesota privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Minnesota jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Minnesota becomes your home state and you must obtain a Minnesota license from the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC); because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What changes, Ohio → Minnesota
| Ohio (current) | Minnesota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| 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).) | $150 (non-refundable LPCC application fee (Minn. Stat. 148B.53 subd. 3); the reciprocity application also requires the $250 initial license fee and a $32 criminal background check fee, paid together as $432 ($400 if exempt from the check). NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Minnesota charges $50 + $30 commission fee = $80, no jurisprudence exam.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist) | the Board's reciprocity application (updated 2025-02-27) states no processing timeframe |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) | Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota 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 Minnesota: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Minnesota through the compact commission and complete any Minnesota jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Minnesota: apply for a Minnesota license with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, LPCC); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota accept an Ohio counseling license?
Yes, for working in Minnesota — both Ohio and Minnesota 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 Minnesota without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Minnesota, you will need a Minnesota license once Minnesota becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Ohio to Minnesota?
No exam is retaken for reciprocity. Minn. Stat. 148B.56 sets no exam condition: the Board rules on substantial similarity (licensed under 5 years) or 5+ years of active practice, then decides whether to grant the LPC or the LPCC. Minnesota-route LPCC applicants must pass the NCMHCE (148B.5301). The reciprocity application asks for license verification, transcripts and the other state's laws and rules, not a separate score transfer. No Minnesota jurisprudence exam.
What does the move cost?
To work in Minnesota while living in Ohio: a $30 commission fee plus Minnesota's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take a Minnesota license: $150 (non-refundable LPCC application fee (Minn. Stat. 148B.53 subd. 3); the reciprocity application also requires the $250 initial license fee and a $32 criminal background check fee, paid together as $432 ($400 if exempt from the check). NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Minnesota charges $50 + $30 commission fee = $80, no jurisprudence exam.)
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Minnesota jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Minnesota license for a relocation: the Board's reciprocity application (updated 2025-02-27) states no processing timeframe.
Can I see Minnesota clients by telehealth while living in Ohio?
Yes, on a Minnesota privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Minnesota, as long as your Ohio license stays active and unencumbered and Ohio remains your primary residence.
If I move from Ohio to Minnesota, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Minnesota is your home state and you need a Minnesota license. Because both states are compact members, Minnesota 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 2026-09-27.
- Minnesota BBHT: LPC/LPCC Reciprocity Application, updated 2025-02-27 (instructions, $432 fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. 148B.56 Reciprocity (Revisor of Statutes, 2025 chapter 148B) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. 148B.53 subd. 3 Fees (Revisor of Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota BBHT: Reciprocity Licenses by State (updated 2024-03-15) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota BBHT: LPC and LPCC Reciprocity page (Internet Archive capture 2026-04-21) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements (Minnesota $80 total) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Out of State Applicants (counselor reciprocity steps and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counselors (LPC/LPCC application instructions, exam policy) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board Laws and Rules compilation (ORC 4757.18; OAC 4757-1-05, 4757-13-03, 4757-13-06) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board: Counseling Compact Privileges (eligibility, $25 state fee, go-live 2026-01-05) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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