Counseling License from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) ↗
A counseling license transfers from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Oklahoma's endorsement requirements. No national exam retake: the endorsement rule (OAC 86:10-25-3) lists no NCE/NCMHCE requirement, and the Board's LPC page says endorsement needs no additional academic review beyond an official transcript. Endorsement applicants must pass the Oklahoma Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Examination (OLERE), the state jurisprudence exam..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
A counseling license moves from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma 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 an Oklahoma license. You apply to the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL), which verifies your Pennsylvania license and standing, matches it to Oklahoma's independent tier, and applies its own rule on crediting your national exam score, plus any Oklahoma jurisprudence and background requirements.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Oklahoma
| Pennsylvania (current) | Oklahoma (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $100 (application fee for licensure and original license issuance as an LPC per 49 Pa. Code 47.4(6); no separate endorsement fee is listed. Pennsylvania is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.) | $145 (application fee per OAC 86:10-13-2(a) (Board's unofficial permanent rules compilation, rules effective 2023-08-11); initial license fee $90 due on Board notification (86:10-13-2(c)); OSBI state fingerprint check $19 and FBI check paid separately; fees non-refundable. Oklahoma is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; an Act 41 applicant may be granted a provisional license at the Board's discretion | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; its Making Application page notes the FBI check itself takes about 7 business days after the FBI receives the request |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors | Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oklahoma sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oklahoma's current requirements on the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active professional counselor license in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction that allows independent practice without supervision, with no history of suspension or revocation (OAC 86:10-25-3(1)).
- Have a letter sent from the other state's licensing agency stating the license is active and in good standing (OAC 86:10-25-1).
- Hold at least a master's degree in counseling or a mental health related field from a regionally accredited institution, verified by official transcript.
- Complete FBI and Oklahoma OSBI fingerprint-based background checks (the FBI check must be processed within 30 days of submission).
- Pass the Oklahoma Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Examination (OLERE).
- Pay the fees ($145 (application fee per OAC 86:10-13-2(a) (Board's unofficial permanent rules compilation, rules effective 2023-08-11); initial license fee $90 due on Board notification (86:10-13-2(c)); OSBI state fingerprint check $19 and FBI check paid separately; fees non-refundable. Oklahoma is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; its Making Application page notes the FBI check itself takes about 7 business days after the FBI receives the request.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Oklahoma accept a Pennsylvania counseling license?
A counseling license transfers from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oklahoma State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Oklahoma's endorsement requirements. No national exam retake: the endorsement rule (OAC 86:10-25-3) lists no NCE/NCMHCE requirement, and the Board's LPC page says endorsement needs no additional academic review beyond an official transcript. Endorsement applicants must pass the Oklahoma Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Examination (OLERE), the state jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma?
No national exam retake: the endorsement rule (OAC 86:10-25-3) lists no NCE/NCMHCE requirement, and the Board's LPC page says endorsement needs no additional academic review beyond an official transcript. Endorsement applicants must pass the Oklahoma Legal and Ethical Responsibilities Examination (OLERE), the state jurisprudence exam.
What does the move cost?
$145 (application fee per OAC 86:10-13-2(a) (Board's unofficial permanent rules compilation, rules effective 2023-08-11); initial license fee $90 due on Board notification (86:10-13-2(c)); OSBI state fingerprint check $19 and FBI check paid separately; fees non-refundable. Oklahoma is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.)
How long will it take?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; its Making Application page notes the FBI check itself takes about 7 business days after the FBI receives the request.
Oklahoma joined the Counseling Compact. Can I use a privilege there?
Not yet. Oklahoma had enacted the compact but was not issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so counseling clients located in Oklahoma takes Oklahoma's own authorization, normally an Oklahoma license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Oklahoma BBHL: Licensed Professional Counselor (Pathway 2, licensure by endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Oklahoma BBHL: Making Application (endorsement steps, FBI/OSBI background checks, jurisprudence exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Oklahoma BBHL: LPC permanent rules, unofficial compilation (OAC 86:10-13-2 fees; 86:10-25-1 to 25-3 licensure by endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code 49.18, Licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code 49.16, Application for licensure by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code 49.12, General qualifications (child abuse training, recommendations) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code 47.4, Licensure fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- PA Department of State: Professional Counselor Licensure Snapshot (endorsement and Act 41) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- PA State Board: LPC application FAQs (Act 41 provisional license) ↗ (accessed 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]