Counseling License from South Carolina to North Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does North Carolina accept a South Carolina counseling license?
Yes — North Carolina has a reciprocity arrangement covering South Carolina license holders. Apply to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track and complete North Carolina's remaining requirements.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
North Carolina names South Carolina on its published reciprocity list, so the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) 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 North Carolina license.
What's different between South Carolina and North Carolina
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into North Carolina. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
South Carolina to North Carolina (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
North Carolina to South Carolina (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from South Carolina matter?
Coming from South Carolina matters here: only 3 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into North Carolina.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (47).
- Reciprocity agreements
North Carolina's reciprocity agreement list names 3 states (Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee), including South Carolina.
South Carolina's reciprocity agreement list names 1 state (North Carolina), including North Carolina.
- Counseling Compact membership
South Carolina has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not issuing under it yet; North 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
North Carolina lists $238 for an out-of-state applicant and South Carolina lists $130 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
North Carolina lists 4–6 weeks; South Carolina has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
North Carolina and South Carolina carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- North Carolina (this 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.
- South Carolina (the reverse 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.
What changes, South Carolina → North Carolina
| South Carolina (current) | North Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Reciprocity with 1 state · Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Reciprocity with 3 states · Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $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.) | $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 time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications | 4–6 weeks (Board-stated 'Application Processing Timeframe (provided there are no legal/special considerations) 4-6 weeks from completed application submission') |
| Licensing authority | South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists (SC LLR) | 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
- 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.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active, independent, unrestricted counselor license in good standing in another state for at least two years immediately before applying.
- 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.
- Pass the North Carolina LCMHC Jurisprudence Exam within six months before applying.
- Consent to a criminal background check.
- Have your current licensing board send the Out-of-State License Verification Form directly to the Board.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
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 2026-10-29, 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 2026-10-29.
- NCBLCMHC: Licensure by Endorsement (requirements, $238 fee, 4-6 week processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NCBLCMHC: LCMHC License by Reciprocity (South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee) ↗ (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)
- 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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