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Transfer Your Counseling License to South Dakota: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists ↗

South Dakota has enacted the Counseling Compact, but it was not yet issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice here. An out-of-state counselor needs a South Dakota license, normally by endorsement from the South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists; how South Dakota treats your NCE or NCMHCE score is in the exam question below. Fee: $100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule and the endorsement application (9/2023); the $225 biennial license fee must be paid with the application and is refunded if the application is denied. A temporary endorsement costs a $100 application fee plus $50 temporary license fee. South Dakota is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.). Processing: no timeframe published; the Board's FAQ says complete files go to a Board member reviewer 'on a rolling basis'.

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Verdict

Counseling Compact enacted — not yet issuing

South Dakota has passed the Counseling Compact into law, and its board may describe the state as having joined, but as of 2026-09-27 it was not issuing or accepting privileges. That makes South Dakota a non-compact state in practice: no privilege lets you see a client located here, in person or by telehealth, and a South Dakota license cannot yet anchor privileges elsewhere. Plan on a South Dakota license by endorsement, and check the commission's announcements, because states have been switching on every few weeks.

South Dakota's independent clinical tier is the Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health (LPC-MH); the endorsement application covers LPC, LPC-MH and LMFT, and an applicant chooses the LPC-MH box to receive the clinical license. Endorsement under SDCL 36-32-67 relies on 3 years of licensure at the highest independent level, recent active practice and a passed national exam rather than a fresh review of degree and supervised hours, but the time-in-practice and exam conditions mean it is endorsement, not full reciprocity. For in-state applicants the LPC-MH requires 2,000 hours of clinical contact with 100 hours of supervision and the NCMHCE (Board FAQ). A temporary endorsement option also exists. South Dakota has enacted the Counseling Compact but is not yet issuing or accepting privileges; compact_member and compact_status are assembler-provided.

South Dakota requirements at a glance

Out-of-state counseling license transfer requirements for South Dakota, verified 2026-09-27
ExamNational exam is not retaken but must have been passed: applicants indicate the NCE, CRC or NCMHCE passed and have the official score released to the Board through the NBCC online results portal; applicants who never passed a national exam are 'not eligible for a license by endorsement'. No state jurisprudence exam is required; the applicant signs that they have read South Dakota's laws and rules.
Additional requirements
  • Hold a license at the highest level of independent practice in another state or territory for at least 3 years (SDCL 36-32-67)
  • Show active practice of at least 1,500 hours of clinical experience in the 3 years before applying (affidavit, calendars or other proof on request)
  • Have the issuing state send a letter of verification directly to the Board
  • Have an official national exam score (NCE, CRC or NCMHCE) sent to the Board
  • Submit a notarized application with a color headshot photograph
Fees$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule and the endorsement application (9/2023); the $225 biennial license fee must be paid with the application and is refunded if the application is denied. A temporary endorsement costs a $100 application fee plus $50 temporary license fee. South Dakota is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.)
Processing timeno timeframe published; the Board's FAQ says complete files go to a Board member reviewer 'on a rolling basis'

Step by step

  1. Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a license at the highest level of independent practice in another state or territory for at least 3 years (SDCL 36-32-67).
  5. Show active practice of at least 1,500 hours of clinical experience in the 3 years before applying (affidavit, calendars or other proof on request).
  6. Have the issuing state send a letter of verification directly to the Board.
  7. Have an official national exam score (NCE, CRC or NCMHCE) sent to the Board.
  8. Submit a notarized application with a color headshot photograph.
  9. Pay the fees ($100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule and the endorsement application (9/2023); the $225 biennial license fee must be paid with the application and is refunded if the application is denied. A temporary endorsement costs a $100 application fee plus $50 temporary license fee. South Dakota is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.)) and allow no timeframe published; the Board's FAQ says complete files go to a Board member reviewer 'on a rolling basis'.

Official links

South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists ↗South Dakota application ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into South Dakota:

California → South DakotaFlorida → South DakotaGeorgia → South DakotaIllinois → South DakotaMichigan → South DakotaNew York → South DakotaNorth Carolina → South DakotaOhio → South DakotaPennsylvania → South DakotaTexas → South Dakota

Nearby states

Counseling license transfer into the states bordering South Dakota:

South Dakota for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my counseling license transfer to South Dakota?

South Dakota has enacted the Counseling Compact, but it was not yet issuing or accepting privileges as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice here. An out-of-state counselor needs a South Dakota license, normally by endorsement from the South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists; how South Dakota treats your NCE or NCMHCE score is in the exam question below. Fee: $100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule and the endorsement application (9/2023); the $225 biennial license fee must be paid with the application and is refunded if the application is denied. A temporary endorsement costs a $100 application fee plus $50 temporary license fee. South Dakota is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.). Processing: no timeframe published; the Board's FAQ says complete files go to a Board member reviewer 'on a rolling basis'.

Do I have to retake the NCE or NCMHCE to get licensed in South Dakota?

National exam is not retaken but must have been passed: applicants indicate the NCE, CRC or NCMHCE passed and have the official score released to the Board through the NBCC online results portal; applicants who never passed a national exam are 'not eligible for a license by endorsement'. No state jurisprudence exam is required; the applicant signs that they have read South Dakota's laws and rules.

How much does a South Dakota counseling license cost by endorsement?

$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee per the Board's fee schedule and the endorsement application (9/2023); the $225 biennial license fee must be paid with the application and is refunded if the application is denied. A temporary endorsement costs a $100 application fee plus $50 temporary license fee. South Dakota is a pending Counseling Compact state, so no privilege fee applies yet.)

How long does South Dakota take to process the application?

no timeframe published; the Board's FAQ says complete files go to a Board member reviewer 'on a rolling basis'.

Is South Dakota in the Counseling Compact?

South Dakota has enacted the compact but was not yet operational as of 2026-09-27, so it neither issues nor accepts privileges. For now you need South Dakota's own authorization, normally a South Dakota license, to practice with clients located in South Dakota.

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]