Counseling License from Tennessee to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Yes, for working in Louisiana — both Tennessee and Louisiana are active members of the Counseling Compact. If Tennessee is your primary state of residence and your Tennessee license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Louisiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Louisiana, you will need a Louisiana license once Louisiana becomes your home state.

National exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants show passage of the NCE or NCMHCE with an official score report sent directly from NBCC; under amended LAC 46:LX.1101(A) (Notice of Intent, Sept. 2024) an applicant with at least 1 year of practice may instead complete an oral exam administered by the Board. No state jurisprudence exam is listed for endorsement; applicants submit a Declaration of Practices and Procedures instead.

To work in Louisiana while living in Tennessee: a $30 commission fee plus Louisiana's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take a Louisiana license: $300 (non-refundable out-of-state licensure application, license and seal fee (Board fee schedule item 2; also stated on the LPC endorsement application); optional $60 expedited processing; fingerprint background check costs separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee: Louisiana charges $130 + $30 commission fee = $160 total, no jurisprudence exam.)

A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Louisiana jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Louisiana license for a relocation: 6–8 weeks (Board states 'allow 2-3 weeks for milestones to be updated and at least 6-8 weeks for application approval once the application is completed'; expedited processing ($60) gets a staff response within 5 business days, but files referred for Board review wait for the next meeting)

Yes, on a Louisiana privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Louisiana, as long as your Tennessee license stays active and unencumbered and Tennessee remains your primary residence.

No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Louisiana is your home state and you need a Louisiana license. Because both states are compact members, Louisiana verifies you through the compact's data system, and you complete its background checks and any jurisprudence requirement.