Counseling License from Tennessee to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) ↗
Yes, for working in Ohio — both Tennessee and Ohio 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 Ohio without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Ohio, you will need a Ohio license once Ohio becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Tennessee and Ohio are both operational in the Counseling Compact, so the first question is whether you are moving. If you are staying in Tennessee and want to see clients located in Ohio, in person or by telehealth, you do not need an Ohio license: with an active, unencumbered independent-level Tennessee license and Tennessee as your primary residence, you buy an Ohio privilege through CompactConnect and meet any Ohio jurisprudence requirement. If you are relocating, the privilege does not carry you. Ohio becomes your home state and you must obtain an Ohio license from the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT); because both states are members, the compact streamlines that application, but it is still required.
What changes, Tennessee → Ohio
| Tennessee (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Compact status | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| Application fee | $200 (LPC/MHSP application fee per Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0450-01-.06(4)(c) and the application checklist; + $10 state regulatory fee ($210 total at application); background-check vendor fee separate. NOT the Counseling Compact privilege fee (Tennessee's total privilege cost is $210 including the $30 commission fee, and it requires a jurisprudence exam, per the commission's fee table).) | $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).) |
| Processing time | no timeframe published; files completed at least 30 days before a Board meeting are ordinarily processed at that meeting (0450-01-.05(5)(c)), and the application asks applicants to allow 14 working days for mailed documents to be filed | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist) |
| Licensing authority | Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio 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 Ohio: purchase a Counseling Compact privilege for Ohio through the compact commission and complete any Ohio jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Ohio: apply for a Ohio license with the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Ohio accept a Tennessee counseling license?
Yes, for working in Ohio — both Tennessee and Ohio 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 Ohio without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Ohio, you will need a Ohio license once Ohio becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from Tennessee to Ohio?
National exam is not retaken: NCE (or NCMHCE) results are sent by NBCC score transfer or submitted with the application, and the 7-year exam-age limit is waived for applicants licensed in an equivalent capacity in another state. No separate jurisprudence exam; applicants must watch the Board's online Laws and Rules video.
What does the move cost?
To work in Ohio while living in Tennessee: a $30 commission fee plus Ohio's state privilege fee, paid in CompactConnect. To relocate and take an Ohio license: $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).)
How long will it take?
A privilege can issue once CompactConnect confirms your eligibility and any Ohio jurisprudence requirement is done, usually well ahead of a license. A Ohio license for a relocation: the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; applicants track status in eLicense (Review Status checklist)
Can I see Ohio clients by telehealth while living in Tennessee?
Yes, on an Ohio privilege. It covers telehealth and in-person counseling with clients located in Ohio, as long as your Tennessee license stays active and unencumbered and Tennessee remains your primary residence.
If I move from Tennessee to Ohio, does my privilege keep me covered?
No. A privilege is for practice away from your home state, not for moving. Once you relocate, Ohio is your home state and you need an Ohio license. Because both states are compact members, Ohio 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.
- 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)
- Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board: Policy Statement Regarding Licensure by Reciprocity (adopted 2019-12-06, amended 2020-01-03) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board: LPC application packet PH-2722 (file revised 8/2023; LPC/MHSP by reciprocity checklist, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board for Professional Counselors ch. 0450-01 (April 2020 revision; 0450-01-.04(5), .05(5), .06) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board page (Internet Archive copy, 2026-08-16 snapshot; live tn.gov reset connections): policies list incl. TN/NC and TN/KY reciprocity agreements, compact status ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board: Reciprocity Agreement between Tennessee and North Carolina ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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