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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists ↗

Tennessee issues and accepts Counseling Compact privileges, so a counselor licensed and living in another operational state can see Tennessee clients without a Tennessee license. A move to Tennessee is different: Tennessee becomes your home state and you need its license, obtained by endorsement through the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists (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).); processing: 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).

Moving to Tennessee from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Counseling Compact member — compact privilege to practice

Before filing anything with the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists, work out whether you are moving or just reaching across the line. A counselor who stays licensed and resident in another operational compact state can serve Tennessee clients on a privilege, including by telehealth, and never needs a Tennessee license. A counselor moving to Tennessee changes home states, and that requires a Tennessee license; if your current home state is also a compact member, the compact shortens the application.

Tennessee's independent clinical tier is the Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation (LPC/MHSP); a plain LPC cannot diagnose and treat independently. The Board's sources conflict. The April 2020 rules and the LPC application (form rev. 07/20, file revised 8/2023) say reciprocity is limited to states with a mutual reciprocity agreement and that 'Kentucky is the only state' ('All other applicants must meet current requirements for licensure by examination'). The Board's policies list, however, still links a 2019 reciprocity policy opening reciprocity to anyone licensed at the highest independent level for 3 of the last 5 years with an unencumbered license and the TN jurisprudence exam, plus a signed Tennessee/North Carolina reciprocity agreement (NC LCMHC and TN LPC/MHSP). The row reflects the policy and both named agreements; reciprocity_partners lists only the two states with signed agreements. Because the policy still requires 'all other minimum statutory requirements', this is endorsement, not full reciprocity. Tennessee has been an OPERATIONAL Counseling Compact state since 2026-09-01 (assembler-provided). The 2026-08-16 archived Board page still said Tennessee had 'no anticipated start date', which predates go-live and is superseded by the commission's fee table listing Tennessee as live. A counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Tennessee on a privilege, but relocating still requires a Tennessee license.

Tennessee requirements at a glance

Out-of-state counseling license transfer requirements for Tennessee, verified 2026-09-27
Exam	National exams are not retaken on the reciprocity route: the reciprocity rule (0450-01-.04(5)) and the Board's 2019 reciprocity policy require only the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam, whose results are sent to the Board by NBCC. Exam-route applicants must pass the NCE and NCMHCE.
Additional requirements	Hold the highest-level independent counselor license (LPC/MHSP or equivalent) in another jurisdiction, active for at least 3 of the 5 years before applying and not encumbered (2019 Board policy); under the named KY agreement, 5 years' experience as an LPCC or LPC/MHSP Pass the Tennessee Jurisprudence Examination Submit verification from every state where ever licensed, sent directly to the Board, plus a copy of the other state's licensing law and rules in effect when licensed Submit two letters of recommendation from licensed mental health professionals, a certified birth certificate, a notarized Declaration of Citizenship and a passport-style photo Complete a criminal background check through the Board's vendor
Fees	$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).)
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

Step by step

Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists website — rules change.
Submit the reciprocity/endorsement application to the Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Hold the highest-level independent counselor license (LPC/MHSP or equivalent) in another jurisdiction, active for at least 3 of the 5 years before applying and not encumbered (2019 Board policy); under the named KY agreement, 5 years' experience as an LPCC or LPC/MHSP.
Pass the Tennessee Jurisprudence Examination.
Submit verification from every state where ever licensed, sent directly to the Board, plus a copy of the other state's licensing law and rules in effect when licensed.
Submit two letters of recommendation from licensed mental health professionals, a certified birth certificate, a notarized Declaration of Citizenship and a passport-style photo.
Complete a criminal background check through the Board's vendor.
Pay the fees ($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).)) and allow 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.

Official links

Tennessee Board for Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists, and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapists ↗Tennessee application ↗Counseling Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Tennessee:

Arizona → Tennessee Arkansas → Tennessee California → Tennessee Florida → Tennessee Georgia → Tennessee Illinois → Tennessee Indiana → Tennessee Kentucky → Tennessee Louisiana → Tennessee Michigan → Tennessee Minnesota → Tennessee New York → Tennessee North Carolina → Tennessee Ohio → Tennessee Pennsylvania → Tennessee Texas → Tennessee Wyoming → Tennessee

Nearby states

Counseling license transfer into the states bordering Tennessee:

Tennessee for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my counseling license transfer to Tennessee?

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

National exams are not retaken on the reciprocity route: the reciprocity rule (0450-01-.04(5)) and the Board's 2019 reciprocity policy require only the Tennessee Jurisprudence Exam, whose results are sent to the Board by NBCC. Exam-route applicants must pass the NCE and NCMHCE.

How much does a Tennessee counseling license cost by endorsement?

$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).)

How long does Tennessee take to process the application?

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.

Is Tennessee in the Counseling Compact?

Yes. Tennessee was operational as of 2026-09-27, issuing privileges to its own licensees and accepting privileges from other operational states. A counselor whose home state is also operational can practice in Tennessee on a privilege; moving to Tennessee still requires a Tennessee license.

Can I see Tennessee clients by telehealth from another state?

Yes, if your home state is also operational and you hold a Tennessee privilege. The privilege covers telehealth as well as in-person work. From a home state that is not operational, you need Tennessee's own authorization, normally a Tennessee license.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
Counseling Compact: state privilege fees and jurisprudence requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

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