Counseling License from Texas to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)

What's different between Texas and Arizona

Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arizona. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.

Route, each way

Texas to Arizona (this page): Licensure by endorsement.

Arizona to Texas (the reverse move): Full re-application.

The two directions differ: Texas and Arizona do not give each other's licensees the same route.

Does coming from Texas matter?

Texas gets Arizona's most common result: 40 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.

The others get: compact privilege — work there without a second license (10).

Counseling Compact membership

Texas is not in the Counseling Compact; Arizona is a Counseling Compact member state.

Because they are not both active members, the Counseling Compact does not cover this move.

Application fee

Arizona lists $250 for an out-of-state applicant and Texas lists $165 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.

Processing time

Texas lists 6+ weeks for the reverse move; Arizona has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.

Exam rules on record

Arizona and Texas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.

• Arizona (this move): National exam is not retaken: applicants must show they passed the required national exam for the discipline, not a state-level exam (R4-6-304(A)(11)). Arizona's counselor rule approves the NCE, NCMHCE and CRC exam (R4-6-502). Since 2026-05-14, endorsement and universal-recognition applicants who have not yet passed it are automatically approved to test while their application is under review. No jurisprudence exam, but applicants must submit a completion certificate for the Board's online Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial.
• Texas (the reverse move): No endorsement route. The national exam already passed (NCE or NCMHCE) is not retaken: scores are requested from NBCC for direct submission to the Texas portal. Every applicant must also pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination within six months before applying.

What changes, Texas → Arizona

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

1. Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AZBBHE), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) website (linked below) — rules change.
2. Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AZBBHE), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) (application linked below).
3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
4. Hold an active LPC-equivalent license in good standing, at the same practice level and in the same discipline, for at least 1 year in another state or federal jurisdiction.
5. Hold a master's or higher degree in the field from a regionally accredited institution, with an official transcript sent to the Board.
6. Submit verification of passing a nationally recognized counselor licensing exam.
7. Submit a blue-lined FD-258 fingerprint card for state and federal background checks, or a valid Arizona DPS fingerprint clearance card.
8. Complete the Board's Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial and submit the completion certificate.
9. Have every jurisdiction where you have been licensed send verification, and disclose all disciplinary history.
10. Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.

Official links

Related guides