Licensed Professional Counselor states
51
Above median
Occupational licensing · Mental Health · 51 state boards
Licensed Professional Counselor Licensing Requirements by State
Licensed Professional Counselor licensing rules differ by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) compilation and responsible state boards (current as of May 15, 2026), this registry compares education hours, initial and renewal fees, exams, background checks and reciprocity notes across 51 boards. Use the table to compare differences, then verify the current rule with the responsible board before applying.
Licensed Professional Counselor across 51 state boards. Nearest coverage peers (51-state band): Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Marriage and Family Therapist, Psychologist.
- States regulated
- 51
- Avg initial fee
- $147
- Require an exam
- 100%
- Avg education hours
- 2,959
Board Pathway Strip
Licensed Professional Counselor: 51 boards · ~2,959 avg pre-licensure hrs · exam on 100% · background check on 100% · avg first fee $147. Same-lane boards: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Marriage and Family Therapist, Psychologist.
Licensed Professional Counselor vs. every tracked profession
Average confirmed pre-licensure education hours, board-sourced state requirements
2,959 16th of 47 higher than 31 of 47 professions
professions with confirmed education-hour requirements, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more professions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCredential NCSL and state-board corpus · 2026
Provides mental health counseling and therapy services.
Licensed Professional Counselor initial fees swing $60 (NH) to $247 (CA), a $187 spread across 51 boards ; Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) often lands on a different fee band.
Board thresholds for Licensed Professional Counselor drift board-to-board; the same pattern shows up on Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Marriage and Family Therapist in mental health. Methodology notes live on our methods page.
Licensed Professional Counselor edu hrs
2,959 hrs
Above median
Licensed Professional Counselor first fee
$147
Below median
Licensed Professional Counselor renewal
$124
Above median
Board gates for Licensed Professional Counselor: exam on 51/51 (100%), background check on 51/51 (100%) , CE on 51/51 (avg 30 hrs/cycle) . Stack that against Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) / Marriage and Family Therapist before calling this license soft or hard.
Licensed Professional Counselor: nationwide coverage neighbours
Coverage band
- Security Alarm Installer · 51 states
- Amusement Ride Operator · 51 states
- Animal Breeder · 51 states
- Arborist / Tree Surgeon · 51 states
Hour load
- Athletic Trainer · 2,959 avg hrs
- Dental Hygienist · 2,959 avg hrs
- Private Investigator · 2,777 avg hrs
Cheapest vs priciest jurisdiction for Licensed Professional Counselor
A $187 fee spread for the same credential
Initial licensing fees in New Hampshire ($ 60) and California ($ 247) bracket the field, a 4.1× spread for identical practice rights.
NH
New Hampshire
$60 initial licensing fee
CA
California
$247 initial licensing fee
Licensed Professional Counselor boards vs Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) / Marriage and Family Therapist - state table
51 statesWhat to do with this
Licensed Professional Counselor is regulated in 51 states -- here's how to use that before you act.
- Licensed Professional Counselor ranks #16 of 47 professions by average pre-licensure education hours -- see how it compares to similar roles. Browse all professions
- #46 of 97 professions by number of states requiring a license -- see which states are strictest overall. State burden rankings
- Initial fees for Licensed Professional Counselor range from $60 (NH) to $247 (CA) -- check whether your license transfers before assuming you'd need to pay again. Reciprocity guide
Requirements are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research and verified against state board sites where possible; always confirm current rules with the licensing board before relying on any single row.
Every figure on PlainCredential is rendered directly from NCSL and state occupational- licensing board data, no number is typed in by an editor. Licensed Professional Counselor requirements from NCSL and state board schedules: 51 rows, no hand-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.