Arkansas Licensed Professional Counselor License Requirements
What the state board actually requires: fees, renewal cycle, and requirements from official records.
Provides mental health counseling and therapy services.
What the Arkansas data shows for Licensed Professional Counselors
Becoming a licensed licensed professional counselor in Arkansas means clearing a defined set of hurdles: 2,743 training hours, a passing score on NCE (National Counselor Exam) or NCMHCE, and 2 years of supervised work experience, plus a background history check once the applicant turns 18. Arkansas regulators place this credential inside their licensing framework, which classifies the training track as "Masters Degree in Counseling".
The initial price tag is $106, and renewal costs $94 every 2 years. Renewal isn't the end of the cost: 30 hours of continuing education are due every 2-year cycle, a recurring time commitment worth planning for.
On reciprocity, licensed professional counselors should know: Counseling Compact: 40+ states.
Licensing Ease Score
A higher score means this specific license is LESS burdensome to obtain and maintain here than the national requirement corpus, based on education hours, fees, continuing education, and experience requirements, not an overall judgment of the profession or the state.
Licensing Requirements in Arkansas
Compare & Explore
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need for Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas? ▼
How do I get certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas? ▼
Can I transfer my Licensed Professional Counselor license to Arkansas from another state? ▼
Does Arkansas require a background check for Licensed Professional Counselor licensing? ▼
What are the continuing education requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas? ▼
Related Guides
What to do with this licensed professional counselor license
Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a licensed professional counselor-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how Arkansas's licensed professional counselor requirements compare to every other state before relocating. Licensed Professional Counselor in every state
- Confirm whether your out-of-state licensed professional counselor license transfers under an interstate compact before starting a new application. Reciprocity guide
- See how Arkansas's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. Arkansas overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the Arkansas licensing board before making career decisions.
Source: NCSL Occupational Licensing Database, Institute for Justice License to Work (3rd Ed.), state licensing board websites
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Institute for Justice, the PlainCredential comparison corpus (current as of May 15, 2026) maps 4,947 state licensing requirement records; see the methodology.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.