California Licensed Professional Counselor License Requirements
Requirements, fees, and renewal timing for this license, sourced from state board records.
Provides mental health counseling and therapy services.
What the California data shows for Licensed Professional Counselors
California's path to licensed professional counselor licensure runs through 3,486 hours of approved instruction, 2 years of supervised work experience, and a passing score on NCE (National Counselor Exam) or NCMHCE, plus a criminal history screening before applicants younger than 18 can be licensed. California folds the credential into its broader occupational licensing statute, which classifies the training track as "Masters Degree in Counseling".
The initial price tag is $247, and renewal costs $198 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.
Reciprocity for this profession works like this: 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 California
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need for Licensed Professional Counselor in California? ▼
How do I get certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor in California? ▼
Can I transfer my Licensed Professional Counselor license to California from another state? ▼
Does California require a background check for Licensed Professional Counselor licensing? ▼
What are the continuing education requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor in California? ▼
Related Guides
What to do with this licensed professional counselor license
Licensed Professional Counselor in California, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a licensed professional counselor-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how California'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 California's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. California overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the California 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.