Florida 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 Florida data shows for Licensed Professional Counselors
To practice as a licensed professional counselor in Florida, the state licensing board requires 3,122 documented education or training hours, a passing score on NCE (National Counselor Exam) or NCMHCE, and 2 years of supervised work experience. A criminal history background check is also part of the application. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. The regulation sits under Florida's professional licensing framework, which classifies the training track as "Masters Degree in Counseling".
Budget $178 to get started, plus $147 at each renewal on a 2-year cycle. The license also carries an ongoing 30-hour continuing-education requirement per 2-year cycle that adds to the true cost of staying licensed.
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 Florida
Compare & Explore
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need for Licensed Professional Counselor in Florida? ▼
How do I get certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Florida? ▼
Can I transfer my Licensed Professional Counselor license to Florida from another state? ▼
Does Florida require a background check for Licensed Professional Counselor licensing? ▼
What are the continuing education requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor in Florida? ▼
Related Guides
What to do with this licensed professional counselor license
Licensed Professional Counselor in Florida, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a licensed professional counselor-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how Florida'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 Florida's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. Florida overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the Florida 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.