Hawaii Licensed Professional Counselor License Requirements
Official regulator records behind the requirements, fees, and renewal cycle for this license.
Provides mental health counseling and therapy services.
What the Hawaii data shows for Licensed Professional Counselors
To practice as a licensed professional counselor in Hawaii, the state licensing board requires 3,289 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 Hawaii's professional licensing framework, which classifies the training track as "Masters Degree in Counseling".
Upfront cost is $210, with renewal running $170 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 Hawaii
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Related Guides
What to do with this licensed professional counselor license
Licensed Professional Counselor in Hawaii, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a licensed professional counselor-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how Hawaii'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 Hawaii's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. Hawaii overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the Hawaii 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.