Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island data shows for Licensed Professional Counselors
Rhode Island's path to licensed professional counselor licensure runs through 3,243 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. Rhode Island folds the credential into its broader occupational licensing statute, which classifies the training track as "Masters Degree in Counseling".
Budget $201 to get started, plus $164 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 Rhode Island
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need for Licensed Professional Counselor in Rhode Island? ▼
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Can I transfer my Licensed Professional Counselor license to Rhode Island from another state? ▼
Does Rhode Island require a background check for Licensed Professional Counselor licensing? ▼
What are the continuing education requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor in Rhode Island? ▼
Related Guides
What to do with this licensed professional counselor license
Licensed Professional Counselor in Rhode Island, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a licensed professional counselor-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how Rhode Island'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 Rhode Island's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. Rhode Island overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the Rhode Island 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.