Arkansas licenses independent clinical counselors as the LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), through the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling. Arkansas issues Counseling Compact privileges to practice (since July 30, 2026). Below: what Arkansas asks of a counselor already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Arkansas LPC License Requirements
The independent clinical license in Arkansas is the LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor).
Exams named for licensure: NCE and NCMHCE. Applicants also pass the Arkansas Jurisprudence Exam. An LAC who passes the NCMHCE midway cuts 500 client-contact hours and 25 supervision hours from the requirement.
3,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience for the independent license.
Those hours are completed under the associate credential, the LAC (Licensed Associate Counselor).
Arkansas requires a state law or jurisprudence exam.
Licensed elsewhere: Counselors who have continuously held a full LPC-level license can apply by endorsement with license verification from every state. With three years of full licensure the board accepts your supervision hours without separate approval.
How Much Does an Arkansas LPC License Cost?
We have not published an Arkansas figure yet
We have not verified Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Arkansas application end-to-end.
Eligibility screening, document prep, board follow-ups, and tracking — so you don't lose a board meeting cycle to a missing form.
View full pricingWhere Arkansas Applications Get Delayed
The 3,000 client-contact hours (at least 2,000 direct) come with 175 supervision hours, a heavier supervision load than most states.
Arkansas residents licensed in good standing for at least one year elsewhere can get automatic licensure under Act 2023, No. 457, then finish remaining requirements within a year.
Associate, provisional and intern licensees from other states may also apply; the board reviews their documented hours.
Supervisor attestations and verifications from other boards take the longest. Request them the week you decide to apply, not the week you file.
Renewing Your Arkansas LPC License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
24 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Counseling Compact and Arkansas
Arkansas is a Counseling Compact member and is issuing privileges to practice as of July 30, 2026. A counselor who lives in another live member state and holds an unencumbered independent license there can apply through CompactConnect for an Arkansas privilege instead of a full Arkansas license. The privilege costs the Commission's $30 fee plus Arkansas's own $50, and it follows your home license: if that lapses, so does the privilege.
Addiction counselors in Arkansas
Arkansas credentials addiction counselors as ADC, AADC and CS, through the Arkansas Substance Abuse Certification Board (IC&RC member board). That credential is separate from the LPC, and the Counseling Compact does not cover it. These are IC&RC certifications. Arkansas also has a separate State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors; its license titles were not confirmed in this review.
Keeping it current
Arkansas renews the LPC every 2 years, with 24 hours of continuing education per cycle. All licenses expire May 31 of the renewal year. At least 3 of the 24 hours must be in ethics. If you hold licenses in several states, each runs its own calendar and its own CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Arkansas LPC License FAQ
What is the counselor license called in Arkansas?
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Can I use the Counseling Compact for Arkansas?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Arkansas?
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Which exam does Arkansas accept?
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Where these facts come from
Checked against primary sources. Boards change rules between sessions, so we confirm the current process again before anything is filed.
- titles, exams, hours, jurisprudence, endorsement, renewal, CE (rule dated 06/29/26) — checked 2026-10-08
- board page — checked 2026-10-08
- compact live, $50 state fee — checked 2026-10-08
- issuing since 2026-07-30 — checked 2026-10-08
- enacted 2023-03-13 (HB 1181) — checked 2026-10-08
- addiction credentials — checked 2026-10-08
What Working with Us Costs
Transparent, a la carte service fees. Board, exam and fingerprinting fees are paid directly to those organizations. Our concierge fee is separate and is the only thing you pay us.
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