Ohio licenses independent clinical counselors as the LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor), through the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. Ohio issues Counseling Compact privileges to practice (since January 5, 2026). Below: what Ohio asks of a counselor already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Ohio LPCC License Requirements
The independent clinical license in Ohio is the LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor).
Ohio also issues the LPC (entry-level license; LPCs accrue supervised hours toward the LPCC) and the LPCC-S (supervisor designation), so confirm which tier your work and your payers require.
Exams named for licensure: NCE. Since 2026-01-01 an LPC can qualify for the LPCC on a passing NCE score; the NCMHCE is no longer required but may be taken on request.
3,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience for the independent license.
Licensed elsewhere: The board reviews out-of-state applicants case by case under OAC 4757-13-06, weighing degree, coursework, exam, supervised experience, good standing and years of practice.
How Much Does an Ohio LPCC License Cost?
We have not published an Ohio figure yet
We have not verified Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
Board: Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
We handle the Ohio 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 Ohio Applications Get Delayed
Effective 2026-01-01 the NCMHCE is no longer required for the LPCC; the board reported about five times as many LPCC applications as in 2025.
The LPCC still requires 3,000 work hours over at least 24 months and 150 hours of supervision; the board waives none of it for long-time LPCs.
Ohio began issuing Compact privileges on 2026-01-05, for LPCCs only. Ohio uses LPC and LPCC exactly; PC and PCC are not valid abbreviations.
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 Ohio LPCC License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
30 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Counseling Compact and Ohio
Ohio is a Counseling Compact member and is issuing privileges to practice as of January 5, 2026. A counselor who lives in another live member state and holds an unencumbered independent license there can apply through CompactConnect for an Ohio privilege instead of a full Ohio license. The privilege costs the Commission's $30 fee plus Ohio's own $25, and it follows your home license: if that lapses, so does the privilege.
Addiction counselors in Ohio
Ohio credentials addiction counselors as LICDC, LCDC III and LCDC II, through the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board. That credential is separate from the LPCC, and the Counseling Compact does not cover it. A separate board from the CSWMFT Board; it also issues LICDC-CS and the CDCA.
Keeping it current
Ohio renews the LPCC every 2 years, with 30 hours of continuing education per cycle. Three of the 30 hours must be ethics; supervisors need 3 hours in supervision. 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.
Ohio LPCC License FAQ
What is the counselor license called in Ohio?
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Can I use the Counseling Compact for Ohio?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Ohio?
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Which exam does Ohio 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.
- NCE-only LPCC from 2026-01-01, 3,000 hours over 24 months and 150 supervision hours, compact live 2026-01-05 for LPCCs, 30 CE hours, LPC/LPCC titles, Counselor Trainee title — checked 2026-10-08
- privileges issued from 2026-01-05 — checked 2026-10-08
- Ohio state fee $25 (LPCC) — checked 2026-10-08
- reciprocal licensure review factors, effective 2023-12-26 — checked 2026-10-08
- licenses expire two years from issue or renewal — checked 2026-10-08
- 30 CE hours, 3 ethics, 3 supervision for supervisors — checked 2026-10-08
- addiction titles LICDC, LCDC III, LCDC II, LICDC-CS, CDCA; Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board (cswmft.ohio.gov and ocdp.ohio.gov return 404 to this server) — checked 2026-10-08
What Working with Us Costs
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