Counseling Degrees & Licenses in North Dakota

North Dakota licenses three levels of mental health counselors:

• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC)

LAPC applicants must:

• Complete a 60 semester-credit (90 quarter-credits) master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution. Programs must satisfy the course requirements. It must also include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship
• Submit a background check
• Provide three letters of recommendation
• Pass the NCE exam score
• Pay a $150 application fee
• Complete a plan for supervision

To become an LPC, candidates must meet the above requirements in addition to having 100 hours of direct supervision and 400 hours of direct client contact over the course of two years.

For LPCC licensure, candidates must already hold an LPC license, as well as:

• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience completed in two years. Please note that 100 hours must be under supervision and 60 must be face-to-face and individual.
• Pay $150 application fee
• Submit three letters of recommendation, one from the supervisor of the work experience
• Pass the NCMHCE

LPCCs and LPCs are required to renew their licenses every two years in South Dakota. The fee to renew is $150.

LPCCs are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education activities, and LPCs are required to complete 30. Of those hours, 15 must be face-to-face attendance for LPCs and 20 hours for LPCCs.

Both types of licensees must submit three hours of ethics. Renewals also must be accompanied by a Statement of Professional Intent, which details the scope of practice, how the practice is delivered, and who is the primary clientele.

The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction issues School Counselor Credentials.

Applicants may apply for a School Counselor Plan of Study if they have not yet completed their program. The requirements are:

• Hold a current North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Professional Educators License
• Complete three graduate semester courses in school counseling
• Submit transcripts showing a minimum of five credits completed of the state-approved school counseling graduate program

To earn a full School Counselor Credential, candidates must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Provide proof of a master’s degree in school counseling in an approved program
• Complete a supervised school counselor internship of at least 450 hours, of which at least 150 hours are at both the elementary and secondary level

School counselor credentials issued in North Dakota expire every five years.

To renew, school counselors must maintain a current Professional Educators License, complete an online application, and earn six semester hours, with two of the six being in the area of counseling.

Counselors who hold a lifetime teaching license only need to complete four semester hours every five years.

The Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners (NDBACE) in North Dakota issues Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) and Master’s Licensed Addiction Counselor (MLAC) licenses.

LAC licensure requirements include:

• A bachelor’s in addiction counseling or closely related field from a regionally accredited institution
• A board-approved 960-hour clinical training program that includes 40 hours in four distinct clinical training areas and 30 hours of documentation
• Passing score on the NCAC Level 2 exam from the NAADAC
• A completed application
• Two reference letters
• An application fee of $100 to $300 (fees are prorated based on the date received in the license renewal cycle)

LMAC candidates must:

• Hold a master’s in addiction counseling or closely related field from a regionally accredited institution
• Complete a board-approved 700-hour clinical training program that includes 30 hours in four distinct clinical training areas and 20 hours of documentation
• Complete 2,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience
• Pass the MAC exam from the NAADAC
• Submit a completed application
• Provide two reference letters
• Pay application fee of $100 to $300 (fees are prorated based on the date received in the license renewal cycle)

LAC and MLAC licenses issued by the NDBACE expire on December 1st of odd-numbered years. Renewals cost $300.

Counselors are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. At least six hours must be in ethics.

Rehabilitation counselors in North Dakota can earn one of three levels of mental health counselors licenses:

• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC)

LAPC applicants must:

• Complete a 60 semester credit (90 quarter credits) master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution. Programs must satisfy the course requirements. It must also include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship
• Submit a background check
• Provide three letters of recommendation
• Pass NCE exam score
• Pay a $150 application fee
• Complete a plan for supervision

To become an LPC, candidates must meet the above requirements in addition to having 100 hours of direct supervision and 400 hours of direct client contact over the course of two years.

For LPCC licensure, candidates must already hold an LPC license, as well as:

• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience completed in two years. Please note that 100 hours must be under supervision and 60 must be face-to-face and individual.
• Pay $150 application fee
• Submit three letters of recommendation, one from the supervisor of the work experience
• Pass the NCMHCE

LPCCs and LPCs are required to renew their licenses every two years in South Dakota. The fee to renew is $225.

LPCCs are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education activities, and LPCs are required to complete 30. Of those hours, 15 must be face-to-face attendance for LPCs and 20 hours for LPCCs.

Both types of licensees must submit three hours of ethics. Renewals also must be accompanied by a Statement of Professional Intent, which details the scope of practice, how the practice is delivered, and who is the primary clientele.

To become a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of North Dakota, candidates must first earn BCBA certification. Upon earning BCBA status, candidates can then submit an application through the North Dakota Board of Integrative Health Care and pay an application fee of $500 and a license origination fee of $50.

Applied behavior analyst licenses expire every two years in North Dakota. The cost to renew is $100.

Thirty-two continuing education hours are required to be completed every two-year cycle. 

The North Dakota Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board issues Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) or Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) credentials.

Requirements for an LAMFT license are:

• Pay $90 application fee and $360 license fee
• Complete a master’s degree or higher in marriage and family therapy from a regionally accredited institution
• Submit a completed application
• Pass the AMFTRB exam

LMFT license applicants must meet LMFTA license requirements, as well as:

• Pay $90 application fee and $360 license fee
• Complete two years and 3,000 hours of supervised work experience; there must be at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact and 300 hours of supervision (up to 500 hours accrued during an internship of a COAMFTE-accredited program may be used)

Marriage and family therapy licenses issued in North Dakota must be renewed every two years. LAMFT licenses cost $130 to renew and may only be renewed once for 36 months. LMFT license renewals cost $400.

LMFTs are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education, of which six must be in ethics, while LAMFTs must complete 15 hours, three of which must be in ethics.

Child therapists in North Dakota can earn one of three levels of mental health counselors licenses:

• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC)

LAPC applicants must:

• Complete a 60-semester-credit (90-quarter-credit) master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution. Programs must satisfy the course requirements. It must also include a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship
• Submit a background check
• Provide three letters of recommendation
• Pay $150 application fee
• Complete a plan for supervision
• Complete a background check
• Pass the NEC exam

To become an LPC, candidates must meet the above requirements in addition to having 100 hours of direct supervision and 400 hours of direct client contact over the course of two years.

For LPCC licensure, candidates must already hold an LPC license, as well as:

• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience completed in two years. Please note that 100 hours must be under supervision and 60 must be face-to-face and individual.
• Pay $150 application fee
• Submit three letters of recommendation, one from the supervisor of the work experience
• Pass the NCMHCE

LPCCs and LPCs are required to renew their licenses every two years in South Dakota. The fee to renew is $225.

LPCCs are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education activities, and LPCs are required to complete 30. Of those hours, 15 must be face-to-face attendance for LPCs and 20 hours for LPCCs.

Both types of licensees must submit three hours of ethics. Renewals also must be accompanied by a Statement of Professional Intent, which details the scope of practice, how the practice is delivered, and who is the primary clientele.