How to Become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Ohio

Becoming a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Ohio runs through the Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board. Ohio changed its exam requirements effective January 1, 2026: applicants for both the LPC and LPCC may now qualify by passing either the NCE or the NCMHCE, a more flexible standard than the Board previously used.

Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree

Your graduate program must include required content-area coursework plus supervised clinical experience built into the degree: a minimum of 100 hours of practicum and 600 hours of internship, with direct client contact comprising a significant portion of those hours.

Step 2: Pass an Exam and Apply for Your LPC

As of January 1, 2026, you may qualify for the LPC by passing either the NCE or the NCMHCE, both administered by NBCC. Submit your LPC application to the CSWMFT Board with your qualifying degree documentation.

Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience

Advancing to LPCC requires at least 24 months and 3,000 hours of supervised experience, including 150 hours of supervision with a qualified LPCC supervisor (LPCC-S). Your supervisor submits an LPCC Supervision Form to the Board once you're finished.

Step 4: Apply for Full LPCC Licensure

Submit your LPCC application through the Board with your supervised experience documentation and exam scores. LPCC licensure adds the authority to independently diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders.

Optional: LPCC Supervisor Designation

LPCCs who meet the Board's additional training and experience requirements can add a supervisor endorsement (LPCC-S), which allows them to provide qualifying supervision to LPCC candidates.

Apply for Your License

Start or continue your application directly with Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT Board), the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.

Apply on the Board's Website

A Note on Accuracy

This post reflects information from the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, including its exam-requirement change effective January 1, 2026. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly at cswmft.ohio.gov before making any licensure decision.

Ohio's new exam flexibility is recent enough that older guides may still describe the pre-2026 rules requiring a specific exam at each level, so confirm current requirements directly with the CSWMFT Board before registering for either exam.