How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas
Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas runs through the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (ABEC). Arkansas uses a two-tier system, and its exam requirements are more involved than most states: one exam to become a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC), a second to advance to full LPC.
Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree
You need a master's degree in counseling from a regionally accredited institution, with at least 60 semester hours of graduate coursework in specific counseling-related areas, from a CACREP-accredited or CACREP-equivalent program.
Step 2: Pass the NCE and Arkansas Jurisprudence Exam
Before ABEC issues your LAC credential, you'll need to pass two exams:
National Counselor Examination (NCE): 200 multiple-choice questions, $275 registration fee
Arkansas Jurisprudence Examination: covers Arkansas counseling law, $30 registration fee
Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience as an LAC
Once licensed as an LAC, you'll accrue 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, with at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact, under an ABEC-approved LPC supervisor.
Step 4: Pass the NCMHCE
Advancing from LAC to full LPC requires passing a second exam, the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), a $275 registration fee covering ten clinical simulation scenarios.
Step 5: Apply for Full LPC Licensure
The LPC application fee is $200. Because fee figures for the LAC stage vary across sources, confirm current LAC and LPC costs directly through ABEC's applicant portal before budgeting for the process.
Apply for Your License
Start or continue your application directly with Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (ABEC), the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.
A Note on Accuracy
This post reflects information from the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling's published rules and application guidance. Reported fee amounts for the LAC stage varied across sources at the time of writing, which is itself a reminder to verify. Confirm current requirements and fees directly with ABEC at healthy.arkansas.gov before making any licensure decision.
Arkansas's two-exam structure catches people off guard: budget and prepare for the NCE and the Arkansas Jurisprudence Exam early, and the NCMHCE later, rather than assuming one test covers the whole path.
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