How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana
Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana runs through the Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LA LPCBE). Louisiana uses a two-tier system: Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) while you complete supervised hours, then full LPC status.
Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree
You need a master's degree in counseling of at least 60 semester credits, from a program accredited by a CHEA-recognized regional body or by CACREP, including required content areas and a qualifying practicum and internship.
Step 2: Apply for Your PLPC Credential
Have your school send official transcripts and confirmation of practicum and internship completion directly to LA LPCBE. Louisiana added a new requirement effective April 1, 2026: all board-approved supervisors must hold a certificate of completion from either graduate-level academic coursework or approved supervisor training, so confirm your prospective supervisor meets this current standard.
Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience
Louisiana requires 3,000 hours of supervised experience, including at least 1,900 hours of direct client contact, 1,000 hours of indirect client contact, and 100 hours of face-to-face supervision, accrued over no less than two years and no more than six.
Step 4: Pass a Licensing Exam
Louisiana accepts only two exams for LPC licensure: the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), both with official score reports sent directly from NBCC to the Board.
Step 5: Apply for Full LPC Licensure
Submit your LPC application to LA LPCBE with your supervised experience documentation and exam scores.
Renewing Your License
Louisiana requires 40 continuing education hours for renewal, including 3 hours in ethics and 6 hours in diagnosis. Louisiana has also gone live in the Counseling Compact, which can ease multistate practice for fully licensed counselors.
Apply for Your License
Start or continue your application directly with Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners (LA LPCBE), the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.
A Note on Accuracy
This post reflects information from the Louisiana LPC Board of Examiners, including its April 2026 supervisor-training rule change. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly with LA LPCBE at lpcboard.org before making any licensure decision.
Louisiana's new supervisor-training-certificate requirement is recent enough that it's worth confirming directly with your prospective supervisor and the Board before finalizing a supervision arrangement.
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