How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Michigan
Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Michigan runs through two state agencies you'll get to know well: the Michigan Board of Counseling and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Michigan uses a two-tier system. You earn your master's degree, get a Limited Licensed Counselor (LLPC) credential, complete supervised hours under that limited license, pass a national exam, then apply for full Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status. Below is each step, pulled directly from LARA's own licensing guides, current as of January 2026.
Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree
You need a master's or doctoral degree in counseling from an accredited college or university. A CACREP-accredited program (2009 or 2016 standards) automatically qualifies.
If your program isn't CACREP-accredited, Michigan applies a credit-hour threshold: 48 semester hours for students who entered their program on or before June 30, 2023, and 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) for those who entered on or after July 1, 2023. Either way, the program must include a practicum and a supervised internship, and non-CACREP applicants bear the cost of having their program evaluated for substantial equivalence, either through the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE) or another NACES-member credential evaluation organization.
Step 2: Apply for Your Limited Licensed Counselor (LLPC) License
You cannot begin accruing supervised hours toward full licensure until you hold the LLPC. Apply online through Michigan's MiPLUS system. The application plus one-year license fee is $88.10.
All applicants, at both the limited and full license stages, must also complete:
A criminal background check
One-time human trafficking recognition training meeting Administrative Rule 338.1771
At least 2 hours of implicit bias training within the 5 years before licensure
A Professional Disclosure Statement naming your supervising LPC, that supervisor's qualifications under R 338.1781, and LARA's complaint-filing address
The LLPC renews annually and can be renewed up to 10 times, giving you a 10-year window to complete full licensure.
Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience
All supervised hours must be completed after your LLPC is issued. Hours accrued before the limited license don't count.
Master's-degree holders need 3,000 hours of post-degree counseling experience over not less than two years, with at least 100 of those hours in the immediate physical presence of your supervisor or via live two-way audiovisual technology.
Doctoral-degree holders need 1,500 hours over not less than one year, with at least 50 hours face-to-face or via live audiovisual supervision.
Your supervisor must be a Michigan-licensed LPC who meets the qualifications in R 338.1781, and you'll submit a completed Counseling Work Experience form to LARA documenting the hours.
Step 4: Pass a National Licensing Exam
Michigan accepts a passing score on one of three exams, and you only need to submit scores from one testing organization:
The National Counselor Examination (NCE), through the National Board for Certified Counselors
The National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), also through NBCC
The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) exam
Scores must be sent to LARA directly by the testing agency, not submitted by you.
Step 5: Apply for Full LPC Licensure
Once your hours and exam are complete, apply online through MiPLUS for licensure by examination. The application plus three-year license fee is $259.05. You'll need your official transcripts sent directly to LARA, your exam score certification, your completed Counseling Work Experience form, and an updated Professional Disclosure Statement.
Licensure by Endorsement (Already Licensed Elsewhere)
If you've held full LPC licensure in another U.S. state for 5 or more years, Michigan only requires a Professional Disclosure Statement. If you've held it for less than 5 years, you'll also need to submit official transcripts confirming your qualifying degree. Applicants licensed in a Canadian province face additional requirements, including the same CACREP-equivalency evaluation non-CACREP U.S. applicants face, plus exam score certification.
Renewing Your LPC License
Michigan's LPC license renews every 3 years for a $198.45 fee. You can renew starting 90 days before expiration. Michigan does not require continuing education hours for renewal by law, though licensees are expected to maintain competence on their own. You will need to complete a one-time human trafficking training (if not already done) and 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of your license cycle, meaning 3 hours across a 3-year renewal period.
Apply for Your License
Start or continue your application directly with Michigan LARA / Board of Counseling, the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.
A Note on Accuracy
This post reflects Michigan's Professional Counselor and Limited Licensed Counselor licensing guides published by LARA, both revised January 26, 2026. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change, and Michigan's own guides are explicitly described as a general overview rather than the full text of the law. Before making any decision based on this post, verify current requirements directly with the Michigan Board of Counseling and LARA at michigan.gov/lara, or consult the Michigan Public Health Code and Administrative Rules for Professional Counseling.
Michigan's path to LPC licensure is sequential and document-heavy, but every step traces back to the same board. When in doubt about your specific situation, LARA's Bureau of Professional Licensing is the authority to call, not a blog post, including this one.
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