How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in South Dakota

South Dakota's Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists, a division of the Department of Social Services, issues two counseling credentials: the base Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and the clinical Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health (LPC-MH), pursued after the LPC.

Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Graduate Degree

You need completion of a CACREP-accredited program or a 48-hour graduate degree in counseling from an accredited institution.

Step 2: Pass the NCE and Apply for Your LPC

South Dakota requires the National Counselor Examination, a 200-question, multiple-choice exam administered by NBCC, before issuing the LPC.

Step 3: Pursue LPC-MH (Optional)

To advance to LPC-MH, you must already hold a valid LPC, provide transcripts showing a CACREP degree or 48-hour master's, and propose a Board-approved supervisor. A non-refundable $100 application fee accompanies the Plan of Supervision application, and no supervised hours count before that plan is approved. LPC-MH requires 2,000 hours of direct client contact in a clinical setting, plus 100 hours of direct supervision (at least 50 face-to-face; up to 50 may be via secure phone or interactive video).

Step 4: Pass the NCMHCE

The LPC-MH credential requires passing the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination, which South Dakota allows candidates to take at any time during their training process by applying directly through NBCC.

Renewing Your License

South Dakota LPCs must complete 40 hours of continuing education biennially, including at least 4 hours of ethics, due in each even-numbered year. Licensees must abide by the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

Apply for Your License

Start or continue your application directly with South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists, 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 South Dakota Department of Social Services and its Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly at dss.sd.gov before making any licensure decision.

South Dakota's two-tier LPC-to-LPC-MH structure means it's worth confirming early whether your intended work setting requires the clinical LPC-MH designation or whether the base LPC will suffice.