Apply for LPC / Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy

Apply for LPC Licensure

LPC License Requirements

The Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license is a master's degree level license. The Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) has three license application methods for this license. Below you will find a brief description of the requirements you need to meet in order to apply. License requirements under Minnesota Statutes section 148B.53, Minnesota Statues section 148B.56, and Minnesota Statutes section 148B.53, subdivision 1[c] and 1[d] are as follows:

IMPORTANT: If you have completed, or are close to (i.e., about 6 months or so) completing your 4000 post-masters supervised work hours and 200 supervision hours, you may want to apply for the LPCC General Method instead. Please email the LPC/LPCC Licensing Coordinator for additional details/questions before submitting an LPC application.

Apply by Examination

A master's or doctoral degree program in counseling or a related field from a program that is CACREP accredited or a CHEA accredited educational institution.
- The degree upon which license application is based must include:
  - At least 48 semesters or 72 quarter credits;
  - Graduate program supervised field experience of at least 700 hours;
  - Specific academic coursework content in ten subject areas.
Completion of 2,000 hours of supervised post-degree professional practice. These hours may be completed prior to licensure if the Board finds the past supervision acceptable; or completed after licensure, based on a supervision plan that is accepted by the board.
- Supervision must be obtained at a rate of 2 hours per 40 hours of professional practice, for a total of 100 hours of supervision. At least 50 percent of the required hours must be individual, 1:1, supervision.
Successful completion of the National Counselor Examination (NCE), the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE), or an alternate examination, determined by the Board to be equivalent to the NCE.

Ten core academic content areas:

The helping relationship, including counseling theory and practice;
Human growth and development;
Lifestyle and career development;
Group dynamics, processes, counseling, and consulting;
Assessment and appraisal;
Social and cultural foundations, including multicultural issues;
Principles of etiology, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders;
Family counseling and therapy;
Research and evaluation; and
Professional counseling orientation and ethics.

LPC Required Coursework Guide

Apply with a current LP license

Current Minnesota LP License
2,000 hours of supervised professional practice.
- Supervision completed for the LP license is accepted as meeting the 2,000 hours. True and correct copies of supervision verification submitted to the Minnesota Board of Psychology should be submitted directly to BBHT.

Please note that your LPC license will be based on the degree your LP license is based upon.

Apply by Reciprocity

Current licensure in another state which has been determined by BBHT to be substantially similar to LPC licensure requirements and scope of practice in Minnesota.
- Please visit the Board's Reciprocity Page to review states that have already been reviewed for reciprocity licensure.
Before submitting a reciprocity application, please review the LPC/LPCC continuing education requirements. If your graduate degree was less than 60 semester credits, you will need to complete additional graduate credits within your first four years of licensure

Please note that your Minnesota LPC license will be based on the degree that your reciprocal license or credential is based upon.

Examination Application Process

1. Submit Application and fees
- Apply by Mail: Download. Submit an application for licensure via mail with a check or money order;
  - Send application to 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55102.
2. Submit required supporting documents

Note: Your application cannot be processed without the required supporting documents. Supporting documentation must be submitted separately from the application for licensure and the application fee, but should be submitted as soon as possible after an application is submitted. Carefully review the requirements below.
- Official Graduate Transcript:
  - You must request that your graduate school send your official transcript to the BBHT that verifies your degree, major, and degree conferral date.
    - Contact the registrar's office at your school to request that an official transcript be sent directly from your school to the BBHT office.
      - By Mail - 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55102.
      - By email (secure, certified PDF from your school) to bbht.board@state.mn.us.
- Official letter(s) verifying 700-hours of field experience (if not verified on your academic transcript):
  - If your practicum/internship hours are not verified in clock hours on your academic transcript, contact your program director and have that person send verification directly to the BBHT office.
- Official passing test results for NCE or NCMHCE:
  - You must register for either the NCE or NCMHCE Examination.
    - You can find exam information on the Minnesota State Board information Page on the NBCC website.
  - Take the Exam.
  - Request that the passing exam score report is sent directly to the BBHT office.
  - Exam results take anywhere from 30 to 60 days to arrive, plan accordingly.
- Official License Verification:
  - Must be sent directly to BBHT from the issuing authority.
  - Primary source online verification is acceptable; print license verification and include it with your application.
- Supervision Verification or Supervision Plan for 2,000 hours of supervised professional practice:
  - Completed supervision verification forms must be sent directly to BBHT by the supervisor.
  - A supervision plan can be sent in by the applicant or supervisor.
  - See the supervision tab for more details.
3. Complete Criminal Background Check (CBC)
- After applying, the Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program (CBC) will send the applicant an email with instructions about completing the background check.
- The background check can take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to be processed.
Note: All applicants are required to complete a Criminal Background Check prior to licensure.
Apply by LP

1. Submit Application and Fees
- Apply by Mail: Download. Submit the Application for Licensure via mail with a check or money order;
  - Mail application to 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55102.
2. Submit required supporting documents

Note: Your application cannot be processed without the required supporting documents. Supporting documentation must be submitted separately from the Application for Licensure and the application fee, but should be submitted as soon as possible after an application is submitted. Carefully review the requirements below.
- Official License Verification:
  - Must be sent to BBHT directly from the issuing authority.
  - Primary source verification is acceptable; print and include with your application.
3. Complete Criminal Background Check (CBC)
- After applying, the Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program (CBC) will send the applicant an email with instructions about completing the background check.
- The background check can take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to process.
Note: All applicants are required to complete a Criminal Background Check prior to licensure.
Application Action Steps:

1. Submit Application and fees
- Apply by Mail: Download. Submit the Application for Licensure via mail with a check or money order;
  - Mail application to 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55102.
2. Submit required supporting documents

Note: Your application cannot be processed without the required supporting documents. Supporting documentation must be submitted separately from the application for licensure and the application fee, but should be submitted as soon as possible after an application is submitted. Carefully review the requirements below.
- Official License Verification:
  - These must be sent directly to BBHT from the issuing authority.
  - Primary source online verification is acceptable. Please print and include it with your application.
- Official Graduate Transcript:
  - You must request your graduate school send an official transcript to BBHT that verifies your degree, major, and degree conferral date.
    - Contact the registrar's office at your school to request that an official transcript be sent directly from your school to the BBHT office:
      - By Mail - 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55102.
      - By email (secure, certified PDF from your school) to bbht.board@state.mn.us.
3. Complete Criminal Background Check (CBC)
- After applying, the Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program (CBC) will send the applicant an email with instructions about completing the background check.
  - The background check can take anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks to be processed.
Note: All applicants are required to complete a Criminal Background Check prior to licensure.
Application and Other Fees

All fees submitted to the Board are non-refundable and must be submitted with an Application for Licensure. Download the Application form and submit via mail with a check or money order.

Fees Fees

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) application fee ($150) and initial license fee ($250) $400.00

Criminal Background Check fee $33.25

Total Fees $433.25

Note: An applicant is exempt from submitting to a Criminal Background Check if the applicant has previously submitted a state or national criminal history records check for a license issued by BBHT. If this applies to you, Please make your check or money order payable to the BBHT for $400.00 instead of $433.25.
Supervised Professional Practice

According to Minnesota Statutes 148B.53, applicants for the LPC license are required to complete 2,000 hours of post-degree supervised professional practice, either before licensure or after.

Supervised Professional Practice completed before Licensure:
- If an applicant completed 2,000 hours of supervised, post-masters professional practice with a Board Approved Supervisor prior to applying for the LPC;
  - The supervisor must complete a Verification of Supervision Plan Completion form (Section H of the LPC application).
  - The supervisor must either mail or email this document directly to the BBHT office. The board inbox is BBHT.Board@state.mn.us and our physical address is 335 Randolph Avenue Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55102.
  - All supervision must comply with the BBHT supervision requirements to be accepted by the Board.
Supervised Professional Practice completed after Licensure:
- If an applicant has not completed 2,000 hours of supervised, post-masters professional practice with board-approved supervision prior to applying for the LPC;
  - Applicants must find a Board Approved LPC/LPCC supervisor; and
  - Complete a supervision plan (section G of the LPC application) confirming that the applicant and the supervisor will complete your 2,000 hours in compliance with the Board's supervision requirements, described in Minnesota Rules section 2150.5010
    - The LPC license will be issued under this supervision plan if approved by the Board.
- Once the 2,000 hours of supervised, post-masters professional practice is completed, the supervisor must complete a Verification of Supervision Plan Completion form and send it directly to the BBHT office at - 335 Randolph Avenue, Suite 290, St. Paul, MN 55102.
  - The license will be then converted from LPC-Supervised to LPC-Independent status.
How to find a Board Approved LPC/LPCC Supervisor:
- BBHT has a supervisor look-up tool on the BBHT website that allows anyone to look up Board Approved Supervisors by city/name or zip code/name.
- Individuals who seek to become a Board Approved Supervisor, complete the LPC/LPCC Supervisor Application.
Change of Supervisor?
- If you started supervision with a new supervisor, complete the LPC Supervision Plan Change form and send it to the BBHT office.
- Make sure your previous supervisor completes the document verifying the practice hours you completed.
FAQ's
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Temporary Permit / License Verification

Supervisor Lookup

Online Portal Login

Apply for LPC Licensure

LPC License Requirements

Apply by Examination

Ten core academic content areas:

Apply with a current LP license

Apply by Reciprocity

Application process

Examination Application Process

2. Submit required supporting documents

3. Complete Criminal Background Check (CBC)

Apply by LP

1. Submit Application and Fees

2. Submit required supporting documents

3. Complete Criminal Background Check (CBC)

Application Action Steps:

2. Submit required supporting documents

3. Complete Criminal Background Check (CBC)

Application and Other Fees

Supervised Professional Practice

Supervised Professional Practice completed before Licensure:

Supervised Professional Practice completed after Licensure:

How to find a Board Approved LPC/LPCC Supervisor:

Change of Supervisor?

FAQ's

Fees	Fees
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) application fee ($150) and initial license fee ($250)	$400.00
Criminal Background Check fee	$33.25
Total Fees	$433.25