North Dakota Counseling Licensure & Supervision Roadmap

North Dakota licenses counselors through the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners (NDBCE). The pathway begins with the Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC) credential, which is a two-year license used to complete the supervised experience required for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensure. To advance from LAPC to LPC, applicants must complete a two-year supervised period that includes 100 hours of direct supervision and 400 hours of client counseling contact.

North Dakota also offers the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) credential as an advanced clinical license for LPCs who complete additional clinical education, post-master’s supervised clinical experience, and pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). The NCE is used for LPC licensure, and the NCMHCE is used for LPCC licensure.

North Dakota Counseling Licensure & Supervision Quick Summary

Requirement	Details
Official Licensing Board	North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners (NDBCE)
Full Clinical License Title	Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)
Initial / Associate License Title	Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC)
Intermediate License Title	Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Total Supervised Hours Required	For LPCC: 3,000 hours of post-master’s clinical experience in a clinical setting.
Minimum Direct Client Contact Hours	For LPC: 400 hours of client counseling contact during the two-year LAPC period.
Required National Exam(s)	NCE for LPC; NCMHCE for LPCC
State Jurisprudence Exam Required?	No

The Path to Licensure in North Dakota

Step 1: Complete a Qualifying Master’s Degree

Applicants must complete a master’s degree in counseling from an accredited college or university.

Educational requirements include:

• 48 graduate semester credits in counseling
  
• Effective July 1, 2017, all master’s degrees in counseling must be 60 semester hours
  
• Specific core counseling coursework within the master’s degree
  

Clinical training requirements include:

• Minimum 700 hours of counseling practicum and internship
  

For LPCC licensure, applicants must have:

• 60 graduate semester credits
  
• Coursework that includes:
  
  • current classification methods in the diagnostic evaluation of psychopathology
    
  • clinical counseling skills

Step 2: Pass the Required Examination(s)

North Dakota uses different national examinations for different license levels.

Required examinations include:

• National Counselor Examination (NCE exam) for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  
• National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)

Step 3: Apply for Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC)

Applicants must obtain the Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC) credential to complete the supervised experience required for LPC licensure.

The LAPC is:

• A two-year license
  
• Used for the supervised experience required to become an LPC
  

Requirements include:

• A qualifying master’s degree
  
• Three letters of reference from master’s degree professors, advisors, and supervisors
  
• A two-year Plan of Supervision
  
• An Intent to Practice statement
  
• A passing score on the NCE
  
• Required practicum and internship training
  

The LAPC works under continual supervision and must satisfy LPC criteria within the two-year period.

Step 4: Complete Supervised Experience for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

To qualify for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensure, an LAPC must complete the supervised requirements during the two-year LAPC period.

Requirements include:

• 100 hours of direct supervision
  
• At least 60 hours must be individual, face-to-face supervision by a qualified supervisor
  
• 400 hours of client counseling contact
  
• A signed recommendation for LPC licensure by the supervising professional
  

These requirements apply to the two-year LAPC supervisory period.

Step 5: Advance to Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)

The Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) is the specialty license in clinical mental health counseling.

Applicants for LPCC must:

• Hold a valid LPC license
  
• Have 60 graduate semester credits
  
• Include coursework in:
  
  • abnormal psychology and psychopathology
    
  • clinical counseling skills
    
• Have completed 700 hours of supervised practica and/or internships relevant to counseling practice
  
• Complete two years (3,000 hours) of post-master’s supervised clinical experience in a clinical setting
  
• Pass the NCMHCE
  
• Provide three professional letters of reference
  
  • One must be from the post-master’s clinical supervisor
    
  • The other two must be from professionals familiar with the applicant’s clinical experience
    
• Provide a copy of the required board form completed by the clinical experience supervisor attesting to successful demonstration of clinical counseling skills consistent with LPCC scope of practice
  

LPCC supervision requirements include:

• 100 hours of face-to-face supervision
  
• Minimum 60 hours of individual supervision
  
• Supervision by:
  
  • a supervisor certified under section 97-02-01-08, or
    
  • a supervisor authorized under subdivision c of subsection 2 of North Dakota Century Code section 43-47-06
    
• The certified supervisor must be a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) or a supervisor authorized under that statutory provision
  

Face-to-face supervision includes secure, HIPAA-compliant electronic video communications on a secure server.

*Sponsored Counseling Programs

Supervision & Ethics in North Dakota

Who Qualifies as a Supervisor in North Dakota?

For the LAPC to LPC pathway, supervision must be provided by a qualified supervisor. The LPC requirements specifically require:

• 60 hours of individual, face-to-face supervision by a qualified supervisor
  

For LPCC licensure, supervision must be provided by:

• a supervisor certified under section 97-02-01-08, or
  
• a supervisor authorized under subdivision c of subsection 2 of North Dakota Century Code section 43-47-06
  

The certified supervisor must be a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) or a supervisor authorized under that statutory provision.

Can Associates Practice Independently in North Dakota?

No. The Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC) works under continual supervision during the two-year LAPC period.

What Documentation or Supervision Agreements Are Required?

For LAPC licensure, required documentation includes:

• a two-year Plan of Supervision
  
• an Intent to Practice statement
  
• three letters of reference
  

For advancement to LPC, required documentation includes:

• a signed recommendation for LPC licensure by the supervising professional
  

For LPCC, required documentation includes:

• three professional letters of reference
  
• a form completed by the clinical experience supervisor attesting to the applicant’s successful demonstration of clinical counseling skills consistent with LPCC scope of practice

Common Licensure Pitfalls in North Dakota

Pro Tip

Do not treat North Dakota as a single-step associate-to-full-clinical state. The pathway is LAPC to LPC to LPCC, and the NCE and NCMHCE apply at different license levels.

Warning

The supervision requirements for LPC and LPCC are different. The 400 client contact hours / 100 supervision hours / two-year period apply to the LAPC to LPC transition. The LPCC requires a separate 3,000-hour post-master’s clinical experience and the NCMHCE.

Frequently Asked Questions About Counseling Licensure in North Dakota

Can I Start a Private Practice as a LAPC in North Dakota?

No. The LAPC works under continual supervision during the two-year license period.

How Long Does It Take to Become Fully Licensed in North Dakota?

For LPC, North Dakota requires a two-year LAPC supervised period. For LPCC, applicants must also complete two years (3,000 hours) of post-master’s supervised clinical experience in a clinical setting after holding LPC licensure.

Does North Dakota Require CACREP Accreditation for Licensure?

No. North Dakota requires graduate education from an accredited college or university that meets the applicable counseling coursework and training standards. Prospective applicants can explore North Dakota counseling degrees to find relevant programs, including CACREP-accredited online counseling programs.

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