Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Arizona

Arizona credentials Licensed Associate Counselors (LACs) and Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs).

The steps to earn the LAC credential are:

• Submit a completed application, including a social security number and employment history for the past seven years
• Pay the $250 application fee
• Provide proof of eligibility to reside and work in the US
• Submit official transcripts from a CACREP or CORE accredited master’s degree of at least 60 semester- or 90 quarter-credits. This degree must include a practicum of 700 hours, including 240 hours of direct client contact
• Provide a complete set of fingerprints on a standard FD-258 card with a $40.00 payment or proof of online payment, or a copy of a current DPS fingerprint clearance card
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam. If candidates have not previously taken the exam, the board can issue authorization to take the exam when the LAC application is submitted.

To progress from a LAC to an LPC, candidates must:

• Pay the $250 application fee (a waiver may be requested if a candidate’s LAC license is currently active)
• Submit a complete application including an updated employment history
• Provide proof of two years of work experience overseen by a clinical supervisor that includes 1,600 must be direct client contact involving the use of psychotherapy. No more than 400 of those 1,600 hours can be from psychoeducation. There must be at least 100 total hours of clinical supervision, and at least one hour in every month that the work experience was completed.
• Submit proof of legal status to work and live in the US.

LPCs are required to renew their licenses in Arizona every two years. Requirements include:

• Complete an online authorized tutorial every renewal cycle. Two tutorials are available, and counselors can complete one or both. Each costs $25 and counts for three units of continuing education
• Pay the $350 renewal fee
• Submit a total of 30 hours of continuing education, including the three-hour tutorial, three hours in ethics or law, and three hours in cultural competency and diversity

The Arizona Department of Education issues a Standard School Counselor, PreK-12 Certificate. Candidates for this certification must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $60 application fee
• Provide a copy of a valid Arizona Department of Public Safety Identity Verified Prints (IVP) fingerprint clearance card

Candidates must also meet one of the following four education requirements:

• Completion of a graduate program in guidance and counseling from an accredited institution with either a supervised counseling practicum in school counseling from an accredited institution, verification of two years of full-time experience as a school counselor, or verification of three years of full-time teaching experience
• Completion of a graduate program in counseling, social work, or psychology from an accredited institution with either a supervised counseling practicum in school counseling from an accredited institution, verification of two years of full-time experience as a school counselor, or verification of three years of full-time teaching experience
• A valid license as an associate counselor, professional counselor, master or clinical social worker, or marriage and family therapist issued by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners with either a supervised counseling practicum in school counseling from an accredited institution, verification of two years of full-time experience as a school counselor, or verification of three years of full-time teaching experience
• Completion of a graduate program in academic advising from an accredited institution with either a supervised counseling practicum in school counseling from an accredited institution, verification of two years of full-time experience as a school counselor, or verification of three years of full-time teaching experience

If all requirements are met (except for the practicum or work experience), a temporary three-year license may be issued to correct this deficiency.

The Standard School Counselor, PreK-12 Certificate issued in Arizona is valid for 12 years.

To renew, applicants must submit a completed application, pay a $30 application fee, and demonstrate 15 hours of continuing education completed for each year the certificate was held.

Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners

Arizona has three levels of licensure for substance abuse counselors. They are Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor (LISAC), Licensed Associate Substance Abuse (LSAC) Counselor, and Licensed Substance Abuse Technician (LSAT).

Requirements for LSAT licensure include:

• Passing score on the ADC or AADC exams from the IC&RC, or level I or higher exams from NAADAC
• An associate or bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a program accredited by NASAC or board-approved school with required coursework
• Proof of eligibility to work in the US
• A Federal Data Bank self query
• A criminal background check including fingerprints
• Completed application
• $250 application fee

To earn the LSAC license, candidates must have:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a program accredited by NASAC or board approved with required coursework, including a 300-hour supervised practicum
• Passing score on the AADC exam from the IC&RC, or level II or higher or MAC exams from NAADAC
• Seven years of employment history
• 3,200 hours of supervised work experience in substance abuse counseling in no less than 24 months (1,600 hours must be direct client contact and 100 hours must be supervision)
• Proof of eligibility to work in the US
• A Federal Data Bank self query
• A criminal background check including fingerprints
• A completed application
• $250 application fee

To earn the LISAC license, candidates must meet the above requirements, in addition to having a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a program accredited by NASAC or board approved with required coursework. The program must include a 300-hour supervised practicum.

Renewals of substance abuse counselor licenses in Arizona are required every two years.

Requirements to renew include:

• A complete application
• A renewal fee of $325
• 30 hours of continuing education

Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AZBBHE)

Rehabilitation counselors in Arizona must have credentials as either Licensed Associate Counselors (LACs) and Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs).

The steps to earn the LAC credential are:

• Submit a completed application, including a social security number and employment history for the past seven years
• Pay the $250 application fee
• Provide proof of eligibility to reside and work in the US
• Submit official transcripts from a CACREP or CORE accredited master’s degree of at least 60 semester or 90 quarter-credit-hours. This degree must include a practicum of 700 hours including 240 hours of direct client contact
• Provide a complete set of fingerprints on a standard FD-258 card with a $40.00 payment or proof of online payment, or a copy of a current DPS fingerprint clearance card
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam. If candidates have not previously taken the exam, the board can issue an authorization to take the exam when the LAC application is submitted.

In order to progress from a LAC to an LPC, candidates must:

• Pay the $250 application fee (a waiver may be requested if a candidate’s LAC license is currently active)
• Submit a complete application including an updated employment history
• Provide proof of 3,200 hours of work experience overseen by a clinical supervisor in no less than 24 months—of those hours, 1,600 must be direct client contact involving the use of psychotherapy. No more than 400 of those 1,600 hours can be from psychoeducation. There must be at least 100 total hours of clinical supervision, and at least one hour in every month that the work experience was completed.
• Submit proof of legal status to work and live in the US.

Rehabilitation counselors who are LPCs are required to renew their licenses in Arizona every two years. Requirements include:

• Complete an online authorized tutorial every renewal cycle. Two tutorials are available and counselors can complete one or both. Each costs $25 and counts for three units of continuing education
• Pay the $325 renewal fee
• Submit a total of 30 hours of continuing education, including the three-hour tutorial, three hours in ethics or law, and three hours in cultural competency and diversity

The Board of Psychologist Examiners is responsible for issuing Behavior Analyst licenses in Arizona. To qualify, candidates must:

• Pay $350 application fee
• Submit a completed application
• Provide proof of right to work in the US through the Arizona Statement of Citizenship and Alien Status form
• Pay the prorated initial license fee
• Hold BCBA certification
• Provide verification of 1,500 hours of supervised experience
• Supply official transcripts verifying education

Behavior Analyst licenses issued in Arizona must be renewed every other year on the last day of the birth month of the licensee. Renewal fees are $500 per biennium.

Analysts are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. Four of those 30 hours must be in ethics.

The Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners issues Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) and Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licenses.

The requirements for an LAMFT license are:

• Submit a completed application, including a social security number and employment history for the past seven years
• Pay the $250 application fee
• Provide proof of eligibility to reside and work in the US
• Submit official transcripts demonstrating a master’s degree or higher from a program that is COAMFTE-accredited, previously approved by the Board, or includes the requisite number of credit hours in six core content areas
• Provide a complete set of fingerprints on a standard FD-258 card with a $40.00 payment or proof of online payment, or a copy of a current DPS fingerprint clearance card
• A passing score on the AMFTRB exam

If candidates have not previously taken the exam, the board can issue an authorization to take the exam when the LAMFT application is submitted.

To progress from an LAMFT to an LMFT, candidates must:

• Pay the $250 application fee (a waiver may be requested if a candidate’s LAMFT license is currently active)
• Submit a complete application including an updated employment history
• Provide proof of 24 months of supervised work experience. They must include 1,600 hours of direct client contact involving the use of psychotherapy, and no more than 400 of those 1,600 can be from psychoeducation; also, there must be at least 100 total hours of clinical supervision, and at least one hour in every month that the work experience was completed
• Submit proof of legal status to work and live in the US

LAMFTs and LMFTs are required to renew their licenses in Arizona every two years.

Requirements include:

• Pay $350 renewal fee
• Complete 30 hours of continuing education (three hours must be in ethics and three hours must be in diversity)
• Complete a three-hour board-approved statutes and rules tutorial (please note that this counts for three hours of continuing education)

Child therapists in Arizona must have credentials as either Licensed Associate Counselors (LACs) and Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs).

The steps to earn the LAC credential are:

• Submit a completed application, including a social security number and employment history for the past seven years
• Pay the $250 application fee
• Provide proof of eligibility to reside and work in the US
• Submit official transcripts from a CACREP or CORE accredited master’s degree of at least 60 semester- or 90 quarter-credits. This degree must include a practicum  of  700 hours including 240 hours of direct client contact
• Provide a complete set of fingerprints on a standard FD-258 card with a $40.00 payment or proof of online payment, or a copy of a current DPS fingerprint clearance card 
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam. If candidates have not previously taken the exam, the board can issue an authorization to take the exam when the LAC application is submitted.
• $ 50.00 payment for a temporary license

To progress from a LAC to an LPC, candidates must:

• Pay the $250 application fee (a waiver may be requested if a candidate’s LAC license is currently active) 
• Submit a complete application including an updated employment history
  
• Provide proof of 3,200 hours of work experience overseen by a clinical supervisor in no less than 24 months—of those hours, 1,600 must be direct client contact involving the use of psychotherapy. No more than 400 of those 1,600 hours can be from psychoeducation. There must be at least 100 total hours of clinical supervision, and at least one hour in every month that the work experience was completed. 
  
• Submit proof of legal status to work and live in the US.

Child therapists who are LPCs are required to renew their licenses in Arizona every two years. Requirements include:

• Complete an online authorized tutorial every renewal cycle. Two tutorials are available and counselors can complete one or both. Each costs $25 and counts for three units of continuing education
  
• Pay the $350 renewal fee
• Submit a total of 30 hours of continuing education, including the three-hour tutorial, three hours in ethics or law, and three hours in cultural competency and diversity