Counseling Degrees & Licenses in South Dakota

South Dakota issues two licenses to mental health counselors: Licensed Professional Counselor – Mental Health (LPC-MH) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

To be licensed as a LPC, candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee and $100 licensing fee
• Provide a quality photograph
• Graduate from a CACREP accredited master’s in counseling (or other 48 semester hour regionally accredited counseling master’s). The program must include a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship
• Have a passing NCE score
• Submit a plan for work experience supervision with a board-approved supervisor
• Complete 2,000 hours of post-master’s supervised work experience, of which 800 hours must be direct client contact and 100 hours must be direct supervision, at least 50 hours of which shall be face-to-face
• Submit an application for full licensure once supervised work experience hours are complete

To be licensed as an LPC-MH, candidates must already hold an LPC. They must also:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee and $75 licensing fee
• Have a passing NCMHCE score
• Submit a plan for work experience supervision with a board-approved supervisor
• Complete two years and 2,000 hours of supervised work experience, including 100 hours of supervision, 50 of which must be face-to-face. Up to 1,000 hours of work experience and 50 hours of supervision earned for the LPC license may be used.
• Submit an application for full licensure (once supervised work experience hours are complete)

South Dakota requires LPC-MHs and LPCs to renew their licenses annually. Both license renewals cost $100.

Counselors are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education hours biennially, four of which must be in ethics. Continuing education hours are due on odd-numbered years.

The South Dakota Department of Education issues School Counselor Education Specialist Endorsements and Mentor School Counselor Endorsements.

The requirements for a basic endorsement are:

• Complete an approved school counselor preparation program or have a master’s degree (or higher) in counseling, pass the Praxis Professional School Counselor exam, and complete one year of work experience supervised by a mentor school counselor
• Complete one clock hour of suicide awareness and prevention training
• Submit a completed online application
• Pay $60 certification fee

School counselors can upgrade to a mentor school counselor endorsement once they have completed three years of work experience.

School counselor endorsements issued in South Dakota are valid for five years.

To renew, counselors must submit a completed application and pay a renewal fee. Counselors must complete six education-related transcripted credits and an approved training on suicide awareness and prevention.

Earning or renewing the National Certified School Counselors (NCSC) certificate through the NBCC meets all continuing education requirements.

South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals (BAPP)

The South Dakota Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals certifies Certified Addiction Counselors (CAC) and Addiction Counselor Trainees (ACT) and licenses Licensed Addiction Counselors (LAC).

ACT certificate candidates must:

• Have a high school diploma or GED
• employed or volunteer at an agency where the applicant can gain the necessary work experience to become a CAC or LAC
• the application fee of $12.50 per month from the month of the application to the last day of the month of your birth
• a completed application
• the professional code of ethics

CAC certificate candidates must:

• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Complete three semester credits at an accredited institution in each of nine specific alcohol and drug abuse-related courses
• Complete qualifying work experience (a high school diploma or GED, 8,000 hours; an associate’s degree, 6,000 hours; a bachelor’s degree, 4,000 hours; and a master’s degree, 2,000 hours)
• Complete 300 hours of supervision with at least ten hours in each of the 12 core functions
• Pass the written exam from the IC&RC
• Submit a completed application
• Pay $250 application and testing fee

LAC licensure candidates must:

• Have a master’s degree in behavioral science from an accredited institution
• Complete three semester credits at an accredited institution in each of seven specific alcohol and drug abuse-related courses.
• Complete 2,000 hours of qualifying work experience.
• Complete 300 hours of supervision with at least ten hours in each of the 12 core functions
• Pass the written exam from the IC&RC
• Submit a completed application
• Pay $250 application and testing fee

The BAPP requires ACTs to renew annually and CACs and LACs to renew every two years. Renewal fees are $150 for ACTs, $175 for CACs, and $200 for LACs.

CACs and LACs are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. ACTs do not have continuing education requirements.

Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists

Rehabilitation counselors in South Dakota must be either Licensed Professional Counselors – Mental Health (LPC-MH) or Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC).

To be licensed as a LPC, candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee and $100 licensing fee
• Provide a quality photograph
• Graduate from a CACREP accredited master’s in counseling (or other 48 semester hour regionally accredited counseling master’s). The program must include a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship
• Have a passing NCE score
• Submit a plan for work experience supervision with a board-approved supervisor
• Complete 2,000 hours of post-master’s supervised work experience, of which 800 hours must be direct client contact and 100 hours must be direct supervision, at least 50 hours of which shall be face-to-face
• Submit an application for full licensure once supervised work experience hours are complete

To be licensed as an LPC-MH, candidates must already hold an LPC. They must also:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee and $75 licensing fee
• Have a passing NCMHCE score
• Submit a plan for work experience supervision with a board-approved supervisor
• Complete two years and 2,000 hours of supervised work experience, including 100 hours of supervision, 50 of which must be face-to-face. Up to 1,000 hours of work experience and 50 hours of supervision earned for the LPC license may be used.
• Submit an application for full licensure (once supervised work experience hours are complete)

South Dakota requires LPC-MHs and LPCs to renew their licenses annually. Both license renewals cost $100.

Counselors are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education hours biennially, four of which must be in ethics. Continuing education hours are due on odd-numbered years.

The South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners licenses Behavior Analysts. Requirements for this license are:

• Submit a completed and notarized application
• Have BCBA certification
• Pay a $350 application fee

Behavior Analyst licenses issued in South Dakota must be renewed annually. The fee to renew is $300.

Renewal applicants must maintain current BABC certification.

The South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists issues Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licenses.

To be licensed as an LMFT, candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee and $100 licensing fee
• Provide a quality photograph
• Complete a master’s in marriage and family therapy from a COAMFTE or CACREP MFT program, including a 300-hour practicum
• Have a passing AMTRB score
• Submit a plan for work experience supervision with a board-approved supervisor
• Complete two years and 1,700 hours of post-master’s supervised work experience (200 hours must be direct supervision and at least 100 hours individual and face-to-face)
• Submit an application for full licensure once supervised work experience hours are complete

South Dakota requires LMFTs to renew their licenses annually by December 31st. Renewals cost $100.

Therapists are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education hours biennially, four of which must be in ethics. Continuing education hours are due on odd-numbered years.

Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists

Child therapists in South Dakota must be either Licensed Professional Counselors – Mental Health (LPC-MH) or Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC).

To be licensed as a LPC, candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee and $100 licensing fee
• Provide a quality photograph
• Graduate from a CACREP accredited master’s in counseling (or other 48 semester hour regionally accredited counseling master’s). The program must include a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship
• Have a passing NCE score
• Submit a plan for work experience supervision with a board-approved supervisor
• Complete 2,000 hours of post-master’s supervised work experience, of which 800 hours must be direct client contact and 100 hours must be direct supervision, at least 50 hours of which shall be face-to-face
• Submit an application for full licensure once supervised work experience hours are complete

To be licensed as an LPC-MH, candidates must already hold an LPC. They must also:

• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee and $75 licensing fee
• Have a passing NCMHCE score
• Submit a plan for work experience supervision with a board-approved supervisor
• Complete two years and 2,000 hours of supervised work experience, including 100 hours of supervision, 50 of which must be face-to-face. Up to 1,000 hours of work experience and 50 hours of supervision earned for the LPC license may be used.
• Submit an application for full licensure (once supervised work experience hours are complete)

South Dakota requires LPC-MHs and LPCs to renew their licenses annually. Both license renewals cost $100.

Counselors are required to complete 40 hours of continuing education hours biennially, four of which must be in ethics. Continuing education hours are due on odd-numbered years.