Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Wisconsin

Mental health counselors in Wisconsin are licensed as either Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Licensed Professional Counselor Trainees (LPC Trainee).

To be an LPC Trainee, candidates must:

• Have an offer or already hold a position as a professional counselor with supervision
• Complete and submit the professional counselor application and related documents
• Pay the $77 fee
• Complete a master’s or doctorate in counseling from an accredited institution of at least 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours). The program must include a 100-hour internship and a 600 hour practicum. Programs must meet coursework requirements.

To be an LPC, candidates must meet trainee requirements as well as:

• Submit a completed application and forms
• Pay the $77 application fee
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience. Of those, 1,000 hours must be face-to-face contact. If the candidate has earned a doctorate, only 1,000 hours are required. There must be one hour of supervision per week.

Both LPC and trainee licenses must be renewed biennially in Wisconsin. Renewals are due by February 28th of odd-numbered years and cost $62.

Thirty continuing education credit hours are required for every renewal cycle. Four of the 30 hours must be in ethics.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issues a Initial Educator license in a pupil services category for school counselors.

The requirements for this initial license are:

• Complete a master’s degree in school counseling from one of 12 programs in the state of Wisconsin
• Have an institutional endorsement from the program where the master’s was completed
• Pass the Praxis Professional School Counselor exam
• Pass a background check
• Submit a complete online application
• Pay $125 application fee

To advance to a Professional Educator license, school counselors must:

• Create a Professional Development Plan (PDP) that demonstrates actively working towards proficiency as a school counselor
• Receive mentorship for a school counselor with a professional license

The initial license issued in Wisconsin is valid for five years, and is non-renewable. During those five years, school counselors must advance to a Professional Educator license.

Professional Educator licenses are valid for five years. To renew, school counselors must:

• Submit an online renewal application
• Pay $125 renewal fee
• Complete a Professional Development Plan (PDP) that demonstrates actively working towards proficiency as a school counselor

Wisconsin Department of Safety and Public Services (DSPS)

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Public Services (DSPS) licenses Substance Abuse Counselors in Training (SACIT), Substance Abuse Counselors (SAC), and Clinical Substance Abuse Counselors (CSAC).

SACIT license candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules exam
• Complete 100 hours of education in specific content areas
• Provide proof of employment or volunteer work agreement in substance abuse treatment
• Pay a $60 application fee and a $75 exam fee

SAC license candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules and NCAC Level I exams
• Complete 360 hours of education in specific content areas
• Complete 3,000 hours of work experience in the five years preceding the application (1,000 hour must be in counseling, with 500 of those being individual counseling; 200 of the counseling hours must be completed in the 12 months preceding the application, of which 100 hours must be individual counseling)
• Pay a $60 application fee and a $75 exam fee

CSAC licence candidates must:

• Submit a completed application
• Pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules and NCAC Level I exams
• Complete 360 hours of education in specific content areas or a substance abuse counselors credential
• Have an associate degree or higher
• Complete 5,000 hours of work experience in the five years preceding the application (hours earned for a SAC license may be used to satisfy this requirement)
• Pay a $60 application fee and a $75 exam fee

DSPS requires substance abuse counselors to renew their licenses every two year as they expire on February 28th of odd-numbered years. Renewals cost $60.

Counselors must complete 40 hours of continuing education, of which four must be in ethics.

Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board

Rehabilitation counselors in Wisconsin are licensed as either Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Licensed Professional Counselor Trainees (LPC Trainee).

To be an LPC Trainee, candidates must:

• Have an offer or already hold a position as a professional counselor with supervision
• Complete and submit the professional counselor application and related documents
• Pay the $77 fee
• Complete a master’s or doctorate in counseling from an accredited institution of at least 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours). The program must include a 100-hour internship and a 600 hour practicum. Programs must meet coursework requirements.

To be an LPC, candidates must meet trainee requirements as well as:

• Submit a completed application and forms
• Pay the $77 application fee
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam
• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience. Of those, 1,000 hours must be face-to-face contact. If the candidate has earned a doctorate, only 1,000 hours are required. There must be one hour of supervision per week.

Both LPC and trainee licenses must be renewed biennially in Wisconsin. Renewals are due by February 28th of odd-numbered years and cost $62.

Thirty continuing education credit hours are required for every renewal cycle. Four of the 30 hours must be in ethics.

The State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services licenses behavior analysts. Requirements for this license are:

• Submit a completed application
• Have a BCBA certification
• Pay $59 application fee

Behavior analyst licenses in Winsconsin expire on December 14th of even-numbered years. The cost to renew a license is $84.

Proof of current BCBA certification is required to renew a behavior analyst license.

The Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board credentials Marriage and Family Therapists and Marriage and Family Therapist Trainees.

To be an MFT Trainee, candidates must:

• Have an offer or already hold a position as a professional counselor with supervision and complete an Employer Affidavit
• Complete and submit the professional counselor application and related documents
• Pay the $62 fee
• Complete a master’s or doctorate in marriage and family therapy from a COAMFTE or regionally accredited program, including a 300-hour (eight-month) internship
• Pass the AMFTRB exam

To be a full MFT, candidates must meet trainee requirements, as well as:

• Submit a completed application and forms
• Pay the $77 application fee
• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience (1,000 hours must be face-to-face contact, and if the candidate has earned a doctorate, only 1,000 hours are required)

Both full MFT and trainee licenses must be renewed biennially in Wisconsin. Renewals are due by February 28th of odd-numbered years and cost $62.

Thirty continuing education credit hours are required for every renewal cycle. Four of the 30 hours must be in ethics.

Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board

Child therapists in Wisconsin are licensed as either Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) or Licensed Professional Counselor Trainees (LPC Trainee). To be an LPC Trainee, candidates must:

• Have an offer or already hold a position as a professional counselor with supervision
• Complete and submit the professional counselor application and related documents
• Pay the $77 fee
• Complete a master’s or doctorate in counseling from an accredited institution of at least 60 semester-hours (or 90 quarter-hours). The program must include a 100-hour internship and a 600-hour practicum. Programs must meet coursework requirements.

To be an LPC, candidates must meet trainee requirements as well as:

• Submit a completed application and forms
• Pay the $77 application fee
• Pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC exam and Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination
• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience. Of those, 1,000 hours must be face-to-face contact. If the candidate has earned a doctorate, only 1,000 hours are required. There must be one hour of supervision per week.

Both LPC and trainee licenses must be renewed biennially in Wisconsin. Renewals are due by February 28th of odd-numbered years and cost $62.

Thirty continuing education credit hours are required for every renewal cycle. Four of the 30 hours must be in ethics.