South Carolina LPC License: Requirements for Counseling Licensure in SC
To get a South Carolina LPC license, you’ll complete a master’s degree in counseling (minimum 48 credit hours), pass the NCE or NCMHCE exam, earn a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) license, and complete 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience over at least two years. The full process typically takes six to eight years from start to finish.
Most people who pursue an LPC in South Carolina already know they want to do clinical work. What they’re less sure about is the specific sequence of steps, the exact hour requirements, and what “supervised experience” actually means in practice. This guide breaks it down clearly, using the current requirements from the South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists.
The Two Levels of Counseling Licensure in South Carolina
South Carolina issues two credentials for professional counselors. You have to earn them in order: the associate license first, then the full license.
The Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) is the entry credential. It authorizes you to practice under supervision while you accumulate the clinical hours required for full licensure. The LPCA license is valid for two years. If you haven’t completed your supervised experience within that window, you can apply for an Associate Extension before your license expires.
The Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is the full license. It authorizes independent clinical mental health counseling practice. To qualify, you convert your LPCA to an LPC by submitting documentation of completed supervised hours along with a new application.
If you want to supervise other counselors in the future, there’s also an LPC Supervisor (LPC/S) credential. You can apply after five years of continuous licensed clinical practice. That pathway has its own requirements, including a graduate-level supervision course and a separate application to the Board.
Step 1: Educational Requirements
South Carolina requires a master’s in counseling or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution or one accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. The degree must include a minimum of 48 graduate semester hours (72 quarter hours).
Programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) meet South Carolina’s requirements automatically. If your program isn’t CACREP-accredited, the Board will conduct a coursework review to confirm your degree covers the required content areas. Those core content areas include human growth and development; counseling theory; group dynamics and counseling; social and cultural foundations; lifestyle and career development; appraisal; research and program evaluation; and professional orientation and ethics.
Your degree program must also include a counseling practicum of at least 150 hours. If you intend to assess and treat serious mental health conditions, you’ll need a 600-hour supervised internship in addition to the practicum. That internship determines the scope of practice you’ll be authorized to carry at the LPCA level.
Step 2: Apply for Your LPCA License
The South Carolina Board has contracted with the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE) to handle the initial application review. You’ll submit your application, official transcripts, and a supervision plan to CCE, along with an educational review fee. CCE reviews your file to confirm you meet the education requirements and, once approved, provides instructions for scheduling your licensing exam.
You also need to submit a Plan for Clinical Supervision of Post-Master’s Clinical Experience in Counseling at this stage. This plan documents your arrangement with an approved supervisor and outlines how you intend to meet the hour requirements. Submitting an incomplete plan will delay your application, so get this right before you send it in.
Step 3: Pass the Licensing Exam
South Carolina accepts two exams, both administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC):
- The National Counselor Examination (NCE)
- The National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
You’ll receive exam registration instructions from CCE after your educational review is approved. Passing either exam with a score acceptable to the Board completes the exam requirement for the LPCA license.
Step 4: Complete Supervised Experience as an LPCA
Once your LPCA license is issued, you can start accumulating supervised clinical experience. South Carolina requires 1,500 total hours completed over a minimum of two years. Those hours break down as follows:
| Hour Category | Minimum Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Direct client contact | 1,380 hours | Face-to-face or live telehealth counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups |
| Total supervision hours | 120 hours | Must be provided by a Board-approved supervisor |
| Individual or triadic supervision | 60 hours | Minimum within the 120 supervision hours; remaining 60 may be group supervision |
| Total combined hours | 1,500 hours | Must be completed over not fewer than two years |
Your supervisor must be a Board-approved LPC Supervisor, a licensed psychologist, or a licensed psychiatrist. Supervisors must have at least five years of recent, continuous clinical experience. The Board doesn’t require your supervisor to be on-site, but they do need to be available to you throughout the supervisory period.
At the end of your supervised experience, you and your supervisor complete a Confirmation of Clinical Supervision form. That document gets submitted with your application to convert your LPCA to a full LPC.
Step 5: Apply for Your LPC License
When you’ve completed the 1,500 hours and your supervisor has signed off, you submit a new application to convert your LPCA to a full LPC license. This goes through the South Carolina LLR’s online e-service portal. Once the Board approves your application, you’re issued your LPC and authorized to practice independently.
License Renewal and Continuing Education
LPC and LPCA licenses expire every two years. To renew, you’ll need to complete 40 hours of board-approved continuing education during each renewal period: 34 hours in your professional practice area and 6 hours in ethics. You can renew online through the South Carolina LLR. The renewal fee for the LPC is $150.
Continuing education must be sponsored by an approved professional body. The Board accepts a range of activity types, including coursework, workshops, seminars, peer-reviewed publications, and approved self-study materials.
Licensure by Endorsement
If you’re already licensed as an LPC in another state, South Carolina may grant you licensure by endorsement without requiring you to repeat the full application process. To qualify, your out-of-state license must be current, active, and unrestricted, and the requirements in your original state must have been the same as or more stringent than South Carolina’s. You’ll submit the standard application along with a Verification of Licensure for Endorsement form sent directly from your state’s licensing board.
Counseling Compact: Practice Across State Lines
South Carolina joined the Counseling Compact in 2024. The Compact allows licensed counselors in member states to obtain a privilege to practice in other member states without applying for a separate license in each one. If you hold an active, unrestricted LPC in South Carolina and meet the Compact’s eligibility criteria, you can apply for a Compact privilege to work in other participating states, which matters if you do telehealth or plan to relocate.
Counselor Salaries in South Carolina
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in South Carolina earned a median annual salary of $50,720 as of May 2024. The bottom 25% earned around $40,480 and the top 25% earned $65,770 or more. Nationally, the median for the same occupational group was $59,190.
Salary varies by specialization, employer, setting, and geographic location within the state. LPCs working in private practice or healthcare settings tend to earn more than those in community-based or nonprofit roles. If you’re also considering the South Carolina social work licensure path, that page covers the LBSW, LMSW, and LISW credentials as an alternative route into clinical practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between LPCA and LPC in South Carolina?
The Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPCA) is the entry-level license that allows you to practice under supervision while completing the required post-master’s clinical hours. The Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is the full license that authorizes independent practice. You must hold the LPCA first and complete 1,500 hours of supervised experience before you can upgrade to the LPC.
How long does it take to get an LPC in South Carolina?
The full process typically takes six to eight years. That includes four years for a bachelor’s degree, two years for a master’s program, and at least two years as an LPCA to fulfill the supervised experience requirement. The timeline can be longer if you attend graduate school part-time or take time between degree completion and licensure application.
Can I get an LPC in South Carolina if I was licensed in another state?
Yes. South Carolina offers licensure by endorsement for counselors already licensed in other states. Your out-of-state license must be current and unrestricted, and the requirements where you were originally licensed must be equivalent to or more stringent than South Carolina’s. You’ll need your previous state’s licensing board to send a Verification of Licensure for Endorsement form directly to the South Carolina Board.
How many supervised hours are required for the LPC in South Carolina?
South Carolina requires 1,500 total hours of post-master’s clinical experience, completed over a minimum of two years as an LPCA. Of those, at least 1,380 must be direct client contact hours and 120 must be supervision hours. Within the 120 supervision hours, at least 60 must be individual or triadic supervision.
Does South Carolina participate in the Counseling Compact?
Yes. South Carolina joined the Counseling Compact in 2024. Licensed counselors in compact member states can apply for a privilege to practice in other participating states without obtaining a separate license in each state. This is particularly relevant for counselors who provide telehealth services across state lines.
Key Takeaways
- Two-step licensure path: You earn the LPCA first, then convert to LPC after completing 1,500 hours of supervised experience over at least two years.
- Education minimum is 48 credit hours: Your master’s program must cover eight core content areas. CACREP-accredited programs meet requirements automatically.
- Hours breakdown matters: Of the 1,500 required hours, 1,380 must be direct client contact and 120 must be supervision, with at least 60 of those being individual or triadic.
- South Carolina joined the Counseling Compact in 2024: This opens a streamlined path to practice in other member states without separate licensure applications.
- Endorsement is available: If you’re already licensed in another state with equivalent or stricter requirements, you can apply for licensure by endorsement rather than starting from scratch.
Ready to find a counseling program in South Carolina? Explore accredited master’s programs that meet the state’s licensure requirements and compare options by format, focus area, and location.
2024 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Social Workers, Social and Human Services Assistants, Social and Community Service Managers, and Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed April 2026.