How to become a licensed therapist or counselor in another state

With virtual mental health care becoming more commonplace, there are benefits to being licensed in more than one state. COVID-19 provisions are already fading, and easy license reciprocity and portability laws are still rare. 

Though the processes to get licensed by endorsement are similar, it still varies across states and by license type. This resource gives providers an idea of what to expect in the states where we operate for some of our most common license types. Most states require that your licensure have no disciplinary action. 

As we expand or policies change, we’ll keep this post up to date. 

Application checklist

Not every license or process will need all of these but if it applies to you, it’s good to have it on hand.

• Application fees
• Verification of an active license 
• Official transcripts
• Proof of passing exam scores
• Documentation of completing education and supervised hours, per your jurisdiction’s requirements
• Proof of current practice and duration

California

The process for out-of-state LMFTs, LPCs, and LCSWs is the same. There are two paths for application: Path A and Path B. 

You can review the guide for application—but we’ll also give you a quick overview of what you’ll need here.

Overview

For both paths, you’ll need the following: 

• To submit an application fee of $250 to $400, depending on whether you’ve already been licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. 
• You may need a live scan of your fingerprints. 
• Provide official transcripts from your master’s or doctoral degree. This can be mailed to the board in an envelope sealed by the school or sent electronically by the school to BBSLPCCtranscripts@dca.ca.gov
• If you haven’t taken it yet, pass the California Law and Ethics Exam. 
• Complete or have proof of completion for the necessary coursework. 
• Submit verification of corresponding licensure in another state.
• After passing the exam, apply for initial licensure with a $200 fee. 

If you meet all four of the following requirements, you can take Path A to California licensure: 

• You have held a license as a Professional Clinical Counselor in another United States jurisdiction for at least two years
• That license is at the highest level for independent clinical practice in that jurisdiction
• That license is current, and has been active and unrestricted for at least two years immediately before the date the Board receives your application
• The degree that qualified you for your license is a master’s or doctorate degree from a school holding a regional or national institutional accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or a school approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.

Instructions and forms for application process

Path A

Path B

Submit your applications to:

Board of Behavioral Sciences

1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S200

Sacramento, CA 95834

District of Columbia 

To apply for license endorsement in DC, start an application for a new license on their portal. 

For all licenses, you must use the portal since DC has stopped accepting paper applications. However, clinical social workers may need to submit supplementary material through mail. 

Along with some of the other required materials—which vary by license type—applicants will be required to have or submit:

• Criminal background check
• Vaccination attestations
• National Practitioner Databank (NPDB) Self Query Report

The application fee and requirements vary by license type: 

Professional Counseling (LPC)

• Resource page
• Application package
• Application checklist

Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT)

• Resource page
• Application package
• Application checklist

Social Work (LSWA, LGSW, LISW, LICSW)

• Resource page
• Application package
• Application checklist

Florida

As a member of the counseling compact, Florida follows their rules of recognizing licenses from applicants who meet certain requirements in states that are also part of the compact. However, the state still has its own processes to apply for endorsement.  

Telehealth 

Beyond applying for endorsement to practice virtually and in-person in Florida, the state also offers options for just out-of-state telehealth registration. 

You can submit an application and meet the following requirements: 

• Have an active and verifiable license in another state, DC, or a U.S. possession or territory
• No pending investigations, discipline, or revocations in the last 5 years
• Maintain liability coverage or financial responsibility for telehealth services provided to clients in Florida in an amount equal or greater than Florida health care practitioner requirements
• Appoint a registered agent for service of process

You also can’t open a Florida office or provide in-person health care services. If you do, you’ll need to go through a different process. 

License endorsement

All the licenses have the same process and requirements, though some details do differ by license type, such as where to send your application or which exam to take. Florida’s process does require providers to complete more courses, so prepare to spend a little more time and money to get your license endorsement. 

1. Complete a license verification. 
2. Pass the national exam for your license type. Some license exams are exempt, depending on type and year passed.  
3. Complete courses for Laws & Rules, HIV/AIDS, and Domestic Violence. 

While the basic steps are the same, some of the procedures such as where to mail materials or which ones account differ by license, so be sure to take a look at the instructions for your specific one. 

Illinois

Endorsement in Illinois differs for each license type but many of the requirements are shared. 

You’ll need: 

• An application fee for LMFT and LPC applications. (The fee is waived for LCSW applications received before June 30, 2024.)
• Official examination reports
• Official transcripts
• Accreditation certifications from the respective program
• Personal history documents
• Proof of name change, if any documents use a different name
• Forms: CCA, ED, CT, and coursework completion forms

Application forms and process

• LMFT
• LPC
• LCSW

Maryland

As a member of the counseling compact, Maryland follows their rules of recognizing licenses from applicants who meet certain requirements in states that are also part of the compact. However, the state still has its own processes to apply for endorsement.   

LPCs 

Per the compact, applicants must have: 

• Proof of your out-of-state active license
• Passing scores on the National Counselors Examination of the National Board for Certified Counselors and the State Law Test
• Transcripts proving an official degree in professional counseling from an accredited institution
• Documentation of graduate coursework, which includes 3 semester credits in each of the following areas: 

• Professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities
• Diagnosis and psychopathology
• Psychotherapy and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

• 3,000 hours of supervision with a master’s degree, and a minimum number of years of experience depending on graduate hours; or 2,000 hours of supervision with a doctoral degree, and at least 2 years of experience practicing as a counselor
• Application fee of $250 and a separate licensing fee of $150

Find more detailed information about the application process from the instructions.

Learn more from Maryland’s page on General Licensure Information.

LMFTs

Per the compact, applicants must have at minimum: 

• Proof of your out-of-state active license
• Passing scores on the Examination in Marital and Family Therapy developed by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards; and the State examination on law and regulations
• Transcripts proving an official degree in professional counseling from an accredited institution
• Documentation of graduate coursework, which includes 3 semester credits or 5 quarter credits in each of the following areas: 

• Diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders; 
• Sexual issues in marriage and family therapy; 
• Couples therapy, theory, and techniques; and 
• Professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities in marriage and family therapy

• 3,000 hours of supervision with a master’s degree, and a minimum number of years of experience depending on graduate hours; or 2,000 hours of supervision with a doctoral degree, and at least 2 years of experience practicing marriage and family therapy
• Application fee of $250 and a separate licensing fee of $150

Find more detailed information about the application process from the instructions. 

Learn more from Maryland’s page on General Licensure Information.

LCSWs

The process for getting license endorsement in social work differs. You must apply online though may need to send in additional documents by mail.

They recommend having the following to begin your application: 

1. Internet access. (Home, office, library)
2. Social Security number is requir​ed to apply.
3. An email address. (Please use a working / valid email address). Once you start an application, you will receive emails with updates & communications from the board. Check your email INBOX, JUNK, SPAM and TRASH folders to locate your first email with your Application ID. This email may have been sent to one of these folders depending on the security of your email provider.

(Note: Please make sure you add bswe.licensing@maryland.gov to your trusted/allowed email address list to ensure the email does not get sent to your spam folder or get filtered out of your email before it is received.)

4. Your Social Work licenses held in any state including Maryland
5. Your Visa, MasterCard or Discover. The Board does NOT accept checks or money orders for online applications. Your application is considered incomplete until we receive payment.

What you need to apply will depend on your years of experience: 

• Checklist for less than 5 years of licensure
• Checklist for holding a license for at least 5 out of last 10 years

Find more information on Maryland’s page for the social work application.

New Jersey

Though New Jersey doesn’t accept out-of-state licenses, they do have processes for LCSWs, LMFTs, and LPCs to apply for reciprocity with equivalent licensure from another state. 

All of these licenses begin with starting an application in the same portal. 

Start Application for Reciprocity in New Jersey

Though the process starts the same, each license type has slight differences in the process. Here is some of what you need to know and some tips. 

LMFTs

When completing the standard LMFT application, check that you have a license to practice in another state. Provide official verification of the licenses you hold in other jurisdictions. 

Here’s the information for contacting the New Jersey State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners: 

Address

State Board of Marriage and Family Examiners
P.O. Box 45007
Newark, NJ 07101

You can contact them by phone at (973) 504-6415.

For questions, email MFTinquries@dca.njoag.gov 

More information can be found in the frequently asked questions.

LPCs

When completing the application, check reciprocity in the top-right hand corner. You’ll need to also pay a $75 nonrefundable application fee. 

These materials must be sent directly to the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee, a sub-committee of the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners. 

• License verification, sent directly from the licensing board or entity that issued the license
• National test scores
• Verification of supervised counseling experience
• Official graduate transcripts, directly sent from the college or university
• Current resume or curriculum vitae

The Committee’s address is: 

State Board of Marriage and Family Examiners

Professional Counselor Examiners Committee

P.O. Box 45044

Newark, NJ 07101

You can contact them by phone at (973) 504-6582. 

The Committee reviews application at monthly meetings, which are usually the first Thursday of every month at 9:30 a.m. at 124 Halsey Street, Newark, NJ 07101. The next meeting can be found on the Committee’s schedule.

For more information about being a professional counselor in New Jersey, check their frequently asked questions.

LCSWs

To apply for a license via reciprocity: 

• Complete the online application for LCSW — There is no separate reciprocity application
• Upload a copy of your resume to your online profile through the Upload License Documents tab

• A reciprocity applicant's work experience within the past five years is reviewed in lieu of supervision hours, so make sure your CV/resume is up-to-date and detailed.

• You will not need to complete the clinical experience portion of the application as long as your resume shows sufficient clinical work (as defined by the Board's regulations) within the past five years.

• Email all third-party documents including official transcripts, license/certificate verifications to DCA_Social_Work_No_Reply@dca.njoag.gov
• Contact ASWB to request an official clinical exam score report. 
• If you were not required to sit for the clinical exam because grandfathering provisions did not require it, upload a letter to your online profile detailing your licensure history
• NJ Office of Consumer Affairs for licensing questions: 973-424-8150 ext 3

• Social work division is 973-504-6495

Find more information on applying as an LCSW on the New Jersey Consumer Affairs page

New York

To apply for a license by endorsement, therapists must meet the minimum years of licensed practice. Otherwise, practitioners must go through the process for an initial license. 

The applications share the same forms.

LMFTs

Applicants must hold a license with equivalent standards to New York licensure, and have evidence of licensed practice for at least 5 years out of the 10 prior to application.

Applicants also must:

• Be at least 21 years old 
• Hold a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or a related field 
• Have completed supervised experience to qualify for initial licensure in another jurisdiction
• Have passed an exam acceptable to the New York State Education Department for practicing Marriage and Family Therapy
• Be of good moral character, as determined by the Department
• Complete the required course work in the identification and reporting of child abuse or the exemption from such course work

To apply for licensure by endorsement you must submit:

• An Application for Licensure (Form 1) along with the $371 fee
• A Certification of Professional Education (Form 2)
• Verification of your licensure status from the jurisdiction in which you were initially licensed

• If it is different, submit a verification from any other jurisdiction in which you are or have been licensed. 
• Each licensing authority must complete and submit a Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification (Form 3)

• An Endorsement Applicant Experience Record (Form 4E)
• A Certification of Licensed Experience (Form 4F) completed and submitted by the licensed colleague who is attesting to your 5 years of post-licensure experience within the last 10 years.
• Your examination scores, submitted by the AMFTRB

For more information, see the license requirements for “Applicants Licensed in Another Jurisdiction.”

LPCs

Applicants must hold a license with equivalent standards to New York licensure, and have evidence of licensed practice for at least 5 years out of the 10 prior to application.

Applicants also must:

• Be at least 21 years old 
• Hold a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or a related field 
• Have completed supervised experience to qualify for initial licensure in another jurisdiction
• Have passed an exam acceptable to the New York State Education Department for practicing Marriage and Family Therapy
• Be of good moral character, as determined by the Department
• Complete the required course work in the identification and reporting of child abuse or the exemption from such course work

To apply for licensure by endorsement you must submit:

• An Application for Licensure (Form 1) along with the $371 fee
• A Certification of Professional Education (Form 2)
• Verification of your licensure status from the jurisdiction in which you were initially licensed

• If it is different, submit a verification from any other jurisdiction in which you are or have been licensed. 
• Each licensing authority must complete and submit a Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification (Form 3)

• An Endorsement Applicant Experience Record (Form 4E)
• A Certification of Licensed Experience (Form 4F) completed and submitted by the licensed colleague who is attesting to your 5 years of post-licensure experience within the last 10 years.
• Your NCMHCE examination scores, submitted by the NBCC

For more information, see the license requirements for “Applicants Licensed in Another Jurisdiction.”

LCSWs

Applicants must hold a license with equivalent standards to New York licensure, and have evidence of licensed practice for at least 10 years out of the 15 prior to application.

The license must have been issued based on meeting the following requirements: 

• MSW degree with clinical content
• Post-MSW supervised experience in diagnosis, psychotherapy and assessment-based treatment planning
• ASWB clinical social work examination

To apply for licensure by endorsement you must submit:

• an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and the $294 fee for licensure and first registration
• Verification of a Master of Social Work degree, acceptable to the Department (Form 2);
• Verification for the initial basis of licensure and verification of good standing in each jurisdiction in which you are licensed to practice a profession (Form 3)
• A list of supervisors who will verify at least 10 years of practice in clinical social work in the 15 years prior to application for licensure by endorsement (Form 4E);
• Verification of clinical examination score from ASWB
• Verification of your licensed practice of at least 10 years by licensed colleague(s) (Form 4F); and

Applicants must be of good moral character, as determined by the Department. Documentation must also be submitted by the proper entity, not the applicant, where necessary. 

For more information, see the license requirements for “Applicants Licensed in Another State.”

Pennsylvania

Act 41 allows for license portability in Pennsylvania, so therapists can get licensure by endorsement without examination or licensure. The specifics of the minimum requirements vary by license type. 

According to each page: “Act 41 allows for portability of out-of-state professional licensees coming to work in Pennsylvania. Act 41 does this by granting all boards and commissions within the Commonwealth the authority to endorse licensees from other states, territories or jurisdictions (with substantially equivalent licensing requirements) who are active, in good standing and without discipline against their license or criminal conviction and who have been actively engaged in the practice for 2 of the last 5 years.”

More information on endorsement of each license:

• LMFT
• LPC
• LCSW

Texas

LMFTs

Licensed MFT’s from out of state must submit: 

• A complete application and fee 
• Licensing exam scores, sent from AMFTRB to the Texas Board
• An official transcript that shows the conferral date of your qualifying degree 
• Supervised clinical practicum and experience verification form 
• A completed the Texas Jurisprudence Examination for MFT 
• An official verification of MFT license, sent from each state where licensed
• A self-query report from the National Practitioner Data Bank 
• Electronic fingerprints for a nationwide criminal history search 
• Proof of completion of required supervised practice (if licensed under two years)

Applicants must also complete the Texas Jurisprudence Examination for MFTs. 

You can find more information on the application page.

The frequently asked questions also contain helpful information for the application.

LPCs

Licensed Professional Counselors from out of state must submit:

• The online application and fee
• Documentation required for obtaining an LPC Associate license

• Jurisprudence Examination Completion Certificate
• Supervised Experience Documentation Form
• Practicum Documentation Form 
• NCE/NCMHCE Scores
• National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report
• Fingerprinting
• Official transcripts, emailed to transcripts@bhec.texas.gov or mailed to 

• BHEC LPC Transcripts
  1801 Congress Ave, Ste. 7.300
  Austin, TX  78701

• Verifications from each state in which an LPC license, submitted directly to the Board by the issuing entity

You can find more information on the application page.

The frequently asked questions also contain helpful information for the application.

LCSWs

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) from out of state must follow the same application process for obtaining a Master Social Worker license. 

Applicants who have been licensed as a clinical social worker for less than a year must also submit verification of 3,000 completed hours of supervised practice and 100 hours of supervision. Applicants with over a year meet the hourly requirements and don’t have to submit verification. 

You can find more information on the application page.

The frequently asked questions also contain helpful information for the application.

Virginia

LPCSs and LMFTs

Virginia doesn’t currently have reciprocity with any state. For both LPC and LMFTs, the process for applying for license endorsement is the same. 

To apply for licensure by endorsement, you must have or have held an independent equivalent professional counselor license in another U. S. jurisdiction and meet one of the following:

1. Have 24 of the last 60 months of post-licensure active practice with an independent clinical counseling licensed.

1.  Provide evidence of post-licensure clinical practice in counseling for 24 of the last 60 months immediately preceding your application in Virginia.

1. i. Clinical practice shall mean the rendering of direct clinical counseling services or clinical supervision of counseling services.

1. b. Documentation of education and supervised experience that met the requirements of the jurisdiction in which you were initially licensed as verified by an official transcript and a certified copy of the original application materials

1. If you do not have 24 of the last 60 months of post-licensure active practice with an independent clinical counseling license, your education and supervision experience must be consistent with those required by Virginia Code and Regulations. Please refer to the education and residency requirements outlined previously in the handbook.

To apply for Endorsement, you must submit the following to the Virginia Board of Counseling: 

1. A completed application; 
2. $175 application processing fee; 
3. Verification of all mental health or health professional licenses, certificates or registration ever held in any other jurisdiction.  In order to qualify for endorsement, you must have no unresolved action against a license or certificate. The board will consider history of disciplinary action on a case-by-case basis. 
4. Official transcript;
5. Documentation of having completed education and supervision experience; 
6. Verification of a passing score on an examination required for counseling licensure in the jurisdiction in which licensure was initially obtained; 
7. Verification of post-licensure clinical active practice (if applicable); 
8. Certified copy of licensure application from the jurisdiction where you were originally licensed (if applicable); 
9. Attest to having read and understood the regulations and laws governing the practice of professional counseling in Virginia; and 
10. National Practitioners Data Bank (NPDB) query is required for every licensure application.

LCSWs

Virginia’s application process starts online and may require submission of printed documents to the Board of Social Work. 

Providers seeking endorsement will need to: 

1. Hold an active, unrestricted social work license in another state at the level comparable to the level in which they are applying in Virginia 
2. Submit evidence of a passing score for the ASWB examination comparable to the level in which they are applying in Virginia  

• If you have not passed the ASWB examination required under Regulation 18 VAC 140-20-70, the Board may approve you to take the exam. You will not be licensed until you have successfully passed the examination required. 

1. Provide post-licensure experience verification or submit evidence of supervision (for LCSW Applicant’s only)  

• Note: This step is not applicable for LBSW & LMSW applications by endorsement 

1. Apply for Licensure by Endorsement and submit all supporting documentation

The online application includes a checklist that updates as you submit documentation. 

They recommend reviewing the regulations prior to applying and paying the fee, the cost of which changes depending on the service.