Counselor Licensure in Michigan: LPC Requirements, Hours and Exams
Michigan licenses counselors on two rungs: the limited licensed counselor (LLPC), a limited license to practice under supervision, then the licensed professional counselor (LPC), licensed to practice without supervision.
The master's route requires not less than 3,000 hours accrued in not less than a 2-year period with not less than 100 hours of supervision, and a passing score on the NCE, the CRCC exam, or the NCMHCE.
The quirk: Michigan writes diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders into its statutory scope, and the Counseling Compact is not enacted here.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Licensed professional counselor (LPC) — defined in MCL 333.18101(b) as an individual licensed to engage in the practice of counseling without supervision.
Limited licensed counselor (LLPC) — a limited LICENSE held while accruing supervised hours; renewable annually, but for no more than 10 years (R 338.1777(3)).
CACREP-accredited program, or a non-CACREP program evaluated as substantially equivalent: not less than 48 semester hours (72 quarter) for entrants on or before June 30, 2023; not less than 60 semester hours (90 quarter) for entrants on or after July 1, 2023 (R 338.1765).
Not less than 3,000 hours accrued in not less than a 2-year period, with not less than 100 hours of regularly scheduled supervision (master's); doctoral: not less than 1,500 hours over not less than 1 year, with not less than 50 hours (R 338.1774(1)(c)).
A passing score on an examination adopted under R 338.1773: the NCE, the CRCC exam, or the NCMHCE.
No jurisprudence exam was located.
No separate supervisor credential.
A first-time supervisor on or after May 5, 2022 needs supervision training (2 graduate semester hours or 30 contact hours) plus not less than 5 years of post-master's practice, or must hold the CCE Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential (R 338.1781).
Not enacted.
Michigan is not on the Counseling Compact Commission's member list, as of September 2026.
The limited license renews annually, for no more than 10 years.
For the LPC, R 338.1777(2) refers to the 3-year period immediately preceding a renewal application — the cycle is implied, not stated — and no CE hour total is stated in the sources read.
The Michigan credential ladder
- Limited licensed counselor(LLPC)Pre-licensure
A limited license — not a registration or a permit — to engage in the practice of counseling under the supervision of an LPC who meets the supervisor requirements; renewable annually, for no more than 10 years.
- Licensed professional counselor(LPC)Independent
The license to engage in the practice of counseling without supervision; Michigan's statutory definition of that practice includes psychotherapy, the diagnosis and treatment planning for mental and emotional disorders, and evaluation.
A limited license on the way to the LPC — not a registration
Michigan issues two counseling credentials, and the entry rung is a license: the limited licensed counselor, whom the statute defines by the supervised status the license carries.
The supervision is documented, not informal.
The LLPC's professional disclosure statement, provided to clients, must state that the holder practices under the supervision of an LPC in good standing and must identify that supervisor; a separate statement naming the supervisor and the supervisor's qualifications is filed with the department, and changes must be filed within 30 days.
The limited license renews annually, for no more than 10 years; in hardship the department, in consultation with the board, may consider up to three 1-year extensions.
Read the 10-year cap as the outside boundary for finishing the hours and the exam.
Other states issue the same counselor licence under different letters — see LPC vs LMHC vs LPCC vs LCPC, mapped state by state.
“"Limited licensed counselor" means an individual who has been granted a limited license under this article to engage in the practice of counseling under the supervision of a licensed professional counselor who meets the requirement of section 18106.”
CACREP, or an evaluated equivalent: 48 hours before July 2023, 60 after
The program must be conducted at an accredited higher education institution meeting the standards the board has approved and adopted.
The clean route is CACREP accreditation.
A graduate of a non-CACREP program can still qualify, but the applicant bears the expense of an evaluation, by the CCE or a credential evaluation organization that is a current NACES member, finding the program and any supplemental coursework substantially equivalent to the adopted standards — and the hour floor depends on the entry date.
Applicants who entered a program on or before June 30, 2023 need not less than 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours; applicants who entered on or after July 1, 2023 need not less than 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours.
Either way the program must include graduate coursework and training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders and all other coursework requirements of CACREP, including a practicum and an internship.
Document your program entry date: on the non-CACREP route, qualification turns on it.
For why boards write program accreditation into the degree rule, see CSWE vs CACREP vs COAMFTE accreditation.
“For applicants that entered a program on or after July 1, 2023, the program must consist of not less than 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours in a graduate-level degree granting program.”
3,000 hours in not less than 2 years, with 100 supervision hours
For an applicant who has completed a master's degree, the rule requires not less than 3,000 hours accrued in not less than a 2-year period, with not less than 100 hours of regularly scheduled supervision.
A doctoral applicant needs not less than 1,500 hours accrued over not less than a 1-year period, with not less than 50 supervision hours.
The experience must involve an opportunity to work with a broad range of the population, conducted in an organized education, business, health, private practice, or human services setting under the supervision of an LPC.
Timing is the part applicants get wrong: supervision begins on the issuance of the limited license and continues until the LPC license is issued, and for experience gained in Michigan you must have held the limited license while accruing it.
What the rule does not set is any direct-client-contact minimum within the 3,000 hours — it is not stated in the sources read, so confirm with the board before crediting administrative or agency time.
For what counts as a supervised hour, and what changes at independent licensure, see associate vs. independently licensed therapists.
“For an applicant that has completed a master's degree, not less than 3,000 hours accrued in not less than a 2-year period, with not less than 100 hours of regularly scheduled supervision accrued in the immediate physical presence of the supervisor or via 2-way real-time audiovisual technology that allows direct, contemporaneous interaction by sight and sound between the supervisor and the supervisee. The supervision begins on the issuance of the limited license and continues until the licensed professional counselor license is issued.”
Three adopted exams — a passing score on any single one
The board has approved and adopted three examinations: the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) developed by NBCC, the certified rehabilitation counselor examination developed by the CRCC, and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), also developed by NBCC.
Each exam's passing score is the one set by its own organization.
The license applicant must provide proof of a passing score on an examination adopted under R 338.1773(1), (2), or (3) — a single exam satisfies the requirement, so a rehabilitation counseling graduate whose CRCC exam is already on the board's list does not need a second test.
No Michigan jurisprudence examination was located in the rules read.
Build the exam into your limited-license window: the score must be in hand when you apply for the full license.
For how the counselor, social work and MFT licensing exams compare, see ASWB vs NCE vs NCMHCE vs the MFT national exam.
“Provide proof, as directed by the department, verifying a passing score on an examination approved and adopted under either R 338.1773(1), (2), or (3).”
Choosing a supervisor: training plus 5 years post-master's, or the ACS
Michigan has no separate supervisor license; qualification attaches to the LPC.
Before providing counseling supervision, an LPC must satisfy a route in R 338.1781(1): a first-time supervisor on or after May 5, 2022 needs training in the function of counseling supervision and not less than 5 years of post-master's practice in counseling, while earlier first-time supervisors needed not less than 3 years; alternatively the LPC currently holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential from the CCE.
Training means two semester hours of graduate credit or thirty contact hours of workshop training in counseling supervision, spanning required topics from supervision models to legal and ethical issues.
Before supervision begins, the LPC must give the supervisee a written statement of supervising qualifications and keep ongoing documentation for each supervisee.
Delivery is flexible: supervision may be in the immediate physical presence of the supervisor or via 2-way real-time audiovisual technology allowing direct, contemporaneous interaction by sight and sound; no percentage cap on the audiovisual share is stated.
For what it takes to become a supervisor yourself, see can an LPC supervise an associate?
“Provided supervision for the first time on or after May 5, 2022, completed training in the function of counseling supervision that satisfies the requirements of subrule (2) of this rule, and acquired not less than 5 years of post-master's practice in counseling.”
Diagnosis sits in the statute, with a psychology carve-out
Michigan defines the clinical work in statute.
The practice of counseling includes psychotherapy, the diagnosis and treatment planning for mental and emotional disorders, and evaluation, and 'diagnosing the problem' expressly reaches the classifications and diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, obtained through successful completion of a qualified program.
That authority has statutory edges.
Diagnosing the problem does not include identifying other medical or physical conditions; counseling does not include the practice of psychology except for preventive, counseling, or behavior modification techniques the licensee has been specifically trained in; and it does not include the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine, including differential diagnosis of medical conditions, prescribing drugs, or administering electroconvulsive therapy.
A counselor also shall not hold themself out as a psychologist, a marriage and family therapist, or a licensed bachelor's or master's social worker.
“"Diagnosing the problem" means the identification of the problem through the application of recognized counseling techniques and psychotherapy skills and theories, including the use of the classifications and diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, obtained through the successful completion of a qualified program. Diagnosing the problem does not include the identification of other medical or physical conditions.”
Moving to Michigan: 5 years licensed elsewhere creates a presumption
The endorsement route mirrors the domestic application: proof of a current and full professional counselor license in another state or a province of Canada, a degree satisfying R 338.1765, a passing score on an exam adopted under R 338.1773 taken for licensure elsewhere, and a professional disclosure statement.
The shortcut is subrule (2).
An applicant who verifies a current and full license in good standing as an LPC in another state for not less than the last 5 years before filing is presumed to satisfy the license, education, and exam requirements — so a counselor with 5 years of good standing elsewhere does not have to re-prove the degree or the exam score.
An applicant licensed for a shorter period falls back on subrule (1) and documents each element.
Applicants licensed in any other health profession or jurisdiction must also disclose it and satisfy the disciplinary-verification requirements of section 16174(2) of the code.
For how endorsement works when you move, see moving states as a therapist: license transfer and endorsement.
“An applicant that provides proof, as directed by the department, verifying a current and full license in good standing as a licensed professional counselor in another state for not less than the last 5 years before the date of filing the application for a professional counselor license by endorsement is presumed to satisfy the requirements of subrule (1)(b), (c), and (d) of this rule.”
Counseling Compact: not enacted in Michigan
Michigan has not enacted the Counseling Compact and is not on the commission's member list as of September 2026.
Nothing operates in either direction: a Michigan LPC cannot use the Compact to gain a privilege to practice in another member state, and a counselor licensed in a member state cannot use the Compact to practice in Michigan.
The routes into Michigan remain licensure by examination under R 338.1774 and licensure by endorsement under R 338.1775.
Compact membership changes as states enact the law and commissions go live, so check the commission and the board for the current status before you build a multistate plan on it.
For how the compact’s privilege to practice works, see the Counseling Compact explained.
Annual renewal for the LLPC; the LPC cycle and CE total are not stated
The limited license renews annually, for no more than 10 years, with up to three 1-year hardship extensions the department may consider in consultation with the board.
For the full license, the rule says that an applicant for renewal who has been licensed for the 3-year period immediately preceding the application provides the fee and a completed application form.
That is the only cycle language in the rule read for this page: a 3-year cycle is implied, but the rule does not state a renewal period in so many words, so confirm it with the board before planning.
The continuing-education hour requirement for LPCs was not located in the rules read (R 338.1751–1781) — no CE total is stated in the sources read, and none should be assumed.
“An applicant for license renewal that has been licensed for the 3-year period immediately preceding the application for renewal shall provide the required fee and a completed application on a form provided by the department.”
What changed in 2022 and 2023, and where it leaves you
The 2023 rule revision, 2023 MR 8 effective April 26, 2023, reshaped the path in four ways.
It set the 60-semester-hour floor for non-CACREP program entrants on or after July 1, 2023.
It added the limited-license disclosure requirements naming the supervising LPC.
It amended R 338.1777, whose text caps limited-license renewal at 10 years.
And it added R 338.1758, a telehealth rule requiring consent for treatment before telehealth services, proof of consent in the patient's record, and the same standard of care as a traditional in-person service.
Earlier, R 338.1781(1)(c) set the supervisor floor at not less than 5 years of post-master's practice for those providing supervision for the first time on or after May 5, 2022; earlier first-time supervisors needed not less than 3 years.
A guide written before these dates can carry the right hours and exams and still miss the degree floor that now turns on entry date.
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the Michigan statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above, as read for this state-by-state counselor licensure series, current as of September 2026.
It does not list application forms, fees beyond those cited above, or processing times, and it is not a substitute for the instructions the Michigan Board of Counseling (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) publishes.
Nor does it cover social work licensure in Michigan, MFT licensure in Michigan, or what therapists earn in Michigan.
Hour totals, exams and supervision rules change by statute and by board rule; for how the counselor, social work and MFT licences differ, see LCSW vs. LPC vs. LMFT: which therapy licence to get.
Confirm every requirement with the Michigan Board of Counseling (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the mental health counselor jobs in Michigan that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
I entered a 48-semester-hour non-CACREP program. Do I still qualify for Michigan licensure?
It turns on your entry date.
Under R 338.1765, an applicant who entered a non-CACREP program on or before June 30, 2023 needs not less than 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours; an applicant who entered on or after July 1, 2023 needs not less than 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours.
Either way, the program must include graduate coursework in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders and a practicum and internship, and an evaluation by the CCE or a NACES-member organization — at the applicant's expense — must find it substantially equivalent.
Confirm your file with the Michigan Board of Counseling.
Can I count supervised hours in Michigan before my limited license is issued?
Not for experience gained in this state.
R 338.1774(2) requires an applicant to have held the limited license while accruing Michigan experience, practicing under the supervision of an LPC in good standing throughout the period.
R 338.1774(1)(c)(i) says the supervision begins on the issuance of the limited license and continues until the licensed professional counselor license is issued.
The 10-year renewal cap on the limited license is the boundary for finishing the hours and the exam.
Ask the board how it treats hours accrued in another jurisdiction before relying on any of them.
How much of my Michigan supervision can be by video?
The rule names the medium but sets no percentage cap.
R 338.1774(1)(c) counts supervision accrued in the immediate physical presence of the supervisor or via 2-way real-time audiovisual technology that allows direct, contemporaneous interaction by sight and sound between the supervisor and the supervisee.
Audio-only or telephone check-ins are not in that description.
No cap on the audiovisual share is stated in the rules read for this page, so if you plan to give or receive supervision mostly by video, confirm the arrangement with the Michigan Board of Counseling first.
Can a Michigan LPC diagnose mental and emotional disorders?
Diagnosis is written into the statutory scope.
MCL 333.18101 defines the practice of counseling to include psychotherapy, the diagnosis and treatment planning for mental and emotional disorders, and evaluation, and defines diagnosing the problem to include the classifications and diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, obtained through completion of a qualified program.
The limits are statutory too: no identification of medical or physical conditions, no practice of psychology beyond techniques the licensee is specifically trained in, and no holding oneself out as a psychologist, marriage and family therapist, or social worker.
Can I practice in Michigan under the Counseling Compact?
Not as of September 2026.
Michigan has not enacted the Counseling Compact and is not on the commission's member list, so no compact privilege operates in either direction: a counselor licensed elsewhere cannot use the Compact to practice in Michigan, and a Michigan LPC cannot use it elsewhere.
The routes into Michigan are licensure by examination under R 338.1774 or by endorsement under R 338.1775, which presumes the requirements met for an applicant licensed in good standing elsewhere for the last 5 years.
Check the commission and the board for current status.
More Michigan & Mental Health Counselor Resources
Sources
- Michigan Public Health Code, MCL 333.18101 (Definitions) — Michigan Legislature (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Michigan Administrative Code R 338.1751, 1758, 1765, 1772–1775, 1777, 1781 (Cornell LII; 2023 MR 8, eff. 2023-04-26) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Counseling Compact Commission — member states (home page) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
Sourced from the statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal or clinical advice — confirm current rules with the Michigan Board of Counseling (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing).