Substance Abuse Counselor Requirements in New York: Credentials, Hours and Exams
New York credentials substance abuse counselors through the CASAC — Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor — issued by OASAS, a state certification rather than a professional licence.
You start as a CASAC-Trainee or CASAC-Provisional, log 6,000 supervised work-experience hours including 300 hours of Supervised Practical Training, complete 350 education hours and one-time requirements, and pass the IC&RC ADC exam.
CASAC Level 2, Advanced and Master build on the same credential through added education and supervision training, not a new exam.
Private practice is prohibited unless you separately hold a NYS Education Department licence.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Counselor Assistant (job title, not a credential) leading to CASAC-Trainee/CASAC-Provisional, then CASAC, CASAC Level 2, CASAC-Advanced Counselor and CASAC-Master Counselor.
A state-agency credential, not a professional licence, issued by OASAS's Credentialing Unit; private practice is prohibited unless separately licensed by the NYS Education Department.
A CASAC-Provisional specifically can only work in an OASAS-certified setting, which is why OASAS issues the broader CASAC-Trainee instead when an applicant qualifies for both.
CASAC itself needs only a High School Diploma or HSE, plus 350 education hours and one-time requirements.
CASAC Level 2 needs an associate degree; CASAC-Advanced a bachelor's; CASAC-Master a master's in an approved human-services field, plus three consecutive years already holding CASAC.
6,000 hours of supervised work experience, including a minimum of 300 hours of Supervised Practical Training across 12 core functions (at least 10 hours each); at least 2,000 of the 6,000 must fall within the five years before submission.
One degree substitution only: associate up to 1,000 hours, bachelor's up to 2,000, master's or higher up to 4,000.
The IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam: 150 multiple-choice questions, a $245 fee, retest every 90 days.
Eligibility requires having met the 350 education hours and one-time requirements; work experience is tracked as a separate requirement.
After three failed attempts, an OASAS-approved CASAC Foundations or Ready to Test course is required before retesting.
CASAC and above may perform SUD Diagnostic Impression; CASAC-Trainee/Provisional only with Intensive Supervision.
Clinical supervision is reserved for CASAC-Advanced and CASAC-Master.
Private Practice is prohibited unless licensed by the NYS Education Department in a qualifying profession.
Not stated in the sources read.
OASAS is New York's own IC&RC member board and CASAC is the state's ADC-level reciprocal credential; AADC reciprocal-level holders may also reciprocate in at the ADC level.
No NAADAC-to-IC&RC reciprocity is established in the sources read.
Renewed every three years.
Minimum 60 clock hours of CE per cycle, including 6 hours of OASAS-approved ethics training and a Professional Boundaries and Reporting Requirements training at every renewal; the renewal application is due at least 75 days before expiration.
The New York credential ladder
- Counselor AssistantPre-licensure
An entry-level position on the OASAS Scope of Practice table, not the CASAC credential itself.
It requires a High School Diploma or HSE plus enrollment in a 350-hour education program, or completion of one-time requirements within three months of hire.
Under regular supervision it may perform SUD and co-occurring screening, orientation, case management and basic crisis response; under intensive supervision it adds non-clinical intake, group co-facilitation with a CASAC Level 2 or higher, psychoeducation, referral, care coordination and reporting.
- CASAC-Trainee / CASAC-Provisional(CASAC-T / CASAC-P)Pre-licensure
State certificates, not licences, issued for a one-time term that cannot be renewed.
CASAC-Trainee is reached through 350 education hours and one-time requirements, or through 4,000 hours of approved work experience plus 85 hours of Section I education, 15 hours of Section IV ethics and one-time requirements; CASAC-Provisional is issued instead on a qualifying bachelor's or master's degree in an approved human-services field plus employer verification.
When an applicant qualifies for both, OASAS issues the CASAC-Trainee, because a CASAC-Provisional can only work in an OASAS-certified setting.
Either route still requires completing the full 350 education hours and one-time requirements before you're eligible to sit the CASAC exam.
- Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor(CASAC)Independent
New York's core SUD counselor credential, a state certification issued by OASAS rather than a professional licence.
Applicants must be at least 18, have lived or worked in New York at least 51% of the time during their active application period, pass a criminal background check, and submit two Evaluation of Competency and Ethical Conduct forms — one from their current clinical supervisor, who must be an Advanced or Master CASAC or a NYSED-licensed QHP.
Applications stay active for five years, with a one-time three-year extension available once you're exam-eligible.
Private practice is prohibited unless you separately hold a NYS Education Department licence in a qualifying profession.
- CASAC Level 2(CASAC-2)Other
The same CASAC certification with an associate degree added; the Scope of Practice table adds administrative supervision but still marks it as not meeting QHP requirements to supervise another person's CASAC work experience.
- CASAC-Advanced CounselorSupervisor
Requires a bachelor's degree plus 30 hours of Clinical Supervision Foundations training; the first tier that meets OASAS's QHP standard to provide clinical supervision and to supervise CASAC-Trainee/Provisional work experience.
- CASAC-Master CounselorSupervisor
Requires a master's degree in an approved human-services field, the same 30 hours of supervision training, and at least three consecutive years already holding CASAC status; carries the same clinical-supervision functions as CASAC-Advanced.
A state credential, not a licence — and private practice is off the table
New York's substance abuse counselor credential is the CASAC, issued by OASAS, a state agency, rather than by a licensing board issuing a professional licence.
The career ladder runs from Counselor Assistant, an entry-level position with its own defined role, through CASAC-Trainee or CASAC-Provisional, then CASAC, CASAC Level 2, CASAC-Advanced Counselor and CASAC-Master Counselor.
To become a CASAC you must be at least 18, have lived or worked in New York at least 51% of the time during your active application period, pass a criminal background check, and submit two Evaluation of Competency and Ethical Conduct forms, one from your current clinical supervisor.
Because OASAS structures the ladder as levels rather than separate licences, moving up adds education and supervision training rather than a new exam.
The only sourced setting restriction on the CASAC itself is on private practice, which the Scope of Practice document prohibits unless you separately hold a NYS Education Department licence; a CASAC-Provisional specifically is limited to an OASAS-certified setting, which is why OASAS issues the broader CASAC-Trainee whenever an applicant qualifies for both.
The same letters mean different tiers in different states; see CADC vs LADC vs LCDC vs CAC.
“Private Practice is prohibited unless licensed by the NYS Education Department in a qualifying profession”
From a high school diploma to a master's, level by level
The CASAC itself needs only a High School Diploma or HSE, plus 350 education hours and one-time requirements, required regardless of route.
Those 350 hours break into four sections: 85 hours on knowledge of substance use disorders, 150 hours on alcoholism and substance abuse counseling, 70 hours on assessment, treatment planning and case management, and 45 hours on professional and ethical responsibilities.
CASAC Level 2 needs an associate degree; CASAC-Advanced Counselor a bachelor's degree plus 30 hours of Clinical Supervision Foundations training; CASAC-Master Counselor a master's degree in an approved human-services field plus that same training and three consecutive years holding CASAC status.
A qualifying degree does not waive the 350 hours outright: your transcript is reviewed and approved coursework is claimed toward them, at one college credit per 15 education clock hours.
CASAC-Trainee is reached via those 350 hours and one-time requirements, or via 4,000 hours of work experience plus 85 hours of Section I education and 15 hours of Section IV ethics; either route still needs the full 350 hours before you are eligible to sit the exam.
For which entry tiers take no degree at all, see can you be an addiction counselor without a degree?
“Have earned at least a High School Diploma or High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma”
6,000 hours, only 2,000 of which must be recent
The CASAC requires 6,000 hours of supervised work experience in an approved setting, including a minimum of 300 hours of Supervised Practical Training covering 12 core functions, each performed for at least 10 hours.
Of the full 6,000, at least 2,000 hours must have been earned within the five years before you submit your Work Experience Verification Record, so older experience alone will not carry the whole requirement.
Only one academic-degree substitution may be claimed against the 6,000: an associate degree substitutes for up to 1,000 hours, a bachelor's for up to 2,000, and a master's or higher for up to 4,000 — never stack two degree substitutions to shorten the total further.
Up to half of the hours may come from a non-certified setting that still involves legally sanctioned addiction services and on-site QHP supervision.
For the whole path from coursework to credential, see how to become a substance abuse counselor.
“To satisfy the 6,000 hour work experience requirement, a minimum of 2,000 hours must be gained during the five years prior to the submission of a Work Experience Verification Record.”
The IC&RC ADC exam, with a retraining requirement after three fails
Candidates take the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam: 150 multiple-choice questions, computer-based, offered weekly, with a non-refundable $245 fee per attempt.
You become exam-eligible after you have submitted your highest level of completed education and met the 350 education hours and one-time requirements; work experience is viewed as a separate requirement and does not need to be finished first.
If you fail, you may retest once every 90 days during your five-year application period.
After three failed attempts, OASAS requires completing an OASAS-approved CASAC Foundations or Ready to Test course before you can register to retest.
The exam domains were last updated in March 2023 to scientific principles of substance use and co-occurring disorders, evidence-based screening and assessment, evidence-based treatment counseling and referral, and professional ethical and legal responsibilities.
“You become exam eligible after you have submitted your highest level of completed education and have met 350 education hours and one-time requirements. Work experience is viewed as a separate requirement.”
Who can sign off on your hours — and who can't
Work experience must include a minimum of monthly, on-site and documented clinical supervision by a QHP licensed by the New York State Education Department, or by an Advanced or Master CASAC — a plain CASAC or CASAC Level 2 does not meet OASAS's standard to supervise someone else's CASAC work experience.
The Scope of Practice table states this directly for both of those tiers, marking them as not meeting QHP requirements for CASAC work experience supervision.
So a counselor choosing a placement for CASAC-Trainee or CASAC-Provisional hours needs a licensed QHP or an Advanced/Master CASAC on staff, not just any CASAC-credentialed colleague.
The same gate applies to the clinical-supervision function itself: only CASAC-Advanced and CASAC-Master may provide clinical supervision, while CASAC Level 2 may provide administrative supervision but not clinical supervision.
“include a minimum of monthly, on-site and documented clinical supervision by a QHP who is licensed by the New York State Department of Education or an Advanced or Master CASAC”
What a CASAC may do, and where private practice ends
Counselor Assistant, the entry-level position on the same table, may perform SUD/co-occurring screening, orientation, case management and basic crisis response under regular supervision, adding non-clinical intake, group co-facilitation, psychoeducation, referral and reporting under intensive supervision.
CASAC and above may perform SUD Diagnostic Impression alongside assessment, treatment planning, and individual, group and family counseling.
CASAC-Trainee and CASAC-Provisional may perform assessment and diagnostic impression only with Intensive Supervision.
Clinical supervision is reserved for CASAC-Advanced and CASAC-Master; every tier below that, including a plain CASAC and CASAC Level 2, is marked as not meeting QHP requirements for CASAC work experience supervision.
None of this authorizes independent practice: the Scope of Practice document is explicit that private practice is prohibited unless you are separately licensed by the NYS Education Department in a qualifying profession.
The sources read do not establish a separate CASAC exemption for other licensed professionals such as physicians, LMSWs or LMHCs; licensed QHPs instead sit on the ladder at the Advanced/Master level for their own supervisory purposes.
For what an addiction credential does and does not let you diagnose or bill, see can a certified addiction counselor diagnose or bill insurance?
“Private Practice is prohibited unless licensed by the NYS Education Department in a qualifying profession”
Moving to New York: OASAS is the IC&RC member board
OASAS is New York's own IC&RC member board, and the CASAC is New York's reciprocal ADC-level credential, so a counselor bringing a current ADC-level credential from another IC&RC member board is reciprocating between member boards rather than applying from scratch.
The sources read also establish that professionals who carry an AADC reciprocal-level credential are eligible to reciprocate into OASAS at the ADC level.
Beyond that, the sources read do not describe a separate substantial-equivalence or provisional pathway for counselors credentialed outside the IC&RC system, so any other out-of-state credential should be confirmed directly with the OASAS Credentialing Unit.
There is no NAADAC-to-IC&RC reciprocity: a NAADAC national certification does not transfer into a CASAC.
For what IC&RC reciprocity transfers, and why NAADAC credentials do not, see IC&RC vs NAADAC.
“Professionals who carry an AADC reciprocal level credential are eligible to reciprocate into the NYS OASAS at the ADC level”
Renew every three years, with ethics and boundaries training built in
The CASAC is renewed every three years.
Renewal requires a minimum of 60 clock hours of continuing education related to addiction, behavioral health counseling and/or prevention, including six hours of OASAS-approved ethics training required at every renewal, alongside a Professional Boundaries and Reporting Requirements training also required every renewal.
Up to 10 of the 60 hours may come from professional-development activities and up to 20 from professional activities; both are optional categories that count toward the 60-hour total, not additional to it.
Part 853 requires submitting the Renewal Application at least 75 days before your credential expires; missing that window risks going into late renewal, plus a $50 late fee for requirements still outstanding at expiration.
Late renewal follows expiration: while in it you cannot perform the SUD Counselor Scope of Practice functions of your credential or use its acronyms after your name, which can affect your employment status.
Renewal is still possible up to one year after expiration; a credential expired longer than that can only be restored through a separate Reinstatement Application.
“While in late renewal you will not be able to provide the SUD Counselor Scope of Practice functions of your credential or use the credential acronyms after your name which may impact your employment status.”
What changed 2023–2024: the exam domains and a written Scope of Practice
OASAS updated the IC&RC ADC exam's domains effective March 2023, replacing the prior structure with the four domains listed above.
OASAS also issued its SUD Counselor Scope of Practice document dated February 2024, the table that spells out exactly which functions each CASAC tier may perform under regular versus intensive supervision, which this page relies on for scope.
The sources read do not include the text of 14 NYCRR Part 853 itself, so any amendment dates to the underlying credentialing regulation were not confirmed; confirm current rule text directly with OASAS or the Department of State's register before relying on a specific Part 853 citation.
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the New York statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above, as read for this state-by-state substance abuse counselor requirements 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 NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), Credentialing Unit publishes.
Nor does it cover peer specialist certification in New York.
Hour totals, exams and supervision rules change by statute and by board rule; for why the same letters mean different tiers from state to state, see CADC vs LADC vs LCDC vs CAC.
Confirm every requirement with the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), Credentialing Unit before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the substance abuse counselor jobs in New York that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a substance abuse counselor in New York?
No, OASAS issues the CASAC as a state certification, not a professional licence.
The only sourced setting restriction is on private practice, which is prohibited unless you separately hold a New York State Education Department licence in a qualifying profession.
A CASAC-Provisional specifically can only work in an OASAS-certified setting — which is why OASAS issues the broader CASAC-Trainee instead when an applicant qualifies for both.
How long does it take to become a CASAC in New York?
Expect roughly three years of full-time work: the CASAC requires 6,000 hours of supervised work experience, 350 education hours and one-time requirements, and passing the IC&RC ADC exam.
A qualifying human-services degree doesn't replace the 350 hours outright — approved coursework is claimed toward them by transcript review — but it can substitute for up to 1,000 (associate), 2,000 (bachelor's) or 4,000 (master's) of the 6,000 work-experience hours, shortening the timeline; only one degree substitution may be claimed.
Can a CASAC provide clinical supervision to a counselor-in-training?
Not below CASAC-Advanced.
The Scope of Practice table marks both CASAC and CASAC Level 2 as not meeting QHP requirements for CASAC work experience supervision.
Only a CASAC-Advanced Counselor, a CASAC-Master Counselor, or a New York State Education Department-licensed QHP can supervise another person's CASAC work experience or provide clinical supervision.
Does a CASAC expire, and how do you renew it?
Yes, every three years.
Renewal requires 60 clock hours of continuing education, including six hours of OASAS-approved ethics training and a Professional Boundaries and Reporting Requirements training at every renewal, submitted at least 75 days before expiration.
Missing that window risks going into late renewal and a $50 late fee; while in late renewal, which follows expiration, you cannot perform the SUD Counselor Scope of Practice functions of your credential or use its acronyms after your name, which can affect your employment status.
Can a counselor credentialed in another state transfer into New York?
The sources read describe only one route: IC&RC reciprocity.
OASAS is New York's IC&RC member board, and CASAC is the state's ADC-level reciprocal credential, so a current ADC credential — or an AADC reciprocal-level credential, accepted at the ADC level — from another IC&RC member board can reciprocate in.
The sources read do not describe another endorsement route, so check directly with the OASAS Credentialing Unit for any other out-of-state credential.
More New York & Substance Abuse Counselor Resources
Sources
- OASAS, Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- OASAS, CASAC Application Instructions and Forms (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- OASAS, Renew an Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor Credential (CASAC) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- OASAS, Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Problem Gambling (PG) Counselor Scope of Practice (PDF, 2/2024) (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 NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), Credentialing Unit.