At a Glance
Getting your Idaho counseling license means working through three credential tiers: Registered Intern (RI), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). You’ll need a qualifying graduate degree, supervised experience hours, and passing scores on the NCE or NCMHCE exams. The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) oversees the entire process.
As of 2024, nearly every county in Idaho is designated as a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. That gap drives consistent demand for licensed counselors across the state, particularly in rural communities where behavioral health services are hardest to reach. If you’re working toward an Idaho counseling license, you’re entering a field with documented and immediate need.
Idaho’s Licensing Board of Professional Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists, a division of DOPL, issues three credential levels: the Registered Intern (RI), the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). Each builds on the last, and most counselors move through all three in sequence.
If drug and alcohol counseling is your primary focus, note that substance abuse credentials are issued separately by the Idaho Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification (Idaho BADCC). See our guide to substance abuse counselor certification in Idaho if that’s your path. This guide covers only the LPC and LCPC paths.
Overview: The Idaho Counseling Licensure Path
Most Idaho counselors follow this sequence from graduate school to full clinical licensure. Each step must be completed in order.
Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Graduate Degree
Complete a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling with at least 60 semester credits (90 quarter credits) from a regionally accredited institution. CACREP-accredited programs meet all curriculum and practicum requirements automatically.
Step 2: Apply for Your Registered Intern (RI) License
Once you’ve satisfied the education requirement, apply to the State Board for RI licensure with a $25 fee. The RI is a supervised practice credential that allows you to accumulate the hours required for licensure as an LPC. You can hold it for a maximum of four years.
Step 3: Complete 1,000 Hours of Supervised Experience
As an RI, log 1,000 hours in a counseling setting, with at least 400 hours of direct client contact. Supervision must occur at a rate of 1 hour per 20 hours of work experience. These hours qualify you to apply for the LPC.
Step 4: Pass the NCE and Apply for Your LPC
Pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE) through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Submit your LPC application with the current DOPL fee (annual applications are listed at $200 on the latest DOPL fee schedule, so verify the current amount before submitting). The LPC authorizes independent professional counseling practice throughout Idaho.
Step 5: Complete 2,000 Hours of Clinical Supervised Experience
Over a minimum of two years, log 2,000 hours of direct client contact under supervision. At least 1,000 of those hours must be supervised by a Board-approved LCPC. This experience qualifies you for the LCPC.
Step 6: Pass the NCMHCE and Apply for Your LCPC
Pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). Submit your LCPC application with the current DOPL fee. Annual applications are listed at $200 and biennial applications at $300, so confirm the current amount before submitting. The LCPC is Idaho’s highest counseling credential and authorizes independent clinical counseling practice.
Registered Intern (RI)
The RI is a supervised practice credential, not a full independent license. It lets you legally accumulate the hours required for LPC licensure while working under an approved supervisor. The RI is valid for up to four years, after which you must have advanced to the LPC.
Step 1: Satisfy the Education Requirement
Hold or be completing a qualifying graduate degree in counseling that includes a practicum component. Have your school send official transcripts directly to the State Board. CACREP-accredited degrees automatically meet the curriculum standard. Non-CACREP applicants will need to complete a Counselor Coursework Addendum later with their LPC application.
Step 2: Secure a Board-Approved Supervisor
All counseling work by an RI must be conducted under a supervisor approved by the State Board. Use the Board’s online directory to locate an approved supervisor. Before you submit your application, your supervisor must complete the Supervisor Affidavit section of your application form.
Step 3: Apply for RI Licensure
Submit your RI application to the State Board with the $25 fee. Once approved, you can begin accruing supervised hours toward LPC qualification. Graduate-level supervised practicum experience can also count toward the LPC’s 1,000-hour requirement if it meets Idaho’s criteria.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
The LPC is Idaho’s first full independent counseling credential. It authorizes a broad scope of practice including case management, crisis intervention, assessments, referrals, treatment of mental disorders, and individual, couples, family, and group counseling. Here’s what you need to earn it.
Step 1: Complete the Education Requirement
Hold a qualifying graduate degree in counseling that includes a practicum. Your school sends official transcripts to the State Board. Non-CACREP applicants must also complete and submit a Counselor Coursework Addendum verifying that their program covered all required content areas.
Step 2: Complete 1,000 Hours of Supervised Experience
Log 1,000 hours in a counseling setting, including at least 400 hours of direct client contact. You need one hour of individual supervision for every 20 hours of work experience. Your supervisor maintains a Supervision Log and, once you’ve fulfilled the requirement, provides a signed and sealed LPC Evaluation and Verification of Supervised Experience form to include with your application.
Step 3: Pass the NCE
Register for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) through the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), the NBCC’s affiliated organization. You don’t need State Board pre-authorization. Create an account through the CCE’s ProCounselor portal and designate the Idaho State Board as a score recipient when you register.
Step 4: Submit Your LPC Application
Submit your LPC application to the State Board with your official transcripts and your supervisor’s sealed evaluation form. Include the current DOPL application fee. Annual applications are listed at $200 on the latest DOPL fee schedule, but verify the current amount at dopl.idaho.gov before submitting. Once the Board approves your application, it will issue your LPC license.
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
The LCPC is Idaho’s highest counseling credential. It permits clinical counseling practice in addition to everything the LPC authorizes, and it qualifies you to supervise Registered Interns and LPC candidates. Reaching the LCPC from the LPC requires at least two more years of focused clinical work.
Step 1: Hold an Active Idaho LPC License
You must have a valid, current Idaho LPC before you can apply for the LCPC. If you hold an equivalent license from another state, see the Reciprocity section below for endorsement options.
Step 2: Complete 2,000 Hours of Supervised Clinical Experience
Log 2,000 hours of direct client contact completed over a minimum of two years. At least 1,000 of those hours must be supervised by a Board-approved LCPC. The remaining 1,000 hours can be supervised by a licensed mental health professional, including an LPC, a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), a psychiatrist, or a clinical social worker. Supervision must occur at a rate of one hour for every 30 hours of direct client contact. Your supervisor provides a signed and sealed LCPC Evaluation and Verification of Supervised Experience form for your application.
Step 3: Pass the NCMHCE
Register for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) through the CCE’s ProCounselor portal. No State Board pre-authorization is needed. Designate the Idaho State Board as a score recipient when you register.
Step 4: Submit Your LCPC Application
Submit your LCPC application to the State Board with your supervisor’s sealed evaluation. Include the current DOPL fee. Annual applications are listed at $200 and biennial at $300, but verify the amount at dopl.idaho.gov before submitting. Once approved, the Board issues your LCPC license.
Required Education
There are two ways to satisfy the education requirement for Idaho counseling licensure.
The most direct route is to pursue a graduate degree in a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP programs automatically satisfy Idaho’s curriculum and practicum requirements, which means you don’t need to submit a coursework addendum with your application. Three schools in Idaho currently offer CACREP-accredited graduate counseling programs. Note that programs accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) are treated as CACREP-equivalent following the two organizations’ 2016 merger.
The second option is a graduate degree from a non-CACREP program at a regionally accredited institution. Your degree must total at least 60 semester credits (90 quarter credits) and include at least one course in each of eight required content areas: professional orientation, evaluation and research, appraisal of the individual, career and lifestyle development, groups, the helping relationship, cultural and social foundations, and human growth and development. You’ll need to complete a Counselor Coursework Addendum and include it with your LPC application.
Either path requires a qualifying practicum. DOPL’s current requirements include at least one year of advanced counseling practicum with a minimum of 280 hours of supervised direct client contact. The pending-rule text also specified a 1:10 supervision ratio for practicum hours. CACREP-accredited programs are understood to meet this requirement automatically. Non-CACREP applicants should confirm their program’s practicum satisfies these requirements and verify any updates with DOPL before applying.
Required Exams
Idaho recognizes two NBCC-sponsored exams for counseling licensure. Both are computer-based and offered at local testing centers. You can register for either once you’ve completed your graduate degree, and neither requires pre-authorization from the State Board. Register through the NBCC’s affiliated organization, the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), using their ProCounselor online portal. Designate the Idaho State Board as a score recipient when you apply.
The National Counselor Examination (NCE) is required for LPC licensure. It’s a 200-question multiple-choice exam that covers the core content areas of graduate counseling programs, including human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, and career development. You have at least three hours to complete it.
The National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) is required for LCPC licensure. Rather than multiple-choice questions, it presents 10 clinical case simulations that evaluate your judgment and decision-making in realistic counseling scenarios. The same three-hour minimum applies.
Becoming a Supervisor
If you’ve held an LPC or LCPC for at least two years, you can apply to become a Board-approved supervisor. You’ll need to have logged 1,500 hours of direct client contact as a counselor and completed 15 hours of supervisor training. Submit proof of both with your application to the State Board.
Supervisor designations are valid for five years. To renew, you must complete six hours of continuing education in advanced supervisor training during each five-year cycle. You can renew online or by mailing in the State Board’s renewal form.
Renewing Your License
Idaho began transitioning the counseling board to biennial licensure as of October 14, 2025. If you’re approaching renewal, check your DOPL account to confirm whether your cycle is annual or biennial. The renewal fee is $120 for an annual renewal or $240 for a biennial renewal. You can renew online or return the renewal application by mail. The State Board sends a renewal notice approximately six weeks before your expiration date.
To be eligible for renewal, you must complete continuing education every 24 months. Idaho’s requirements include 6 hours of ethics, 3 hours on professional boundaries, and 3 hours of suicide assessment and intervention training, plus compliance with the Board’s adopted code of ethics continuing education standards. Verify the current total-hour requirement with DOPL before renewing, as requirements may have been updated since this was published.
Reciprocity and Endorsement
If you hold an active out-of-state counseling license in an equivalent role, you may qualify for an Idaho LPC or LCPC by endorsement. The requirement is that you’ve been actively practicing on that license for five of the past seven years.
Submit an application for licensure by endorsement to the Idaho State Board with the $200 fee. You’ll also need your out-of-state licensing board to send official verification of your license directly to the Idaho Board.
How Long Does It Take?
The path from the start of your education to LCPC licensure takes at least 8.5 years.
Plan four years for a bachelor’s degree and two more for a qualifying master’s program. After that, completing the 1,000-hour supervised experience requirement for the LPC takes approximately six months at a full-time pace. Advancing to the LCPC then requires an additional 2,000 hours of clinical experience completed over at least two years. That math brings the realistic total to around 8.5 years, assuming no gaps between steps.
Keep in mind that the RI license has a four-year maximum. If you haven’t met the LPC requirements before your RI expires, you’ll need to contact the State Board directly to address the situation.
Counseling Salaries in Idaho
Idaho wages for counseling professionals vary by occupation. The table below reflects May 2024 statewide median annual wages from Idaho Department of Labor data based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
| Counseling Occupation |
Median Annual Wage (Idaho) |
| Marriage and Family Therapists |
$70,550* |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors |
$65,240 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors |
$60,340 |
| Rehabilitation Counselors |
$47,140 |
*Idaho LMI reports May 2024 statewide wage data for Marriage and Family Therapists based on a small employment sample. The national BLS OOH median for this occupation is $63,780.
Wages vary by specialty, employer, and location within the state. Counselors working in the Boise metro area typically earn more than those in rural settings. However, rural positions in Idaho’s many designated shortage areas may qualify for federal loan forgiveness programs.
Types of Counseling Careers in Idaho
Idaho employs a broad mix of counseling professionals. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors represent the single largest group, followed by educational and guidance counselors and rehabilitation counselors. Marriage and family therapists make up a smaller portion of the workforce but are increasingly in demand as integrated behavioral health models expand across Idaho’s health systems.
The BLS projects 17 percent employment growth nationally for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors from 2024 to 2034. Idaho-specific long-term projections from Projections Central (2022–2032) show 18 percent growth for the same occupation in the state. With nearly every Idaho county currently designated by the federal government as having a mental health shortage, both figures reinforce a strong hiring outlook for licensed counselors entering the field.
Several organizations regularly hire licensed counselors throughout Idaho. Idaho Behavioral Health, a division of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, oversees Adult Behavioral Health, Children’s Behavioral Health, Substance Use Disorders, and Suicide Prevention programs across the state. North Idaho Community Mental Health provides comprehensive services for adults, children, and families in northern Idaho. Ambitions of Idaho, with offices in the Treasure Valley and Coeur d’Alene, specializes in behavioral health and developmental disability services. Omega Health Services in Boise employs a multidisciplinary team serving clients with substance use disorders, OCD, ADHD, PTSD, depression, and other conditions.
Professional Resources
The Idaho Counseling Association (ICA) is the state’s primary professional organization for licensed counselors. It offers access to the annual conference, networking events, and seven specialty sub-organizations, including the Idaho Mental Health Counselors Association (IMHCA), the Idaho Career Development Association (ICDA), and the Idaho Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (IALGBTIC).
The Idaho Mental Health Counselors Association (IMHCA) supports clinical mental health counseling practice through professional development, licensing advocacy, and regular events, including trainings, consultation groups, and conferences.
The Idaho School Counselor Association (ISCA) serves K-12 counselors through professional development resources andstate-level policy advocacy.
The Idaho Affiliate of NAADAC (the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors) provides resources for counselors working in substance use disorder settings, including certification guidance and networking connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an LPC and an LCPC in Idaho?
The LPC is Idaho’s first full independent counseling license, authorizing professional counseling services including case management, crisis intervention, assessments, and treatment of mental disorders. The LCPC is the advanced tier, adding clinical counseling practice and the ability to supervise other counselors. Advancing from LPC to LCPC requires 2,000 additional hours of direct clinical experience over at least two years, plus a passing score on the NCMHCE.
How long does it take to get a counseling license in Idaho?
Earning the RI takes about six years, including four for a bachelor’s degree and two for a qualifying master’s program. The 1,000-hour supervised experience requirement for the LPC takes roughly six months at a full-time pace. The LCPC requires at least two more years of clinical work, bringing the realistic total to about 8.5 years from the start of your undergraduate education.
Can I transfer my out-of-state counseling license to Idaho?
Yes. Idaho offers LPC and LCPC licensure by endorsement for counselors who have been actively practicing under a comparable out-of-state license for 5 of the past 7 years. Submit an application and a $200 fee to the Idaho State Board and have your previous licensing board send official verification of your license directly to Idaho.
Does my counseling degree need to be CACREP-accredited?
CACREP accreditation is the most efficient path because it automatically satisfies Idaho’s curriculum and practicum requirements. Non-CACREP degrees can qualify, but they must come from a regionally accredited school, total at least 60 semester credits, include coursework in eight required content areas, and include a qualifying practicum under the updated IDAPA 24.15.01 rules. Non-CACREP applicants also need to submit a Counselor Coursework Addendum with their LPC application.
What exams are required for Idaho counseling licensure?
The National Counselor Examination (NCE) is required for LPC licensure. The National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) is required for LCPC licensure. Both are administered through the NBCC’s affiliated organization, the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE). Register through the CCE’s ProCounselor portal after completing your graduate degree. No State Board pre-authorization is needed for either exam.
Key Takeaways
- Idaho uses a three-tier system: the Registered Intern (RI) lets you log supervised hours, the LPC authorizes independent professional practice, and the LCPC is the highest credential and permits clinical counseling.
- The LPC requires a qualifying 60-credit graduate degree, 1,000 hours of supervised experience with 400 hours of direct client contact, and a passing score on the NCE.
- Advancing to the LCPC requires 2,000 more hours of direct client contact over at least two years, plus a passing score on the NCMHCE.
- As of July 1, 2024, Idaho requires LPC applicants to have completed at least one year of advanced practicum with 280 hours of direct client contact under the updated IDAPA 24.15.01 rules.
- Nearly every Idaho county carries a federal mental health professional shortage designation, making licensed counselors among the most in-demand professionals in the state.
Laura Bennett, MPH is a public health professional with over 12 years of experience in community health education and program coordination. She specializes in helping aspiring professionals explore flexible education pathways, including online and hybrid public health degree programs. Laura is passionate about making public health careers more accessible through practical, accredited training
2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market figures for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, Rehabilitation Counselors, and Marriage and Family Therapists represent state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2026.
