At a Glance
Maine issues two counseling licenses: the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) for non-clinical practice and the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) for those who diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Both require a CACREP-accredited master’s degree, a national exam, and two or more years of supervised experience under a conditional license.
Maine’s mental health workforce is under real pressure. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, more than 169 million Americans live in areas that lack adequate mental health professionals, and Maine is no exception. That makes the path to licensure worth understanding clearly, whether you’re finishing a graduate degree or transferring a license from another state.
The Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure (BCPL), part of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, oversees both the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and LCPC. Here’s what each license requires and how to earn one.
LPC vs. LCPC: Which License Do You Need?
Maine’s two counseling licenses serve different scopes of practice. The LPC covers professional counseling, working with individuals, couples, families, and groups on emotional, social, vocational, and educational concerns. The LCPC adds clinical authority: holders can diagnose mental health disorders and provide treatment, which is required for most insurance reimbursement and independent clinical practice.
Before a full license is issued, you’ll hold a conditional version (LPC-C or LCPC-C) while completing your supervised hours. Conditional licensees may engage in private practice, but only while receiving required supervision from a board-approved Maine licensee. Full licenses allow independent practice without that requirement. The other key difference is clinical scope. Only the LCPC and its conditional version authorize the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders.
| Requirement |
LPC |
LCPC |
| Graduate credits required |
48 semester credits |
60 semester credits |
| Required exam |
NCE |
NCMHCE |
| Supervised hours (post-degree) |
2,000 hours |
3,000 hours |
| Direct client contact hours |
1,000 hours |
1,500 hours |
| Total supervision hours |
67 hours |
100 hours |
| Individual supervision required |
34 hours |
50 hours |
| Can diagnose mental health disorders |
No |
Yes |
| Independent private practice |
Yes |
Yes |
Steps to Becoming Licensed in Maine
The process runs in two phases: earning a conditional license first, then converting to a full license after completing supervised experience. Here’s how each phase works.
Phase 1: Conditional Licensure (LPC-C or LCPC-C)
Step 1: Complete a Qualifying Graduate Degree
You need a master’s degree in counseling or an allied mental health field from a regionally accredited institution. The degree must be at least 48 semester credits for the LPC track or 60 credits for the LCPC track, and it must be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), or meet specific non-CACREP curriculum requirements. Have your school send official transcripts directly to the BCPL.
Step 2: Apply for Exam Authorization
Before you can register for your national exam, the BCPL must authorize you to sit for it. Submit an exam authorization request to the BCPL, and check the BCPL licensing page for current application requirements and fees. LPC-C applicants take the National Counselor Examination (NCE). LCPC-C applicants take the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). Once the BCPL clears you, register through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) via its partner organization, the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), using the CCE-Global portal. Both exams are computer-based at authorized testing centers.
Step 3: Pass Your Exam and Arrange Supervision
Have your exam results sent directly to the BCPL after passing. Before applying for your conditional license, you’ll also need to prepare a Disclosure Statement (a description of your professional qualifications and what clients can expect from you) and identify a qualified supervisor. Your supervisor must hold a full LPC or LCPC or be an approved licensed mental health provider, have at least five years of licensed experience or national certification in supervision, and must be pre-approved by the BCPL. Submit a Proposed Supervision Plan with your application.
Step 4: Apply for Your Conditional License
Submit your licensure application to the BCPL along with your Proposed Supervision Plan, Disclosure Statement, a $200 licensure fee, and a $21 criminal history check fee. Once approved, you’ll hold an LPC-C or LCPC-C and can begin accumulating supervised hours. Your conditional license is valid for two years and can be renewed up to twice for $200 per renewal, giving you up to six years if needed.
Phase 2: Full Licensure (LPC or LCPC)
Step 5: Complete Supervised Experience
For the LPC, you need 2,000 hours of supervised counseling experience over at least two years, including 1,000 hours of direct client contact and 67 supervision hours (34 of which must be individual). For the LCPC, the requirement is 3,000 hours over at least two years, with 1,500 hours of direct clinical contact and 100 supervision hours (50 individual). You’ll also need to complete 55 hours of continuing education during your conditional license period.
Step 6: Apply for Full Licensure
Once you’ve met the supervised experience requirement, your supervisor completes a Supervisor’s Affidavit confirming your hours. Submit your licensure application with the affidavit, proof of 55 continuing education hours, a revised Disclosure Statement, a $200 licensure fee, and a $21 background check fee. The BCPL reviews and, if all requirements are met, issues your full LPC or LCPC.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Licensed Counselor in Maine?
Plan on roughly six to eight years from the start of your undergraduate education to full licensure. Here’s how that timeline typically breaks down:
- Bachelor’s degree: 4 years
- Master’s degree: 2 to 3 years full-time, longer part-time
- Conditional license application: 1–3 months to gather materials and receive BCPL approval
- Supervised experience for LPC: Minimum 2 years (2,000 hours)
- Supervised experience for LCPC: Minimum 2 years (3,000 hours, which may take longer depending on your weekly hours)
Full-time counselors can often complete the LPC supervised hours in exactly two years. The LCPC track requires 50% more hours, so part-time supervision arrangements may push the timeline to three years post-graduation. Either way, the conditional license can be renewed twice if you need more time.
Education Requirements
Your graduate degree must come from a school accredited by a regional body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). It must be at least 48 semester credits for the LPC and 60 credits for the LCPC.
CACREP-accredited programs are the straightforward path. They automatically meet Maine’s curriculum and internship requirements. Maine currently has CACREP-accredited graduate counseling programs at the University of Southern Maine and Husson University, though program counts change. Check CACREP’s directory for the current list of accredited programs.
If your program isn’t CACREP-accredited, it must include specific coursework of at least three credits each in professional orientation, evaluation and research, measurement, groups, helping relationships, cultural and social foundations, and human growth and development, plus a qualifying practicum and internship. LPC applicants also need coursework in lifestyle and career development. LCPC applicants need coursework in diagnosis and treatment, plus three credits in three additional clinical subjects.
The BCPL also accepts a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology from an APA- or CPA-accredited program as satisfying the education requirement.
Practicum and Internship Requirements
For non-CACREP programs, the internship must be at least 600 hours for LPC applicants or at least 900 hours (including 360 hours of direct client contact) spanning one full academic year for LCPC applicants. If you didn’t complete a separate practicum and internship, the BCPL allows substitutions: 700 hours of supervised counseling experience with 280 direct contact hours for the LPC, or 1,000 hours with 400 direct clinical contact hours for the LCPC.
Required Exams
Maine requires one NBCC-sponsored exam for each license track:
- National Counselor Examination (NCE): Required for LPC-C applicants. A 200-question multiple-choice exam.
- National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE): Required for LCPC-C applicants. A clinical simulation-based exam. Visit CCE-Global for current format details.
You must receive BCPL pre-authorization before registering with NBCC. Exams are taken on a computer at authorized testing centers. The current NBCC exam fee is $195, paid directly to NBCC after authorization.
Renewing Your License
Full LPC and LCPC licenses renew every two years and can be renewed online for $200. You’ll need 55 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle, including at least 4 hours on ethics. On your first renewal, 12 of those hours must address family or intimate partner violence.
Conditional licenses (LPC-C and LCPC-C) can be renewed up to twice, for a maximum of six years on conditional status. Contact the BCPL directly for information about any exceptions to that limit.
Out-of-State Licensure
Maine does not have active reciprocity agreements with any other state. If you hold a counseling license from another jurisdiction, you’ll apply for licensure by endorsement through one of two pathways.
Pathway 2, substantially equivalent license: You’ve held an LPC- or LCPC-equivalent license in another state in good standing for at least five consecutive years immediately before applying.
Pathway 3, substantially similar qualifications: You’ve been licensed in another state for fewer than five years and can demonstrate that your original licensing requirements were substantially similar to Maine’s standards.
Either way, you’ll submit your application online or by mail to the BCPL along with official transcripts from your graduate program, verification of your out-of-state license from that state’s board, your NBCC exam scores, and applicable fees ($200 licensure fee, $21 background check).
Maine has also joined the Interstate Counseling Compact, which offers eligible licensed professional counselors a separate method for providing services in other compact member states. If multistate practice applies to your situation, the Compact Commission’s website has current eligibility requirements and member state information.
Counselor Salaries in Maine
Mental health counselors in Maine earned a median annual salary of $60,970 as of May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Entry-level positions typically start around $43,810, while experienced counselors at the 90th percentile earn $93,070 or more. The LCPC, which qualifies holders for independent clinical practice and insurance reimbursement, tends to open doors to the higher end of that range.
| Counseling Occupation (Maine) |
Median Annual Salary |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors |
$60,970 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. For current state-level wage data across all counseling occupations, visit the BLS OES Maine state page.
Maine continues to report a need for mental health professionals, particularly in rural areas where access to care is limited. More than 3,650 counselors were employed statewide as of the most recent BLS reporting period.
Resources
Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure (BCPL): The licensing authority for LPCs and LCPCs in Maine. Applications, forms, and online renewal are all handled here.
Maine Counseling Association (MeCA): Membership organization for Maine counselors offering networking, an annual conference, and professional development resources.
Maine School Counselor Association (MESCA): Represents school counselors pre-K through 12th grade. Bimonthly meetings, legislative advocacy, and an annual conference.
Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services, Maine: Statewide non-profit association for community behavioral health organizations focused on mental health and substance use challenges.
NAMI Maine: The National Alliance on Mental Illness affiliate for Maine, offering trainings, educational programming, and support for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions.
If you’re pursuing Maine substance abuse counseling credentials rather than the LPC or LCPC track, Maine’s Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors oversees a separate licensure pathway through the same Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between an LPC and an LCPC in Maine?
The LPC covers professional counseling, working with individuals, couples, families, and groups on emotional, social, and career concerns. The LCPC adds clinical authority, meaning holders can diagnose and treat mental health disorders. If you plan to work in clinical settings, bill insurance, or open an independent clinical practice, the LCPC is the appropriate credential. Both conditional and full licenses permit private practice, but conditional licensees must practice under ongoing board-approved supervision.
Do I need a CACREP-accredited degree to get licensed in Maine?
No, but CACREP accreditation is the simplest path because those programs automatically meet Maine’s curriculum and internship requirements. Non-CACREP degrees can qualify if they include specific coursework and a qualifying practicum and internship, but you’ll need to verify those details with the BCPL before enrolling.
Does Maine have reciprocity with other states?
No. Maine doesn’t have active reciprocity agreements with any state. Out-of-state licensees apply for licensure by endorsement, either by demonstrating a substantially equivalent license held for at least five years or by showing substantially similar qualifications. The BCPL evaluates each application individually.
How many continuing education hours do I need to renew my Maine counseling license?
Both the LPC and LCPC require 55 continuing education hours every two-year renewal cycle. On your first full renewal, 12 of those hours must specifically address family or intimate partner violence. Conditional licenses also require 55 hours before you can convert to a full license.
Can I apply for a Maine counseling license online?
Yes. The BCPL offers online applications for both conditional and full licenses, as well as online renewal. You can also create an account to check the status of a pending application. Paper applications can be mailed or hand-delivered to the BCPL office in Gardiner, Maine.
Key Takeaways
- Two license tracks, different scopes: The LPC covers professional counseling. The LCPC adds the authority to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Full licenses allow independent private practice. Conditional licenses permit private practice only under ongoing board-approved supervision.
- Conditional license comes first: You’ll hold an LPC-C or LCPC-C while completing 2,000 (LPC) or 3,000 (LCPC) hours of supervised experience over a minimum of two years.
- CACREP accreditation simplifies the process: CACREP-accredited programs automatically meet Maine’s curriculum and internship requirements. Maine has CACREP programs at the University of Southern Maine and Husson University. Check CACREP.org for the current list.
- No reciprocity, but endorsement is available: Maine has no active reciprocity agreements. Out-of-state licensees apply through endorsement pathways based on substantially equivalent licensing or qualifications.
- Median salary is $60,970: Mental health counselors in Maine earned a median of $60,970 annually as of May 2024 (BLS), with experienced counselors reaching $93,000 or more.
Ready to start your path to licensure in Maine? Explore accredited counseling programs that meet the BCPL’s education requirements.
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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 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in Maine represent state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2026.
