Licensed Professional Counselor and Professional Counselor Associate (Connecticut)
Connecticut uses a two step path for counselors. Graduates first obtain a Professional Counselor Associate license, then complete 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate experience and pass a national exam to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Both licenses are issued by the Department of Public Health.
Regulator: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations · Last verified: October 18, 2026
Who can apply
- Associate (LPCA): a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling from a CACREP accredited program, or a graduate degree in counseling or a related mental health field from a regionally accredited institution with at least 60 graduate semester hours in specified coursework areas
- Associate (LPCA): a 100 hour counseling practicum and a 600 hour clinical mental health counseling internship, each taught by a licensed or certified professional counselor faculty member
- LPC: 60 graduate semester hours in or related to counseling with coursework in required areas (applies to the education route described for applicants who matriculated before July 1, 2017; later matriculants follow the CACREP or 60 hour route above)
- LPC: 3,000 hours of postgraduate supervised professional counseling experience over at least two years, including 100 hours of direct supervision; experience gained in CT requires a CT Professional Counselor Associate license
- LPC: pass the NCE or the NCMHCE (both administered by NBCC)
Exam
- Exam
- National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
- Format
- Administered by NBCC
- Questions
- Data unavailable
- Time
- Data unavailable
Out of state licensed or certified counselors may substitute three years of licensed or certified work experience for the supervised experience requirement.
Official fees
| Fee | Amount | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| LPC initial application fee | $200 | Listed on the DPH Professional Counselor Licensing page; the DPH requirements page instead says there is no application fee. Confirm with DPH. | Official page |
| LPC renewal fee | $200 | Annual registration period | Official page |
| LPC reinstatement fee | $200 | Official page | |
| Professional Counselor Associate application fee | $0 | DPH states there is no application fee for this license | Official page |
Only fees published by the issuer or regulator are listed. Blank amounts mean no official figure was available to verify.
Renewal and continuing education
- Cycle
- Annual (one year registration period)
- Requirement
- At least 15 hours of qualifying CE per registration period, including at least 3 hours of professional ethics and 1 hour of cultural competency each period, plus 2 hours on mental health conditions common to veterans and their families once every six years. First time renewals are exempt.
Timeline
Supervised experience must span at least two years.
State rules
Connecticut requires the Professional Counselor Associate license for anyone accruing postgraduate supervised hours in the state.
Related careers
| Occupation | National median wage |
|---|---|
| Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors | $59,350 |
Sources
- CT DPH Professional Counselor Licensing Requirements, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT DPH Professional Counselor Associate, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT DPH Professional Counselor Educational Requirements, accessed October 18, 2026
- CT DPH Professional Counselor Licensing (fees), accessed October 18, 2026
- CT DPH Professional Counselor Continuing Education, accessed October 18, 2026
Verification notes
Fee conflict on DPH's own site: the licensing page lists a $200 initial application fee while the requirements page says there is no application fee; an undated statute PDF on the DPH site shows older figures ($315 application, $195 renewal) and was not used. LPCA renewal fee, renewal cycle, and validity period are not published on the pages fetched. The DPH LPC requirements page states only the pre July 1, 2017 matriculation education rules; the post 2017 rules come from the DPH educational requirements page. Exam questions and duration are null because NBCC pages were not fetched.
ConnectPrep is not affiliated with Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations. Credential names may be trademarks of their owners.