Addiction Counselor Continuing Education Requirements and License Renewal, by State
Every state that licenses or certifies addiction counselors asks them to complete continuing education each renewal cycle: a set number of hours, usually some ethics, and often a share that must be specific to substance use disorders. Here is what each state requires, sourced from the board itself. Pick your state to see its hours, topics, deadline, and the board source.
Every tile opens that state’s Addiction Counselor requirements page. 40 states covered, 20 to 60 hours per cycle. Most recent board check October 2026.
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All 40 states we cover
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
How Addiction Counselor requirements compare across states
Hours, cycle, and ethics minimums differ from board to board. 4 featured states are below, and the full table covers every state we track. Every row links to the board-sourced page for that state.
| State | Total hours | Cycle | Ethics | Other topic minimums |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 50 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 9 | 30 substance use disorders, 3 cultural competency |
| Texas | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 6 HIV hepatitis C std |
| Ohio | 30 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 6 substance use disorders |
| New York | 60 | 3 years, renews on your license expiration date | 6 | 1 professional boundaries |
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| State | Total hours | Cycle | Ethics | Other topic minimums |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 30 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 3 cultural considerations in psychotherapy, 3 arizona statutes regulations tutorial |
| Arkansas | 30 | 2 years, due by December 31 of odd years | 6 | 15 substance use disorders |
| Colorado | 40 | 2 years, due by August 31 of odd years | – | – |
| Connecticut | 20 | 1 year, renews at the end of your birth month | – | 1 cultural competency |
| Delaware | 40 | 2 years, due by September 30 of even years | 3 | 3 cultural inclusion equity and diversity |
| District of Columbia | 40 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 6 | 4 DC public health priorities, 3 trauma counseling, 2 LGBTQ cultural competency or specialized clinical training |
| Hawaii | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 6 | – |
| Indiana | 40 | 2 years, due by March 31 of even years | – | – |
| Kansas | 30 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | – |
| Kentucky | 60 | 3 years, counted from your license anniversary | 3 | – |
| Louisiana | 48 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 6 | 42 substance use disorders |
| Maine | 25 | 2 years, due by November 30 of odd years | 4 | – |
| Maryland | 40 | 2 years, due by January 31 of your renewal year | – | 30 category A |
| Massachusetts | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | – | – |
| Minnesota | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 9 cultural competency |
| Mississippi | 30 | 2 years, due by June 30 of even years | 2 | 26 substance use disorders, 2 cultural competency |
| Montana | 20 | 1 year, due by June 30 each year | – | – |
| Nebraska | 40 | 2 years, due by September 1 of even years | – | 20 substance use disorders |
| Nevada | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 6 cultural competency and diversity, equity and inclusion, 3 confidentiality (NAC 641C.425, 42 C.F.R. part 2 and HIPAA) |
| New Hampshire | 48 | 2 years, counted from your license anniversary | 6 | 12 categories of competence, 6 suicide prevention |
| New Jersey | 40 | 2 years, due by July 31 of even years | – | 3 jurisprudence / state law, 3 cultural competency |
| New Mexico | 40 | 2 years, due by September 30 of odd years | 12 | – |
| North Carolina | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 30 substance use disorders, 3 HIV/AIDS, 3 NC sud special topics |
| North Dakota | 40 | 2 years, renewal due December 1 of odd years | 6 | – |
| Oklahoma | 20 | 1 year, due by June 30 each year | 3 | 10 alcohol and drug specific |
| Oregon | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 6 | 20 substance use disorders, 2 suicide risk assessment |
| Rhode Island | 40 | 2 years, due by September 30 of even years | 3 | 30 substance use disorders |
| South Carolina | 40 | 2 years, due by August 31 of odd years | 6 | 1 suicide prevention |
| South Dakota | 40 | 2 years, due by November 30 of odd years | 4 | – |
| Tennessee | 30 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 6 | – |
| Utah | 40 | 2 years, due by May 31 of odd years | 6 | 2 suicide prevention |
| Vermont | 40 | 2 years, due by January 31 of odd years | 6 | 12 substance use disorders, 1 systematic oppression |
| Virginia | 20 | 1 year, due by June 30 each year | 2 | – |
| Washington | 20 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 4 | – |
| Wisconsin | 30 | 2 years, due by February 28 of odd years | 4 | – |
| Wyoming | 45 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 3 | 15 substance use disorders, 3 suicide assessment or intervention |
Hours are per renewal cycle, not per year. A dash means the published rule states no figure. Ethics counts within the total wherever the state page says so.
Addiction Counselor continuing education: frequently asked
How often do addiction counselors renew their license?
It varies by state. Most Addiction Counselor licenses renew every two years (biennial), but some states are annual or triennial. Each state page above shows the exact cadence and due date.
How many CE hours do addiction counselors need?
Across the 40 states we cover, Addiction Counselor continuing education requirements range from 20 to 60 hours per renewal cycle. Open your state above for its exact total.
Do all states require ethics CE for Addiction Counselors?
Most do. 32 of the 40 states we cover set a specific ethics-hours minimum for Addiction Counselor renewal; the rest fold ethics into general hours. Your state page lists the exact figure.
What counts as continuing education?
Board-approved courses, workshops, and (within limits) home-study or on-demand programs typically count, along with activities like teaching or publishing in some states. Many boards cap how much can be self-study and require provider approval. Details are on each state page.
Does certification.app have a free trial?
Yes. Every account starts with a 30-day trial of the full plan: up to 10 licenses with the board's rules applied, deadline reminders, AI certificate capture, and the audit-ready export. You don't need a card. After the trial the plan is $119 a year or $12 a month. If you don't subscribe, your records stay visible and exportable in read-only mode.
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