Updated for 2026

North Carolina LCAS Continuing Education Requirements

North Carolina addiction counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCAS license, including 3 hours of ethics, 30 hours of substance use disorders, 3 hours of HIV/AIDS, and 3 hours of NC sud special topics.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
30substance use disorders
3ethics
3HIV/AIDS
3NC sud special topics

The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Where this comes from
State source
North Carolina board rule
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

Every figure on this page is read from this rule, and the page refreshes when the ruleset changes. How we verify

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Requirements

North Carolina LCAS requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 1 hour is not tied to a topic minimum.
Substance Use Disorders
30
You need 30 hours each cycle.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.
HIV/AIDS
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.
NC Sud Special Topics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

In-service training
max 10 hrs
Teaching
max 10 hrs
Home study / self-study
max 20 hrs

Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Renewal fee
The board renewal fee is $150 every 2 years, and a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $50 fee.
Approved providers
The Board approves events in advance (21 NCAC 68 .0401); courses approved by IC&RC, an IC&RC member board, or a deemed-status organization (NAADAC, NASW, NBCC, CRCC, APA, ANCB) are accepted with documentation of completion, and the Board reviews other events from the details the licensee supplies at renewal. Approval does not make a course SUD specific; the 30 SUD-specific hours must be focused on alcohol and other drugs. Hours must fall inside the licensee's own two-year period.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
The board allows a 30-day grace period after expiration. A late renewal adds a $50 late fee.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before your renewal.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full Addiction Counselor CE hours calculator
Full board policy details
  • Two-year cycle, licensee-specific dates: "Certification or licensure is for a period of two years after which renewal is necessary" (21 NCAC 68 .0207) and "Every person credentialed pursuant to this Article who desires to maintain credentials must apply to the Board for renewal every other year" (G.S. 90-113.37A(a)). All renewal hours must be completed during the renewal period in which they are used; renewing early is allowed but does not change the renewal dates (board Training/Con Ed Guidelines, May 2026, example cycle 7/1/2026 - 6/30/2028). Renewal is filed in the Board's LearningBuilder portal with the completed application and the education documented (68 .0306(b)(4)) and the $150 renewal fee (68 .0306(b)(5)).
  • Deemed-status LCAS (Criteria D): a licensee whose LCAS rests on a deemed-status discipline credential (NAADAC MAC, NASW ATOD, NBCC MAC, CRC MAC, ANCB CARN or CARN-AP, APA) renews by submitting "A completed application and a copy of the applicant's current substance use disorder certificate or its equivalent from the deemed status professional discipline" and a $35 fee (21 NCAC 68 .0306(a)); the 40-hour showing in .0306(b) applies to "All other individual applicants". The product cannot tell a Criteria D licensee from a Criteria A, B or C one, so this rule asks every LCAS for the 40 hours; a deemed-status licensee's obligation is the certifying body's own recertification standard and the credential lapses if the discipline membership lapses (68 .0307).
  • Documentation: "The applicant shall provide the event approval number and proper documentation of attendance which includes: (1) certificate of attendance; or (2) training cards or sheets signed by a sponsor or presenter" (21 NCAC 68 .0407(a)); canceled checks, receipts, letters from non-participant supervisors and program schedules are not acceptable (68 .0407(b)). Certificates must show the attendee, date, approvals, hours awarded and presenter (board Training/Con Ed Guidelines, May 2026). Hours are entered as clock hours, not CEUs.
  • Delivery format: the Board accepts "workshops, conferences, in-person training courses, online/self-study training courses, webinars, and/or college courses" and states "Up to 100% of the hours can be completed online IF the courses fall within the guidelines" (board Training/Con Ed Guidelines, May 2026; FAQ answer "100%"). The statute separately caps independent (non-classroom, self-paced) study at 50 percent of the required hours (G.S. 90-113.37A(c)); the independent study cap requirement encodes that ceiling on self study and recorded credits. Live webinars count as classroom-based study and are uncapped.
  • Dual licensure with the LCMHC, LCSW or LMFT boards: 21 NCAC 68 says nothing about hours earned for another North Carolina license, so the 40 LCAS hours are owed in full and separately from any LCMHC, LCSW or LMFT requirement. The same course may serve both licenses when it meets each board's criteria (NCASPPB accepts NBCC-, NASW- and APA-approved courses, and NCBLCMHC accepts NAADAC courses up to 15 hours), but the 30 SUD-specific hours, the three clinical ethics hours, the three HIV/AIDS hours and the three special-topics hours must each be shown to this Board.
  • Certified Clinical Supervisor stacked on the LCAS: a CCS must "Obtain and maintain a license as a licensed clinical addictions specialist" (21 NCAC 68 .0211(a)(1)) and renews on its own two-year clock with "15 clock hours of continuing education in the field of clinical supervision" (68 .0211(b)(1)); the board states "These hours may also be used towards your LCAS renewal" (board Training/Con Ed Guidelines, May 2026). The CCS hours are therefore a subset of, not an addition to, the 40 when they fall inside the LCAS period and meet the SUD specific or general skill building test; the CCS credential itself is tracked separately.
  • Lapse and late renewal: "Failure to renew a credential within 30 business days following the end of the two-year period shall result in a late renewal fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) to be paid by the professional in addition to the renewal fee of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00)" (21 NCAC 68 .0207). "A credential that is not renewed automatically lapses, unless the Board approves the late renewal of a credential upon the payment of a late fee" and "No late renewal shall be granted more than five years after a certification or licensure expires" (G.S. 90-113.37A(d)-(e)). The board's FAQ adds that the 30 days are a grace period for the late fee only: "If it expires, you cannot be practicing until it is brought back current", and no extensions are given.

North Carolina LCAS CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do North Carolina LCAS licensees need?

North Carolina requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCAS license. The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

How many ethics hours are required for North Carolina LCAS licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do North Carolina LCAS licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

How much does North Carolina LCAS license renewal cost?

The board's renewal fee is $150 every 2 years, per the North Carolina board fee schedule. Renewing late adds a $50 delinquency fee on top. CE course costs are separate and set by course providers.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for North Carolina LCAS licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, North Carolina requires 30 hours of substance use disorders, 3 hours of HIV/AIDS, 3 hours of NC sud special topics.

Can North Carolina LCAS licensees complete CE online or by home study?

Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Sources and verification

State source
North Carolina board rule
Fee schedule
North Carolina board fee schedule
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

We reviewed this page against the North Carolina board source, and we refresh it from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it

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North Carolina guides & data

What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.North Carolina mental health workforce data →44,456 active providers, or 397 per 100,000 residents, ranked 32 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other North Carolina CE requirement pages

North Carolina LPCNorth Carolina LMFTNorth Carolina LCSWNorth Carolina Psychologist

Addiction Counselor CE requirements in other states