LPC Continuing Education Requirements and License Renewal, by State
Every state asks licensed counselors to complete continuing education each renewal cycle: a set number of hours, almost always some ethics, and often a category or two unique to that board. 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 LPC requirements page. 50 states covered, 10 to 55 hours per cycle. Most recent board check October 2026.
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All 50 states
- Alabama
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- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
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- Texas
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- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
How LPC requirements compare across states
Hours, cycle, and ethics minimums differ from board to board. 5 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 | 36 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 6 | – |
| Texas | 24 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 6 | 3 cultural diversity / competency, 1 jurisprudence / state law, 1 human trafficking prevention |
| Ohio | 30 | 2 years, counted from your license anniversary | 3 | – |
| New York | 36 | 3 years, renews at the end of your birth month | – | – |
| Florida | 30 | 2 years, due by March 31 of odd years | 3 | 2 medical errors |
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| State | Total hours | Cycle | Ethics | Other topic minimums |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 6 | – |
| Alaska | 40 | 2 years, due by October 31 of odd years | 3 | 3 suicidality, 3 cultural competency |
| Arizona | 30 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 3 cultural considerations in psychotherapy, 3 arizona statutes regulations tutorial |
| Arkansas | 24 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | – |
| Colorado | 40 | 2 years, due by August 31 of odd years | – | – |
| Connecticut | 15 | 1 year, renews at the end of your birth month | 3 | 1 cultural competency |
| Delaware | 40 | 2 years, due by September 30 of even years | 3 | 3 cultural inclusion equity and diversity |
| Georgia | 35 | 2 years, due by September 30 of even years | 5 | 15 core counseling |
| Hawaii | – | 3 years, renews by June 30 every 3 years | – | – |
| Idaho | 12 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 6 | 3 professional boundaries, 3 suicide assessment or intervention |
| Illinois | 30 | 2 years, due by March 31 of odd years | 3 | 1 sexual harassment prevention, 1 implicit bias |
| Indiana | 40 | 2 years, due by March 31 of even years | – | – |
| Iowa | 40 | 2 years, due by September 30 of even years | 3 | – |
| Kansas | 30 | 2 years, counted from your license anniversary | 3 | 3 diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders |
| Kentucky | 10 | 1 year, due by October 31 each year | – | – |
| Louisiana | 40 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 3 | 6 diagnosis |
| Maine | 55 | 2 years, counted from your license anniversary | 4 | – |
| Maryland | 40 | 2 years, due by January 31 of your renewal year | – | 30 category A |
| Massachusetts | 30 | 2 years, due by December 31 of odd years | – | – |
| Michigan | – | 3 years, renews on your license expiration date | – | 3 implicit bias |
| Minnesota | 40 | 2 years, counted from your license anniversary | – | 4 cultural competency |
| Mississippi | 24 | 2 years, renews on your license expiration date | 6 | – |
| Missouri | 40 | 2 years, due by June 30 of odd years | – | 20 formal continuing education, 2 suicide assessment |
| Montana | 20 | 1 year, due by December 31 | – | – |
| Nebraska | 32 | 2 years, due by September 1 of even years | 4 | 6 major mental disorders |
| Nevada | 40 | 2 years, due by January 1 of even years | 6 | 6 cultural competency, 4 suicide prevention |
| New Hampshire | 40 | 2 years, counted from your license anniversary | 6 | 30 category A, 3 suicide prevention |
| New Jersey | 40 | 2 years, due by November 30 of even years | 5 | 3 social cultural competence, 1 prescription opioids |
| New Mexico | 40 | 2 years, due by September 30 of odd years | 12 | – |
| North Carolina | 40 | 2 years, due by June 30 every 2 years, based on your license expiration year | 3 | 5 jurisprudence exam credit |
| North Dakota | 30 | 2 years, counted from your license anniversary | 3 | – |
| Oklahoma | 20 | 1 year, due by June 30 each year | 3 | – |
| Oregon | 40 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 6 | 4 cultural competency, 2 suicide risk assessment |
| Pennsylvania | 30 | 2 years, due by February 28 of odd years | 3 | 2 child abuse recognition and reporting, 1 suicide prevention |
| Rhode Island | 40 | 2 years, renewal due June 1 of even years | – | 20 category I |
| 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 even years | 4 | – |
| Tennessee | 20 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 3 | – |
| Utah | 40 | 2 years, due by September 30 of even years | 6 | 2 suicide prevention |
| Vermont | 40 | 2 years, due by January 31 of odd years | 4 | 36 clinical mental health counseling theory and practice, 1 systemic oppression and anti oppressive practice |
| Virginia | 20 | 1 year, due by June 30 of odd years | 2 | – |
| Washington | 32 | 2 years, renews at the end of your birth month | 6 | 2 professional roles and boundaries |
| West Virginia | 35 | 2 years, due by June 30 of odd years | 3 | 2 veterans' mental health |
| 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 | 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.
LPC continuing education: frequently asked
How often do counselors renew their license?
It varies by state. Most LPC 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 counselors need?
Across the 50 states we cover, LPC continuing education requirements range from 10 to 55 hours per renewal cycle. Open your state above for its exact total.
Do all states require ethics CE for LPCs?
Most do. 38 of the 50 states we cover set a specific ethics-hours minimum for LPC 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.
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