Updated for 2026

Alaska LPC Continuing Education Requirements

Alaska counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPC license, including 3 hours of ethics, 3 hours of suicidality, and 3 hours of cultural competency.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
3ethics
3suicidality
3cultural competency

Next deadline: October 31, 2027The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by October 31 of odd years.

What the board saysAlaska board rule
For a biennial licensing period beginning on or after November 1, 2023, at least three contact hours must be in professional ethics1, at least three contact hours must be in suicidality2, and at least three contact hours must be in cultural competency3. … (4) second or subsequent biennial renewal, 40 contact hours4. … (d) A minimum of 20 hours5 of the total number of continuing education contact hours required for renewal of a license under this section must be earned through attendance and completion of synchronous courses, seminars, and workshops5. (e) No more than one-half6 of the total number of continuing education contact hours required for renewal of a license under this section may be earned by completion of a correspondence, videotape, audiocassette, or other individual study program6.
What it means
  1. 3 hours of professional ethics
  2. 3 hours on suicidality
  3. 3 hours of cultural competency
  4. 40 hours every 2 years
  5. At least 20 hours earned live
  6. No more than half the hours (20) from home study
12 AAC 62.310Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.4How we verify
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Requirements

Alaska LPC requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by October 31 of odd years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 31 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.
Suicidality
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.
Cultural Competency
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Live
min 20 hrs
Home study / self-study
max 50%
Publication
max 10 hrs
First time presentation
max 10 hrs
Otherwise unlisted professional activity
max 15 hrs

At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study.

At least 20 hours must be earned live.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by October 31 of odd years.
New licensees
The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.

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 October 31, 2027.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LPC CE hours calculator

Also hold a Alaska LMFT or LCSW license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Alaska LMFT and Alaska LCSW requirements.

Alaska LPC required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 40-hour CE total, Alaska requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.

Recurring mandates outside the 2-year cycle

  • Alaska law (AS 47.17.020/021) imposes a statutory duty on licensed counselors to report suspected child abuse and neglect. The state provides recommended training resources (e.g., the Office of Children's Services online module), but no specific mandated-reporter training course is required as a condition of LPC licensure or renewal, and completion of such training is not tracked by the licensing board. Any such training does NOT count toward the 40-hour CE requirement.
Full board policy details
  • At least 20 hours must be synchronous (live) instruction in every tier, including the reduced 20- and 30-hour first-renewal tiers. Interactive online courses count as synchronous when instructor and attendee can communicate in real time.
  • Self-study/correspondence is capped at 50% of total hours. For reduced first-renewal cycles (20 or 30 hours), the 50% cap applies proportionally.
  • Per-day cap (12 AAC 62.320): no more than 12 contact hours may be credited toward the CE requirement in any single 24-hour period, regardless of how many programs the licensee attends. Not enforced structurally (the engine does not yet inspect credit timestamps for daily clustering); enforce manually when entering credits.
  • Activity limits (12 AAC 62.320): first-time preparation/presentation of instructional material earns up to 10 hours (shared among co-presenters). Up to 15 hours per cycle may come from otherwise-unlisted courses, seminars, workshops, and in-service training that meet the competency standards (12 AAC 62.320(b)(7)). These are activity categories, not delivery formats. Courses from recognized organizations (accredited universities, ACA, ACA-Alaska, APA, NBCC, AAMFT, NAADAC, etc.) are automatically accepted. Courses must be directly related to counseling.
  • Publication repeat restrictions: first-time publication of an article or book chapter (presented at a state/national meeting OR published by a recognized publisher) earns up to 10 contact hours total, allocated among all counselors involved. Subsequent publications of the same material earn no additional credit. Structurally enforced as the publication cap requirement above. Publication is an activity category rather than a delivery format; credit records must carry the publication category for the structured cap to apply.
  • License status rules: CE is not required to maintain an inactive or retired license. To reinstate a lapsed license (<5 years), proof of CE for the last renewal cycle must be submitted. Licenses lapsed more than 5 years cannot be reinstated and require a new application.
  • Hardship CE waiver (12 AAC 62.310): a licensee may request a waiver of the CE requirement by submitting a written request describing the reasons and providing supporting documentation. Good cause includes physical disability, serious illness, family emergency, active-duty military service, or other extenuating circumstances determined by the board. When granting a waiver, the board may require an alternative method of demonstrating continued competence in lieu of standard CE hours. This waiver process is separate from inactive/retired status; there is no automatic conditional or provisional renewal for licensees who are merely short on CE.

Alaska LPC CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Alaska LPC licensees need?

Alaska requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPC license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by October 31 of odd years.

How many ethics hours are required for Alaska LPC licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Alaska LPC licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by October 31 of odd years.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Alaska LPC licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Alaska requires 3 hours of suicidality, 3 hours of cultural competency.

Can Alaska LPC licensees complete CE online or by home study?

At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study. At least 20 hours must be earned live.

Is the first renewal different for new Alaska LPC licensees?

The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.

Sources and verification

State source
Alaska board rule
Profession source
NBCC continuing education guidance
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

We reviewed this page against the Alaska 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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Alaska 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.Alaska mental health workforce data →6,945 active providers, or 942 per 100,000 residents, ranked 2 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Alaska CE requirement pages

Alaska LMFTAlaska LCSWAlaska PsychologistAlaska PMHNP

LPC CE requirements in other states