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.
40
total hours / 2 years
3
ethics hours
3
suicidality hours
3
cultural competency hours
Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline
Alaska LPC requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: CE due by October 31 of odd years. |
| Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Suicidality | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Cultural Competency | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Format limits | At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study. |
| Format limits | At least 20 hours must be earned live. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Other mandates | 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. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- livemin 20 hrs
- home study / self-studymax 50%
- publicationmax 10 hrs
- first time presentationmax 10 hrs
- otherwise unlisted professional activitymax 15 hrs
Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
Alaska LPCrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 40-hour CE total, Alaska requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 2 years 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.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Alaska LPC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Alaska LPC CE free →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. Biennial cycle: CE 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?
Biennial cycle: CE 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?
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Alaska board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.4
Reviewed against the Alaska board source and refreshed 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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What to keep for a CE audit
What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.
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