Illinois LPC & LCPC Continuing Education Requirements
Illinois counselors must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPC / LCPC license, including 3 hours of ethics and 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention.
30
total hours / 2 years
3
ethics hours
1
sexual harassment prevention hours
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Illinois LPC & LCPC requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Sexual Harassment Prevention | 1 hour required each cycle. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Approved providers | CE must be earned from a board-approved provider. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 5 years after each course's completion date. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Other mandates | Illinois mandated reporter training (including implicit bias content) under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Must be completed within 3 months of starting as a mandated reporter and at least every 3 years thereafter. Counts toward CE hours. |
Total hours
30 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Ethics
3 hours required each cycle.
Sexual Harassment Prevention
1 hour required each cycle.
New licensees
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Approved providers
CE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 5 years after each course's completion date.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Other mandates
Illinois mandated reporter training (including implicit bias content) under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Must be completed within 3 months of starting as a mandated reporter and at least every 3 years thereafter. Counts toward CE hours.
Full board policy details
- All 30 hours may be completed via approved self-study or distance learning. Live, interactive webinars are treated as distance learning. All remote courses (live online or recorded) must include an examination or quiz to verify comprehension. There is no required minimum of in-person hours.
- Teaching: 1.5 hours of CE credit are awarded for each hour taught, but only for the FIRST presentation of a given course. Repeat presentations of the same material earn no additional credit. Maximum 10 hours per renewal.
- Publications and first-time presentations: credit is awarded only once per unique work (only the first time an article is published or a talk is given). Maximum 10 hours per renewal.
- Course repeat restrictions: Attending the same CE course twice in one renewal period yields credit only once. Each unique course/activity counts only once. Sponsors must verify full attendance via certificates.
- Individual course approval: Licensees may petition the Division for individual course approval, with a fee, for courses from non-approved providers. However, self-study or remote courses taken from non-approved out-of-state providers cannot be retroactively approved — the petition pathway is not a post-hoc credit cure for already-completed asynchronous coursework from unapproved providers. Not enforced structurally (any petition-approved course should be entered with provider marked approved at credit-entry time).
- Inactive status: While a license is inactive, no CE is required and the licensee may not practice. Retired practitioners may either let the license expire or place it on inactive status — no CE required during the inactive period.
- Reactivation: To restore an inactive/expired license held inactive 5 years or less, the licensee must submit proof of 30 hours of CE completed in the 24 months prior to the restoration application. If inactive more than 5 years, additionally either evidence of active practice in another jurisdiction OR passing the licensing exam again (or other board-approved demonstration of competency) is required.
- Hardship CE waivers may be requested in writing before the renewal deadline for good cause (full-time military service, incapacitating illness with physician documentation, or other extenuating circumstances beyond the licensee's control). Waivers are granted one cycle at a time. Requesting a waiver based on incapacitating illness in two consecutive renewal periods is treated as prima facie evidence that the licensee may be unable to practice safely and may be grounds for denying the waiver and/or initiating an inability-to-practice review.
- Dual license holders (LCPC + LMFT): a single CE course that meets content criteria can be applied toward both licenses' 30-hour requirements; duplicate hours need not be earned. The 1-hour mandated topic courses can be counted for each license without repeating.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Illinois LPC / LCPC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Illinois LPC / LCPC CE free →Illinois LPC & LCPC CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Illinois LPC / LCPC licensees need?
Illinois requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPC / LCPC license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How many ethics hours are required for Illinois LPC / LCPC licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Illinois LPC / LCPC licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Illinois LPC / LCPC licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Illinois requires 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention.
Is the first renewal different for new Illinois LPC / LCPC 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
- Illinois board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Illinois board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is informational only and not legal or board advice. Always verify requirements with your licensing board before you renew. See something wrong? Report it →
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