Updated for 2026

Louisiana LPC & LPC-S Continuing Education Requirements

Louisiana counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPC / LPC-S license, including 3 hours of ethics and 6 hours of diagnosis.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
6diagnosis
3ethics

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

What the board saysLouisiana board rule
A licensee must accrue 40 clock hours of continuing education by every renewal period every two years1. Of the 40 clock hours of continuing education, three clock hours must be accrued in ethics2, … and six clock hours must be accrued in diagnosis3 (assessment, diagnosis, and treatment under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5, as published by the American Psychiatric Association). … Effective July 1, 2014 a maximum of 20 CEHs may be obtained through an online format4, with the exception of coursework obtained through a regionally accredited institution of higher education. … Home Study (10 hours maximum per renewal period5, effective July 1, 2014).
What it means
  1. 40 hours every 2 years
  2. 3 hours of ethics
  3. 6 hours of diagnosis
  4. No more than 20 hours online, except coursework at regionally accredited institutions
  5. No more than 10 hours of home study
LAC Title 46, Part LX, §707Last verified October 2026Ruleset 2026.4How we verify
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Requirements

Louisiana LPC & LPC-S 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 31 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Diagnosis
6
You need 6 hours each cycle.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Home study / self-study
max 20 hrs
Home study
max 10 hrs
Professional presentation
max 10 hrs
Professional publication
max 10 hrs
Personal counseling
max 10 hrs
Counseling research
max 10 hrs
Peer supervision
max 10 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.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 2 years after each renewal.
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 your renewal.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LPC CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • No more than 20 of 40 hours may be asynchronous or self-paced online CE. Live, synchronous, interactive webinars are considered in-person and do not use that allowance. Accredited academic coursework is exempt from the online cap.
  • Home study is a regulatory activity category within the online allowance and is capped at 10 hours. Credits must be tagged home study in addition to their delivery format.
  • Original professional presentations earn 5 hours per presentation hour up to 10 hours; publications earn 5 hours per article or chapter up to 10 hours. The state-specific multipliers and originality evidence remain manual checks.
  • Personal counseling as a client, counseling research, and peer supervision are each separately capped at 10 hours per renewal period.
  • Provider preapproval is not universally required. ACA/LCA and NBCC programs are automatically accepted; other activities remain subject to Board review for approved content and presenter qualifications.
  • Repeat restrictions attach to original or first-time presentations and similar credit-generating activities. The rule does not impose a blanket attendee repeat-course ban.
  • The renewal period runs July 1 through June 30 on the licensee's biennial phase. There is no general first-renewal exemption or proration.
  • A lapsed license may be renewed within 2 years under the Board's lapse procedure; because the rule combines fees, missing-cycle CE, and lapse dates rather than a simple reactivation total, it remains a manual review instead of a structured 40-hour proxy.

Louisiana LPC & LPC-S CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Louisiana LPC / LPC-S licensees need?

Louisiana requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPC / LPC-S license. The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

How many ethics hours are required for Louisiana LPC / LPC-S licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Louisiana LPC / LPC-S licensees renew?

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

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Louisiana LPC / LPC-S licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Louisiana requires 6 hours of diagnosis.

Can Louisiana LPC / LPC-S 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
Louisiana board rule
Profession source
NBCC continuing education guidance
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

We reviewed this page against the Louisiana 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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Louisiana 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.Louisiana mental health workforce data →21,407 active providers, or 463.5 per 100,000 residents, ranked 22 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Louisiana CE requirement pages

Louisiana LMFTLouisiana LCSWLouisiana PsychologistLouisiana Addiction CounselorLouisiana PMHNP

LPC CE requirements in other states