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.
40
total hours / 2 years
3
ethics hours
6
diagnosis hours
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Louisiana LPC & LPC-S requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Diagnosis | 6 hours required each cycle. |
| Format limits | Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 2 years after each renewal. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- home study / self-studymax 20 hrs
- home studymax 10 hrs
- professional presentationmax 10 hrs
- professional publicationmax 10 hrs
- personal counselingmax 10 hrs
- counseling researchmax 10 hrs
- peer supervisionmax 10 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.
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.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Louisiana LPC / LPC-S record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Louisiana LPC / LPC-S CE free →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. Biennial cycle: 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?
Biennial cycle: 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 & verification
- State source
- Louisiana board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Louisiana 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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