Updated for 2026

New Jersey LPC Continuing Education Requirements

New Jersey counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPC license, including 5 hours of ethics legal, 3 hours of social cultural competence, and 1 hour of prescription opioids.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
5ethics legal
3social cultural competence
1prescription opioids

Next deadline: November 30, 2026The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

What the board saysNew Jersey board rule
All licensed professional counselors shall complete 40 contact hours1 of continuing education for license renewal … A licensed professional counselor shall complete at least five of the 40 contact hours2 required by N.J.A.C. 13:34-15.1 in ethical and legal standards in the counseling profession2 … A licensee shall complete at least three of the 40 contact hours3 of continuing education as required by N.J.A.C. 13:34-15.1 in the subject area of social and cultural competence3 … at least one of the 40 contact hours4 of continuing education shall, pursuant to P.L. 2017, c. 341, be in educational programs or topics concerning prescription opioid drugs4, including the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion. This one credit shall not be eligible for carry over as described in (e) below. … If the licensed professional counselor earns more than 40 contact hours during a biennial period1, the professional counselor may carry a maximum of 10 contact hours5 into the next succeeding biennial period.
What it means
  1. 40 contact hours every two years
  2. 5 hours in ethical and legal standards
  3. 3 hours in social and cultural competence
  4. 1 hour on prescription opioid drugs; this credit cannot carry over
  5. Up to 10 excess hours carry into the next cycle
N.J.A.C. 13:34-15.1, 15.2Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.5How we verify
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Requirements

New Jersey LPC requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 31 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics Legal
5
You need 5 hours each cycle.
Social Cultural Competence
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.
Prescription Opioids
1
You need 1 hour each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

First time presentation
max 9 hrs
Publication
max 8 hrs
Carryover
max 10 hrs

Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next cycle.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.
Renewal fee
Renewal fees by license status
Status / feeAmount and conditions
LPC active renewal$250. Biennial fee.
Board fee schedule
Late renewal surcharge$100. Additional charge, not the renewal total.
Board fee schedule

CE course costs are separate. Late renewal does not authorize practice on an expired license.

We verified these fees on 2026-09-30. Board fee schedule.

Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, accredited university, and governmental agency and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, rehabilitation counseling, and addiction counseling.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 5 years after each renewal.
Late renewal
The board allows a 30-day grace period after expiration. A late renewal adds a $100 late fee.

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 November 30, 2026.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LPC CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • LPC biennial renewal cycle runs from December 1 of an even-numbered year through November 30 of the next even-numbered year (N.J.A.C. 13:34-15.1). The cycle is fixed by the Board and not tied to license issuance or birthdate.
  • New Jersey LPCs have no cap on self-study or online CE; all 40 hours may be obtained via distance learning from approved providers. There is no minimum in-person/live requirement for LPCs.
  • Approved providers include NBCC, ACA, APA (Psychological and Psychiatric), NASW, AAMFT, CRCC, American Orthopsychiatric Association, AMA, ANA, NAADAC, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, and IC&RC member boards. Courses not pre-approved by a listed organization must be submitted to one of those organizations for approval; the Committee does not pre-approve individual courses. Per N.J.A.C. 13:34-15.4(a).
  • Teaching, presenting, publishing, and graduate-level academic coursework are NOT exempt from the approved-provider/qualifying-source requirement. Academic coursework must be taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher education; teaching and publishing earn credit only when the activity meets the rule's criteria (e.g., a 'new' course not previously taught, or a qualifying scholarly article). All 40 hours each cycle must be unique qualifying activities from approved sources.
  • COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: Teaching and presentation credit is limited to a new course or offering the licensee has not previously taught or presented. The rule does not impose a general repeat ban on attendees. The 1-hour opioid credit cannot be carried into the next renewal cycle.
  • LICENSE STATUS RULES: Licensees on inactive status are exempt from CE during the inactive period and may not practice. To reactivate, the licensee must show proof of completing the 40 CE hours that would have been required for the biennial period preceding reactivation. A current active license in another state with equivalent CE during the inactive period satisfies this. Missing mandatory topic hours (ethics, cultural competence, opioids) may be completed within 12 months following reactivation. Lapsed/suspended licenses require the same reinstatement CE evidence. Hardship waivers (illness, disability, military service, or other good cause) may be requested in writing under N.J.A.C. 13:34-15.7.

New Jersey LPC CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do New Jersey LPC licensees need?

New Jersey requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPC license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

How many ethics hours are required for New Jersey LPC licensees?

Of the total, 5 hours must be in ethics legal.

How often do New Jersey LPC licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

How much does New Jersey LPC license renewal cost?
Renewal fees by license status
Status / feeAmount and conditions
LPC active renewal$250. Biennial fee.
Board fee schedule
Late renewal surcharge$100. Additional charge, not the renewal total.
Board fee schedule

CE course costs are separate. Late renewal does not authorize practice on an expired license.

We verified these fees on 2026-09-30. Board fee schedule.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for New Jersey LPC licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, New Jersey requires 3 hours of social cultural competence, 1 hour of prescription opioids.

Sources and verification

State source
New Jersey board rule
Fee schedule
New Jersey board fee schedule
Profession source
NBCC continuing education guidance
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.5

We reviewed this page against the New Jersey 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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New Jersey 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.New Jersey mental health workforce data →38,996 active providers, or 408.4 per 100,000 residents, ranked 28 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other New Jersey CE requirement pages

New Jersey LMFTNew Jersey LCSWNew Jersey PsychologistNew Jersey Addiction CounselorNew Jersey PMHNP

LPC CE requirements in other states