Updated for 2026

South Dakota LPC & LPC-MH Continuing Education Requirements

South Dakota counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPC / LPC-MH license, including 4 hours of ethics.

40

total hours / 2 years

4

ethics hours

Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline

South Dakota LPC & LPC-MH requirements

RequirementNotes
Total continuing education40 hours every 2 years.
RenewalBiennial cycle: CE due by November 30 of even years.
Ethics4 hours required each cycle.
New licenseesLicensed before or during the first six months of the biennium: 40 hours, including 4 ethics hours.
Approved providersQualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, governmental agency, and state licensing board and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, psychology, and psychiatry.
RecordkeepingKeep CE documentation for 2 years after the end of each cycle.
Board auditThe board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewalA late renewal allows a $50 late fee.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.

  • in-house programmax 8 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.

Total hours
40 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: CE due by November 30 of even years.
Ethics
4 hours required each cycle.
New licensees
Licensed before or during the first six months of the biennium: 40 hours, including 4 ethics hours.
Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, governmental agency, and state licensing board and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, psychology, and psychiatry.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 2 years after the end of each cycle.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal allows a $50 late fee.
Full board policy details
  • The CE cycle is a fixed 24-month period running December 1 of an even year through November 30 of the next even year (e.g. the 2024–2026 cycle runs Dec 1, 2024 – Nov 30, 2026). Renewal opens October 1 and is due November 30 of each even-numbered year. The cycle is calendar-fixed for all licensees, not anchored to the individual license issue or expiration date.
  • First-cycle requirements use the Board's six-month tiers, not linear proration. Licensure before or during months 1–6 requires 40 hours and 4 ethics hours; months 7–12 require 30 and 3; months 13–18 require 20 and 2. A license issued in the final six months remains valid through the next biennium and does not renew at the current cycle end.
  • All 40 hours may be obtained through electronic/online means; South Dakota imposes no minimum in-person or live-interactive requirement. Asynchronous recorded courses from approved providers qualify.
  • Academic credit conversions: 1 semester credit = 15 CE hours; 1 quarter credit = 10 CE hours. Coursework must be relevant to counseling/MFT practice.
  • Pre-approved CE sponsors per ARSD 20:68:07:24 include AAMFT, American Counseling Association (and SD Counseling Association), NBCC, APA, American Medical Association, related SD licensing boards (Social Work, Addiction, Psychology), and state agencies (Dept. of Health, Dept. of Social Services). Programs from other sources require Board approval via the Continuing Education Approval Form. Publications and presentations require submission of the Publication Approval Form.
  • Qualified continuing education may not be repeated in consecutive continuing-education cycles. The engine's same-cycle duplicate flag is intentionally disabled because it cannot represent that cross-cycle rule. Presentation credit remains limited to the first presentation.
  • No more than 8 hours may come from an in-house continuing-education program. This is a sponsor/activity cap, not an in-person delivery cap.
  • License status rules — Inactive status: A licensee may place their license on inactive status; an inactive license expires four years after issuance and does NOT require biennial CE while inactive. To reactivate, the licensee must show proof of 40 hours of CE completed in the two years immediately preceding the reactivation request, plus payment of the renewal fee. If not reactivated within 4 years, the license expires and the person must reapply as a new applicant. South Dakota does not offer a separate retired/emeritus status; non-practicing licensees use inactive status.
  • Hardship extensions / waivers: The Board may extend or waive CE requirements for good cause (e.g., serious illness, military deployment, family emergency) only if the request is made BEFORE the license expiration date. No retroactive waivers and no conditional renewal pathway for CE shortfalls — licensees who cannot meet CE and do not obtain an advance extension must either inactivate the license or allow it to lapse.
  • Multi-license credit reuse: Licensees holding more than one credential under this Board (e.g., LPC-MH plus LMFT) may use a single set of 40 CE hours to satisfy renewal for both licenses; the Board does not require a content split between counseling and MFT topics for dual-license holders.

We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your South Dakota LPC / LPC-MH record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.

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South Dakota LPC & LPC-MH CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do South Dakota LPC / LPC-MH licensees need?

South Dakota requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPC / LPC-MH license. Biennial cycle: CE due by November 30 of even years.

How many ethics hours are required for South Dakota LPC / LPC-MH licensees?

Of the total, 4 hours must be in ethics.

How often do South Dakota LPC / LPC-MH licensees renew?

Biennial cycle: CE due by November 30 of even years.

Is the first renewal different for new South Dakota LPC / LPC-MH licensees?

Licensed before or during the first six months of the biennium: 40 hours, including 4 ethics hours.

Sources & verification

Last verified
July 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

Reviewed against the South Dakota 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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South Dakotaguides & data

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.

South Dakota mental health workforce data

2,928 active providers, or 313.1 per 100,000 residents, ranked 41 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.

Other South Dakota CE requirement pages

South Dakota LMFTSouth Dakota LCSWSouth Dakota Psychologist

LPC CE requirements in other states

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