How many states are in the Counseling compact?

34 jurisdictions are members of the Counseling Compact as of the latest data (effective since 2023). New states join frequently — verify on the official commission site.

What if my destination state isn't in the Counseling compact?

VAEIA 2022 / 50 U.S.C. § 4025a requires your destination state to recognize your valid out-of-state Licensed Professional Counselor license when you relocate due to military orders, even with no compact. The DoD reimburses up to $1,000 per PCS for relicensing fees.

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Profession Guide · Counseling

Licensed Professional Counselor license portability for military spouses

For licensed professional counselors (LPC, LMHC, LCMHC). Member-state license is recognized in all other member states; military spouses can use home-state license in any compact state.

Data as of May 2026|Source: Counseling Compact commission|Based on 34 member states

Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated May 2026Editorial standards

States that accept your license (34)

Tap a state to see the full transfer answer for Licensed Professional Counselors.

AL · Alabama AR · Arkansas CO · Colorado CT · Connecticut DE · Delaware FL · Florida GA · Georgia ID · Idaho IN · Indiana IA · Iowa KS · Kansas KY · Kentucky LA · Louisiana ME · Maine MD · Maryland MS · Mississippi MO · Missouri MT · Montana NE · Nebraska NH · New Hampshire NJ · New Jersey NC · North Carolina ND · North Dakota OH · Ohio OK · Oklahoma RI · Rhode Island SC · South Carolina TN · Tennessee UT · Utah VT · Vermont VA · Virginia WA · Washington WV · West Virginia WY · Wyoming

States using the VAEIA backstop (16)

Not in the compact — VAEIA 2022 still requires recognition for spouses.

AK · Alaska AZ · Arizona CA · California HI · Hawaii IL · Illinois MA · Massachusetts MI · Michigan MN · Minnesota NV · Nevada NM · New Mexico NY · New York OR · Oregon PA · Pennsylvania SD · South Dakota TX · Texas WI · Wisconsin

Official Counseling compact site ↗← Back to the portability checker