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Counseling · CA

Can a Licensed Professional Counselor transfer a license to California as a military spouse?

Data as of May 2026|Source: Counseling Compact commission + DOJ Servicemembers Initiative
Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated May 2026Editorial standards
⚠ VAEIA federal backstop

Not through the compact — California is not currently a Counseling compact member. A military-spouse Licensed Professional Counselor relies on VAEIA 2022 / 50 U.S.C. § 4025a, which requires California to recognize a valid out-of-state license upon relocation for military orders.

Your counseling licensing board in California

California Board of Behavioral Sciences
www.bbs.ca.gov916-574-7830
California military-spouse provision

Expedites licensure, offers a temporary 12-month nonrenewable license, and waives application and exam fees for spouses or partners of an active-duty service member assigned to a California duty station who already hold a current counselor license in another state.

Official source ↗

About the Counseling Compact

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.

Official compact site ↗

All Counseling member states

34 jurisdictions. Tap any to check that destination for this profession.

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All compacts for CaliforniaCounseling portability — all states →License portability checker →MyCAA: $4,000 for relicensing →
Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated May 2026Editorial standards