Is Pennsylvania in the Counseling compact?

No. As of the latest data, Pennsylvania is not a member of the Counseling Compact. Verify on the official commission site, as states join frequently.

What if Pennsylvania doesn't recognize my license?

VAEIA 2022 / 50 U.S.C. § 4025a (effective Dec 23, 2024) requires Pennsylvania to recognize your valid out-of-state Licensed Professional Counselor license when you relocate due to military orders. If a board pushes back, cite the statute and the DOJ Servicemembers Initiative guidance. The DoD also reimburses up to $1,000 per PCS for relicensing fees.

●InvestigationsHow EUCOM shelved a tax break for 9,000 troops in Poland — for five years.→

Counseling · PA

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

Your counseling licensing board in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs)

www.pa.gov/agencies/dos/department-and-offices/bpoa/boards-commissions/social-workers-marriage-family-therapists-professional-counselors ↗☎ 717-783-1389

Pennsylvania military-spouse provision

Under Act 35 of 2022, Pennsylvania licensing boards including the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors provide expedited license application review and discretionary temporary licensure for military spouses.

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.

AL AR CO CT DE FL GA ID IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MS MO MT NE NH NJ NC ND OH OK RI SC TN UT VT VA WA WV WY

All compacts for Pennsylvania →Counseling portability — all states →License portability checker →MyCAA: $4,000 for relicensing →