Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Michigan takes a qualifying graduate degree, a Limited License, thousands of hours of supervised clinical work, and a passing score on a national counseling exam. The Michigan LPC requirements run in a fixed order, and the most common mistake is logging supervised hours before you hold the intermediate credential that lets those hours count. Plan the sequence up front and you save yourself years.
Education
You need a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling from a regionally accredited institution. The program must include at least 48 semester hours (or 72 quarter hours) covering counseling techniques, counseling theories, ethics, career development, group techniques, research methodology, multicultural counseling, testing procedures, consulting, and a practicum. It must also include an internship of at least 600 hours of supervised clinical experience.1State of Michigan. Counseling Licensing Guide
If your program was accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the coursework presumptively meets Michigan’s standards. If it was not CACREP-accredited, the program must still cover all CACREP content areas, including coursework in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders, along with practicum and internship requirements.2State of Michigan. Professional Counselor Licensing Guide Programs accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) are also accepted.1State of Michigan. Counseling Licensing Guide
Get the Limited License Before You Log Hours
You cannot simply graduate, start accruing supervised hours, and then apply for the full LPC. Michigan requires you to first obtain a Limited Licensed Professional Counselor (LLPC) credential. The LLPC lets you practice counseling under the supervision of a fully licensed professional counselor while you accumulate your required clinical hours.3State of Michigan. Limited Licensed Professional Counselor Licensing Guide
This step is not optional. All supervised experience gained in Michigan must be completed after the limited license has been issued. Hours you log before holding the LLPC do not count toward full licensure.2State of Michigan. Professional Counselor Licensing Guide The LLPC application requires your transcripts, disclosure of any criminal history or disciplinary actions, a statement that you will practice under a licensed supervisor, and an application fee of $88.10.3State of Michigan. Limited Licensed Professional Counselor Licensing Guide
Supervised Experience
The hours you owe depend on your degree. Master’s degree holders must complete 3,000 hours of post-degree counseling experience over at least two years, with at least 100 of those hours in the immediate physical presence of the supervisor. Doctoral degree holders face a lighter threshold: 1,500 hours over at least one year, with at least 50 hours of in-person supervision.2State of Michigan. Professional Counselor Licensing Guide
All of these hours must be accrued while holding the LLPC and working under a qualified supervisor. The distinction between total supervised hours and in-person supervision hours matters. Most of your 3,000 (or 1,500) hours involve delivering counseling services with your supervisor available for guidance, but the 100-hour (or 50-hour) minimum requires your supervisor to be physically present during the session.
Choose a Supervisor Who Actually Qualifies
Not every licensed counselor qualifies as a supervisor, and confirming eligibility before you start logging hours protects your work. Supervisors who first provided supervision on or after May 5, 2022 must hold at least five years of post-master’s counseling practice and must have completed approved training in counseling supervision. Those who began supervising before that date needed only three years of post-master’s experience. A supervisor who holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential from the Center for Credentialing and Education also qualifies.4Cornell Law School. Michigan Admin Code R 338.1781 – Requirements to Provide Counseling Supervision
Supervisors must maintain documentation of the supervision they provide, including performance notes and clinical records for each supervisee.4Cornell Law School. Michigan Admin Code R 338.1781 – Requirements to Provide Counseling Supervision That documentation becomes part of your licensure application later.
Pass the NCE or the NCMHCE
You must pass either the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). Both are administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). The NCE covers broad counseling competencies across multiple domains. The NCMHCE focuses on clinical mental health counseling skills, including intake, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.5Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Counseling Examination Information
Exam scores must be sent directly from NBCC to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The exams test applied knowledge rather than memorization, so the clinical work you do during your LLPC period is your best preparation.
Applying for the Full LPC
Once you have finished your supervised hours and passed the NCE or NCMHCE, you can apply for the full LPC through LARA’s online portal. The application requires official transcripts sent directly from your institution, documentation of your supervised experience, and your exam scores.2State of Michigan. Professional Counselor Licensing Guide
You must disclose any criminal history or prior disciplinary actions from other licensing boards. After you submit the online application, LARA will email instructions for completing a criminal background check.6State of Michigan. Professional Counselor Licensing Guide Applicants seeking relicensure within three years of an expired license may be exempt from the background check. The application requires a fee paid by credit or debit card; check LARA’s current fee schedule, since amounts are periodically adjusted.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Michigan’s LPC license renews on a three-year cycle. The current renewal fee is $198.45.7Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. License Renewal Fees You must complete continuing education during each renewal period, including training in pain and symptom management as required by the Michigan Public Health Code for health professionals. Approved continuing education programs from organizations like NBCC are accepted by the Michigan Board of Counseling, provided the coursework directly relates to your scope of practice. Check LARA’s current renewal requirements for the exact number of hours and any topic-specific mandates, since these rules are periodically updated.
A Note on Practicing Across State Lines
Your Michigan LPC does not authorize you to treat clients located in other states. You generally need to be licensed or hold a practice privilege in any state where your client is physically located at the time of the session. The Counseling Compact was created to simplify this, allowing counselors licensed in a member state to obtain privileges to practice in other member states. As of mid-2025, 37 states and Washington, D.C. have enacted the Compact’s legislation, and applications opened for the first participating states in September 2025.8Counseling Compact. FAQ’s
Michigan has not yet joined. The Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association has been engaging stakeholders on the issue, but no legislation has been enacted.9Michigan House. Briefing on the Counseling Compact Until that changes, you would need a separate license in any state where you want to see clients remotely.