Licensure, Certification, and Registration Requirements; Application and Renewal
Domain 3 tests the pathway from applicant to licensee and the maintenance of that license.
Initial requirements
For LCPC licensure, Maryland requires a qualifying master's degree (the Board's regulations specify graduate semester hours and counseling coursework), a supervised practicum or internship, a national counselor examination accepted by the Board, a criminal background check, the Board's jurisprudence examination, and fees. The LGPC is the post-master's supervised license; the LCPC is the independent clinical license. To move from LGPC to LCPC, the candidate must complete the Board-required supervised clinical experience-commonly 3,000 hours over at least two years-and the required supervision hours.
Renewal and status
- Renewal is on a two-year cycle with a fee and continuing education.
- Late renewal usually requires a late fee; practicing after expiration is unlicensed practice.
- Inactive status may be available, but it does not authorize practice.
- Alcohol and drug counselor certifications have their own application and renewal requirements.
Worked example
An applicant submits 2,950 supervised hours and asks the Board to round up. The Board does not round: the candidate must complete the full 3,000 hours and document the required supervision before LCPC approval. Submitting an application with false hours can itself become an unprofessional-conduct charge.
Traps
- Counting hours earned before the LGPC was issued or before the approved supervisor agreement was in place.
- Assuming the jurisprudence exam is optional because the national exam was passed.
- Letting CE lapse and continuing to see clients while 'waiting for the renewal to process.'