Illinois has two counselor licenses: the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), which you can hold right after your degree, and the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) for independent clinical practice. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Two exams in Illinois. The LPC uses the NCE, the exam Counselor Ticket is written to. For the LCPC, Illinois's rule names both the NCE and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), a case-study exam our guide does not cover.
Check with your board. Counselor Ticket is a study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), the American Counseling Association (ACA), CACREP or any state counseling board; NCE and NCMHCE are NBCC's marks, used here only to name the exams. Laws on confidentiality, duty to warn, reporting and licensing differ by state; follow your state's law, your agency and your supervisor.
Illinois at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
NCE (or the CRC exam)
A master's or doctorate in counseling, psychology or rehabilitation counseling that meets the course rules. $150.
LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor)
NCE and NCMHCE
Two years of full-time supervised clinical experience after the degree (1,680 clock hours a year, at least half face to face), a 60-semester-hour program. $150.
Illinois, step by step
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Professional Counselor Licensing and Disciplinary Board
Degree: a master's or doctorate in counseling, psychology or rehabilitation counseling from a regionally accredited school. The LPC rules require a program of at least 48 semester hours with a course in each core area; the LCPC rules require at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours). A CRC or CCMHC certification can stand in for the education paperwork.
LPC exam: the NCE (Illinois also accepts the CRC exam). Apply in IDFPR's CORE system; the application fee is $150 for either license, and renewal is $120 per renewal period.
LCPC experience: the equivalent of two years of full-time supervised clinical counseling after the degree, where one year is 1,680 clock hours in at least 48 weeks and at least half the hours are direct face-to-face (or live video) service to clients. Part-time experience counts. Your supervisor (an LCPC, LCSW, clinical psychologist, LMFT or psychiatrist, licensed in Illinois if you are in Illinois) meets with you at least one hour a week; peer and administrative supervision do not count.
LCPC exam: Illinois's rule lists the NCE and the NCMHCE for the LCPC (the CRC exam is also accepted). NBCC's Illinois directory lists the NCMHCE for the LCPC.
The steps that hold nearly everywhere: a counseling master's degree (usually 60 semester hours, often CACREP-accredited), your board's approval, an NBCC exam, about two years of supervised experience, then the full license. The NCE has 200 questions (160 scored) in 3 hours 45 minutes; the NCMHCE is 11 clinical case studies in the same time; either can be retaken after 30 days (NBCC/CCE candidate handbooks). The full walk-through: How to get your counseling license.