South Carolina licenses LPC Associates (LPCA) and Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC). Graduates pass a national exam, get the associate license and work under an approved supervision plan. 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.
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.
South Carolina at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
LPCA (LPC Associate)
NCE or NCMHCE
A master's, specialist or doctoral degree with at least 60 graduate semester hours primarily in counseling. $130. Two-year license.
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
Already passed
1,500 post-master's clinical hours over at least two years: 1,380 direct client contact and 120 hours of supervision. $130.
South Carolina, step by step
South Carolina Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists
Degree: a CACREP-accredited program, or a master's, specialist or doctoral degree with at least 60 graduate semester hours primarily in counseling from an accredited institution meeting the board's course requirements.
The exam: all candidates pass either the NCE or the NCMHCE (both from NBCC) once the board approves their education and application.
LPC Associate: the application fee is $130. Your Plan for Clinical Supervision must be in effect once you pass the exam and the associate license is issued; associates practice only under an approved plan. The associate license lasts two years; if you need longer, file an Associate Extension before it expires.
Supervised experience: at least 1,500 hours of post-master's clinical experience over no fewer than two years, including 1,380 hours of direct client contact and at least 120 hours of supervision (at least 60 individual or triadic), from an LPC Supervisor or another board-approved licensed mental health practitioner.
LPC: apply to upgrade ($130) with the supervisor's confirmation of clinical supervision.
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.