Resources · Path to Licensure

Step-by-step licensure pathways in Alabama.

Alabama licenses its behavioral-health professions through several separate single-profession boards rather than one umbrella agency. Counseling, social work, marriage & family therapy, psychology, and applied behavior analysis are each genuine state licenses with their own board, statute (Code of Ala. 1975, Title 34, plus the Department of Mental Health for behavior analysis), and administrative-code chapter. Each clinical profession follows an associate/master-level → full-license ladder; counselors and MFTs in particular must first hold an associate-tier license and accrue supervised post-degree hours before the independent license is granted. Two Alabama features stand out: psychologist applicants must pass an oral Professional Standards Examination administered by the Psychology Board in addition to the national EPPP, and substance-abuse/addiction counseling in Alabama is a private-association certification (through the Alabama Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association and similar boards), not a state license — so it is omitted from this state-license ladder.

Want the one-line summary instead? See the Alabama licensure overview →
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Professional CounselingSocial WorkMarriage & Family TherapyPsychologyBehavior Analysis

Professional Counseling

Prep for the NCMHCE / NCE →
ALC

Associate Licensed Counselor

Required exam: An ALC applicant may opt to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE), administered by NBCC, at the completion of the education requirement, or may defer it until completing the supervised experience. (The Board administers/authorizes the NCE; the NCMHCE is accepted in lieu of the NCE in some cases.)

Scope: Alabama’s counseling associate license, issued by the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling (ABEC) under Code of Ala. 1975 § 34-8A-7 and Admin. Code 255-X-3-.02. The ALC license must be issued before any of the supervised experience required for the LPC may be accrued; the ALC practices counseling only under the exclusive supervision of an ABEC-approved Supervising Counselor (LPC-S).
  1. EducationA conferred master’s degree in counseling of at least 60 graduate semester hours (90 quarter hours) from a CACREP- or CORE-accredited program, or a regionally accredited program with CACREP/CORE-equivalent content covering the nine required academic areas plus a 100-clock-hour practicum and a 600-clock-hour internship (Admin. Code 255-X-3-.01(2), effective Jan. 1, 2024).
  2. Supervision / experienceNo prior post-degree experience is required to obtain the ALC; it is the credential that authorizes the holder to begin accruing supervised hours. The applicant must submit a Proposed Plan of Supervision (PPoS) naming an ABEC-approved Supervising Counselor (LPC-S), who must provide a minimum annual average of 100 hours of supervision — including 50 direct supervision hours, of which 25 must be individual, in-person, real-time.
  3. ExamThe applicant may sit for the NCE after the application is approved at the Academic Review level, or defer it until the experience requirement is complete (Admin. Code 255-X-3-.02(5)).
  4. ApplicationSubmit the ABEC ALC Initial License Application with official transcripts, the Worksheet for Reporting Course Work, the Proposed Plan of Supervision, the Proof of Citizenship form, and references/endorsements, with fees, to ABEC (400 South Union Street, Suite 245, Montgomery).
LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Required exam: Pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE), administered by NBCC through Pearson VUE. ABEC authorizes the candidate to test only after the ALC application has been approved at the Academic Review level (the NCMHCE is accepted in lieu of the NCE in some cases).

Scope: Alabama’s full, independent counseling license (Code of Ala. 1975 § 34-8A-7; Admin. Code 255-X-3-.01), authorizing the independent practice of professional counseling — including diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders — without the supervision required of an ALC.
  1. EducationThe same conferred 60-semester-hour CACREP/CORE-accredited (or equivalent) master’s degree in counseling required for the ALC, meeting the nine academic content areas and practicum/internship standards of Admin. Code 255-X-3-.01(2).
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 hours of board-approved supervised experience in professional counseling, accrued only after the ALC license is issued, comprising at least 2,250 hours of direct counseling service (individuals, couples, families, or groups) and 750 hours of indirect services. The hours requirement may be reduced by 1,000 hours for every 15 graduate semester hours earned beyond the master’s (never below 1,000 total hours).
  3. ExamPass the NCE (or accepted NCMHCE); NBCC sends the official score to ABEC through its secure score portal.
  4. ApplicationAfter completing the supervised hours, petition the Board in writing using the ABEC ‘LPC (from ALC) Initial License Application,’ with the Supervising Counselor’s final supervision progress report, prorated continuing-education documentation since the last ALC renewal (including at least 2 ethics hours), and fees.

Official Professional Counseling resources

Social Work

Prep for the ASWB exam →
LBSW

Licensed Bachelor Social Worker

Required exam: Pass the ASWB Bachelors examination (the basic-level national social work exam).

Scope: Alabama’s entry-level social work license, issued by the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners. It authorizes general (non-clinical) bachelor-level social work practice; an LBSW practices under the supervision of an LMSW or LICSW for the first 24 months of licensure.
  1. EducationA bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a program accredited (or in candidacy) by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
  2. Supervision / experienceNo pre-license supervised hours are required to obtain the LBSW; however, after licensure the LBSW must practice under the supervision of an LMSW or LICSW for 24 months and a minimum of 96 supervision hours (averaging four hours per month).
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Bachelors examination; ASWB reports the score to the Board.
  4. ApplicationApply to the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners with official transcripts confirming the CSWE-accredited BSW, the ASWB exam authorization/score, references, and fees.
LMSW

Licensed Master Social Worker

Required exam: Pass the ASWB Masters examination (the intermediate-level national social work exam).

Scope: Alabama’s master-level social work license, authorizing advanced (generalist) master-level social work practice. The LMSW is the gateway credential for accruing the post-master supervised experience that leads to the clinical LICSW.
  1. EducationA master’s degree in social work (MSW) — the Board also recognizes doctoral-level social work education (DSW) — from a CSWE-accredited (or candidacy) program.
  2. Supervision / experienceNo pre-license supervised hours are required to obtain the LMSW. (Post-license supervised practice is what counts toward the LICSW; the LMSW itself is granted on degree plus exam.)
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Masters examination; ASWB reports the score to the Board.
  4. ApplicationApply to the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners with the official MSW (or DSW) transcript, the ASWB Masters exam authorization/score, references, and fees.
LICSW

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Required exam: Pass the ASWB Clinical examination (the clinical-level national social work exam).

Scope: Alabama’s top clinical social work license, authorizing the independent practice of clinical social work, including diagnosis and treatment. A separate Private Independent Practice (PIP) authorization is available to LICSWs (and qualifying LMSWs) who wish to practice independently in private practice.
  1. EducationA CSWE-accredited (or candidacy) MSW or DSW degree.
  2. Supervision / experienceAt least two years (24 months) of post-master/doctoral supervised clinical social work practice, completed within a 36-month period at a minimum of 4 hours of supervision per month for 24 months, supervised by an LICSW.
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Clinical examination; ASWB reports the score to the Board.
  4. ApplicationApply to the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners with official transcripts, documentation of the supervised clinical experience signed by the LICSW supervisor, the ASWB Clinical exam authorization/score, references, and fees (and the PIP application if seeking private-practice authorization).

Official Social Work resources

Marriage & Family Therapy

Prep for the National MFT Exam →
MFT Associate

Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (Associate License)

Required exam: An applicant becomes eligible to sit for the AMFTRB National Examination in Marital and Family Therapy once all requirements for associate status are met (the national exam is taken on the path to the full LMFT).

Scope: Alabama’s MFT associate license, issued by the Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy. It is the credential under which a graduate accrues the supervised post-degree clinical hours required for full LMFT licensure, practicing marriage and family therapy under qualified supervision.
  1. EducationA master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a recognized institution, or a graduate degree in an allied mental-health field that includes the required graduate-level MFT coursework.
  2. Supervision / experienceTo qualify for associate status, complete a minimum 12-month internship with substantial clinical experience and 100 hours of clinical supervision (at least 50 of which must be raw-data supervision — the supervisor reviews recordings or directly observes sessions), including 500 direct client-contact hours with at least 250 hours involving couples or families present in the room.
  3. ExamEligible to sit for the AMFTRB National Examination after meeting all associate-status requirements.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the Associate Application (with instructions) to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy with transcripts, documentation of the internship and supervision, references, and fees.
LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Required exam: Pass the AMFTRB National Examination in Marital and Family Therapy, administered by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.

Scope: Alabama’s full, independent marriage and family therapy license, authorizing the independent practice of marriage and family therapy — the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders within a relational/family-systems framework — without the supervision required of an associate.
  1. EducationThe same master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy (or an allied graduate degree with the required MFT coursework) as for the associate license.
  2. Supervision / experienceTwo calendar years of supervised post-degree marriage and family therapy work experience, including 200 hours of direct supervision (at least 100 of which must be individual) and at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact (250 of them with families or couples in attendance), building on the associate-tier internship hours.
  3. ExamPass the AMFTRB National Examination in Marital and Family Therapy.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the LMFT application to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy with transcripts, documentation of the two years of supervised experience and supervision hours, the AMFTRB exam score, references, and fees.

Official Marriage & Family Therapy resources

Psychology

Prep for the EPPP →
LP

Licensed Psychologist

Required exam: Pass the EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology) at the doctoral level — minimum scaled score of 500 — AND pass Alabama’s Professional Standards Examination, an oral examination on ethics, law, and state-specific professional obligations conducted by the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology.

Scope: Alabama’s doctoral-level, full independent-practice psychology license, issued by the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology (Admin. Code Chapter 750-X-2), authorizing the complete scope of psychological services including assessment, diagnosis, and psychotherapy.
  1. EducationA doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology from an APA-accredited or Board-approved program, including completion of an APA-accredited or Board-approved internship.
  2. Supervision / experienceUnlike many states, Alabama does NOT require a separate period of post-doctoral supervised experience; the supervised experience is satisfied through the required doctoral internship. Applicants must furnish four professional references from psychologists (three licensed/certified at the doctoral level), one of whom must be the doctoral dissertation/study advisor, chairperson, or program director.
  3. ExamPass the EPPP (doctoral level, scaled score ≥ 500) with ASPPB sending the official score to the Board, and pass the Board’s oral Professional Standards Examination.
  4. ApplicationApply to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology with official doctoral transcripts, internship verification, the four professional references, the EPPP score, and fees; the oral Professional Standards Examination is scheduled by the Board.

Official Psychology resources

Behavior Analysis

Prep for the BCBA exam →
LABA

Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst

Required exam: Pass the BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst) certification examination of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); Alabama defers to BACB certification and does not administer a separate state behavior-analysis exam.

Scope: Alabama’s assistant-tier behavior-analysis license, issued by the Alabama Behavior Analyst Licensure Board (ABALB), within the Alabama Department of Mental Health (Admin. Code Chapter 580-5-30B). It authorizes the practice of applied behavior analysis under the supervision of a Licensed Behavior Analyst, and is built on holding active BACB Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification.
  1. EducationHold active BACB BCaBA certification, which requires the BACB-specified qualifying degree and behavior-analytic coursework (documented through the BACB).
  2. Supervision / experienceThe supervised fieldwork is satisfied through the BACB’s BCaBA certification requirements; once licensed, the LABA practices under the supervision of a Licensed Behavior Analyst.
  3. ExamHold current, active BACB BCaBA certification (i.e., have passed the BCaBA examination).
  4. ApplicationSubmit the notarized ABALB application after BCaBA certification, with proof of certification, a completed criminal background check, and the application-review and licensure fees payable to the Alabama Behavior Analyst Licensure Board (Admin. Code 580-5-30B-.06).
LBA

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Required exam: Pass the BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) certification examination of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); Alabama defers to BACB certification and does not administer a separate state behavior-analysis exam.

Scope: Alabama’s full behavior-analysis license, issued by the Alabama Behavior Analyst Licensure Board (ABALB) within the Alabama Department of Mental Health (Admin. Code Chapter 580-5-30B), authorizing the independent practice of applied behavior analysis. It is built on holding active BACB Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification.
  1. EducationHold active BACB BCBA certification, which requires a qualifying master’s degree from an ABAI-accredited/recognized or APBA-accredited program plus the BACB-required behavior-analytic coursework (documented through the BACB).
  2. Supervision / experienceThe supervised fieldwork is satisfied through the BACB’s BCBA certification requirements (2,000 hours of supervised independent fieldwork at 5% supervision, or 1,500 concentrated hours at 10% supervision); Alabama recognizes current, active BCBA certification as the basis for licensure.
  3. ExamHold current, active BACB BCBA certification (i.e., have passed the BCBA examination).
  4. ApplicationSubmit the notarized ABALB Application for Licensure after BCBA certification, with proof of BACB certification, a completed criminal background check, and the application-review and licensure fees payable to the Alabama Behavior Analyst Licensure Board (Admin. Code 580-5-30B-.06). Licenses expire December 31 of the year following issuance.

Official Behavior Analysis resources

All licenses

Alabama licensing portals & background checks.

How to use this page. Each card shows the education, supervised experience, exam, and application steps for one Alabama license, plus its scope of practice. Licensing rules change — always confirm current requirements with the official board before you apply. Verified against the official state boards in June 2026.

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