Resources · Path to Licensure

Step-by-step licensure pathways in Alaska.

Alaska’s behavioral-health professions are regulated by the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing. Two professions are structural outliers: behavior analysts are licensed directly by the Division with no board (enacted 2014), and chemical-dependency/addiction counselors are NOT state-licensed at all — they are certified by a private nonprofit (ACBHC) through IC&RC, shown below and labeled. Alaska is also distinctive in licensing both a doctoral Licensed Psychologist and a master’s-level Licensed Psychological Associate as separate tiers.

Want the one-line summary instead? See the Alaska licensure overview →
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Professional CounselingAddiction & Substance Use CounselingSocial WorkMarriage & Family TherapyPsychologyBehavior Analysis

Professional Counseling

Prep for the NCMHCE / NCE →
LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Required exam: National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), NBCC.

Scope: Independent practice of professional mental-health counseling — assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral conditions. (A new associate-counselor tier was enacted in 2024 but is not yet issuable pending rulemaking.)
  1. Education60-semester-credit master’s or doctoral degree in counseling or a closely related field.
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience over at least 2 years, including at least 1,000 hours of direct counseling and at least 100 hours of direct supervision (at least 50 one-on-one).
  3. ExamPass the NCE or NCMHCE.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the application, transcripts, supervised-experience verification, and fee to the Board of Professional Counselors via the MY LICENSE portal.

Official Professional Counseling resources

Addiction & Substance Use Counseling

Prep for the MAC / NCAC exam →
CDC I

Chemical Dependency Counselor I (ACBHC certification — not a state license)

Required exam: IC&RC Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC) examination.

Scope: Provides substance-use / chemical-dependency counseling under the IC&RC alcohol & drug counselor framework. Issued by the Alaska Commission for Behavioral Health Certification, a private nonprofit, not the state.
  1. Education148 hours of chemical-dependency-specific education in mandated content areas; no college degree required.
  2. Supervision / experienceNon-degree path: 4,000 hours of supervised experience; degree path: a 100-hour supervised practicum plus 2,000 hours of on-the-job counseling.
  3. ExamPass the IC&RC ADC examination.
  4. ApplicationApply to ACBHC (akcertification.org), not the state.
CDC II

Chemical Dependency Counselor II (ACBHC certification — not a state license)

Required exam: IC&RC advanced (ADC-level) examination.

Scope: Advanced substance-use counselor certification with greater required experience; an ACBHC/IC&RC certification, not a state license.
  1. Education176 contact hours of chemical-dependency-specific education.
  2. Supervision / experience6,000 hours (about three years), including the CDC I practicum requirements plus an additional 100 practicum hours.
  3. ExamPass the IC&RC examination.
  4. ApplicationApply to ACBHC (akcertification.org).

Official Addiction & Substance Use Counseling resources

Social Work

Prep for the ASWB exam →
LBSW

Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Bachelors examination.

Scope: Generalist (non-clinical) social-work practice — case management, advocacy, and referral; no independent diagnosis or clinical treatment.
  1. EducationBSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
  2. Supervision / experienceNone required for licensure.
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Bachelors examination.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the application, transcripts, references, and fee to the Board.
LMSW

Licensed Master Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Masters examination.

Scope: Advanced (master’s-level) social-work practice; clinical practice permitted under supervision but not independent clinical practice.
  1. EducationMSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
  2. Supervision / experienceNone required for the LMSW itself.
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Masters examination.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the application, transcripts, references, and fee to the Board.
LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Clinical examination.

Scope: Independent clinical social-work practice — diagnosis and psychotherapeutic treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
  1. EducationMSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
  2. Supervision / experienceAt least 3,000 hours of post-MSW supervised clinical experience over a minimum of 2 years, including 100 hours of face-to-face supervision (no more than 50 group).
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Clinical examination.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the application, transcripts, supervised-experience verification, references, and fee to the Board.

Official Social Work resources

Marriage & Family Therapy

Prep for the National MFT Exam →
LMFT

Licensed Marital and Family Therapist

Required exam: AMFTRB Examination in Marital and Family Therapy.

Scope: Independent practice of marital and family therapy — assessment and treatment of mental and emotional disorders within relational and family systems.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree in MFT from a COAMFTE- or CACREP-accredited program.
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 supervised hours post-graduation over about 2 years, including at least 1,700 hours of direct clinical contact with couples/families and 200 hours of supervision.
  3. ExamPass the AMFTRB examination; complete the Alaska jurisprudence questionnaire and 6 hours of domestic-violence training.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the application, licensure fee, and exam verification to the Board of Marital and Family Therapy.

Official Marriage & Family Therapy resources

Psychology

Prep for the EPPP →
LPA

Licensed Psychological Associate (Master’s level)

Required exam: EPPP plus the Alaska State Law and Ethics Examination.

Scope: Master’s-level psychological practice under conditions set by the Board (historically associated with / supervised by a licensed psychologist); narrower than the doctoral psychologist scope.
  1. EducationMaster’s degree in clinical psychology equivalent to at least 48 semester credit hours of clinical-psychology coursework, including a practicum.
  2. Supervision / experienceTwo years of post-master’s supervised experience with at least one hour per week of direct supervision by a licensed psychologist (a 2-year temporary associate license is issued to complete the period).
  3. ExamPass the EPPP and the Alaska Law & Ethics examination.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the application with supervision plan, transcripts, and fee to the Board.
Licensed Psychologist

Licensed Psychologist (Doctoral)

Required exam: EPPP plus the Alaska State Law and Ethics Examination.

Scope: Independent doctoral-level practice of psychology — psychological assessment, diagnosis, and treatment across the full scope of practice.
  1. EducationDoctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in psychology from a program meeting board / accreditation criteria.
  2. Supervision / experience1,500 supervised (post-doctoral) hours including at least one hour per week of one-on-one direct supervision.
  3. ExamPass the EPPP and the Alaska State Law and Ethics examination.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the application, transcripts, supervised-experience verification, and fee to the Board.

Official Psychology resources

Behavior Analysis

Prep for the BCBA exam →
LBA

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Required exam: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination, BACB.

Scope: Independent practice of applied behavior analysis — behavioral assessment and the design and supervision of behavior-change programs. Alaska licenses behavior analysts directly through the Division (no board); the BCBA is the recognized national certification.
  1. EducationMaster’s degree per BACB requirements for the BCBA.
  2. Supervision / experienceBACB-required supervised fieldwork (satisfied through national certification).
  3. ExamPass the BACB BCBA examination.
  4. ApplicationApply for the state license through the Division’s Behavior Analysts program, demonstrating the recognized national certification.

Official Behavior Analysis resources

All licenses

Alaska licensing portals & background checks.

How to use this page. Each card shows the education, supervised experience, exam, and application steps for one Alaska 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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