Step-by-step licensure pathways in Arizona.
Arizona licenses its master’s-level clinical professions — professional counseling, social work, marriage & family therapy, and addiction counseling — through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AzBBHE), each on a parallel associate (dependent, supervised) → independent ladder governed by A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 33 and the Board’s rules in A.A.C. Title 4, Chapter 6 (R4-6). Notably, Arizona DOES license addiction (substance abuse) counselors at the state level; effective September 14, 2024 (SB1062), the old “substance abuse” credentials (LSAT/LASAC/LISAC) were renamed to addiction-counselor credentials (LAT/LAAC/LIAC) with scope expanded to behavioral/process addictions. Doctoral-level psychologists are licensed by the separate Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, which requires both Part 1 (Knowledge) and Part 2 (Skills) of the EPPP for new applicants plus an Arizona-specific jurisprudence (laws/rules) exam. Arizona ALSO licenses behavior analysts (Licensed Behavior Analyst, LBA) through the Board of Psychologist Examiners under A.R.S. § 32-2091 et seq.; the qualifying exam is the BACB’s BCBA examination — Arizona does not impose a separate state behavior-analyst exam. AzBBHE does not administer a stand-alone pre-license jurisprudence exam, but every renewal requires an Arizona Statutes/Regulations tutorial plus ethics/law CE.
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Professional Counseling
Prep for the NCMHCE / NCE →Licensed Associate Counselor
Required exam: A board-approved national counseling examination — the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), administered by NBCC (the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor / CRC exam is also accepted).
- EducationEarn a qualifying master’s or higher degree in counseling (or a related behavioral-health field meeting the Board’s content/practicum requirements) from a regionally accredited institution, per A.R.S. § 32-3301 and A.A.C. R4-6 Article 5; CACREP graduates are presumed to meet the educational standard.
- Supervision / experienceNo post-degree supervised work-experience hour total is required to obtain the LAC itself — the LAC is the credential you hold while accruing the post-degree hours that count toward the LPC. The associate must practice only under board-approved direct supervision (A.R.S. § 32-3301).
- ExamPass a Board-approved national exam (NCE or NCMHCE through NBCC, or CRC). Arizona does not give a separate pre-license state jurisprudence exam, but an Arizona Statutes/Regulations tutorial and ethics/law CE are required at each renewal.
- ApplicationApply to AzBBHE through the online applicant portal with the licensure application and fee, official transcripts, exam score, and a Department of Public Safety (DPS) fingerprint clearance card.
Licensed Professional Counselor
Required exam: Board-approved national counseling exam — NCMHCE or NCE (NBCC), or CRC (the same accepted exams as for the LAC; many candidates take the clinically oriented NCMHCE for the LPC).
- EducationHold the qualifying master’s/doctoral counseling degree meeting A.R.S. § 32-3301 and A.A.C. R4-6 Article 5 content requirements.
- Supervision / experienceComplete at least 3,200 hours of supervised work experience in professional counseling over no less than 24 months, including at least 1,600 hours of direct client contact involving psychotherapy (no more than 400 of which may be psychoeducation) and at least 100 hours of clinical supervision (A.A.C. R4-6-503; supervision rules R4-6-212 and R4-6-504).
- ExamPass the Board-approved national exam (NCMHCE/NCE or CRC) if not already passed at the associate stage.
- ApplicationSubmit the LPC application and fee to AzBBHE with verification of supervised experience (supervisor attestation forms), transcripts, exam results, and DPS fingerprint clearance card.
Addiction & Substance Use Counseling
Prep for the MAC / NCAC exam →Licensed Addiction Technician (formerly Licensed Substance Abuse Technician, LSAT)
Required exam: A board-approved examination (A.R.S. § 32-3321(A)(2)) — AzBBHE accepts addiction-counselor exams from IC&RC, NAADAC, or NBCC.
- EducationEarn an associate degree in addiction with an emphasis on counseling, OR a bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science with an emphasis on counseling, that meets Board rule requirements, from a regionally accredited college or university (A.R.S. § 32-3321(A)(1)). The Board may waive education for certain federal Public Law 93-638 / 94-437 (Tribal) contract/grant providers.
- Supervision / experienceNo fixed supervised-hour total is set by statute for the LAT itself; the LAT must practice only under board-approved direct supervision (A.R.S. § 32-3321(B)).
- ExamPass a Board-approved addiction-counseling examination (IC&RC, NAADAC, or NBCC).
- ApplicationApply to AzBBHE through the online portal with application and fee, transcripts, exam score, and DPS fingerprint clearance card.
Licensed Associate Addiction Counselor (formerly Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselor, LASAC)
Required exam: A board-approved examination (A.R.S. § 32-3321(D)(2)) — accepted from IC&RC, NAADAC, or NBCC.
- EducationEarn a bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science with an emphasis on counseling (then the experience below is required), OR a master’s or higher degree in a behavioral science with an emphasis on counseling (which can qualify without the bachelor’s-pathway hours), per A.R.S. § 32-3321(D)(1).
- Supervision / experienceFor the bachelor’s pathway: at least 1,600 hours of direct-client-contact work experience in addiction counseling over at least 24 months under board-approved supervision (no more than 400 of those hours in psychoeducation), plus a satisfactory supervisor competency attestation (A.R.S. § 32-3321(D)).
- ExamPass a Board-approved addiction-counseling examination (IC&RC, NAADAC, or NBCC).
- ApplicationSubmit the LAAC application and fee to AzBBHE with transcripts, verification of experience and supervisor attestation, exam score, and DPS fingerprint clearance card.
Licensed Independent Addiction Counselor (formerly Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor, LISAC)
Required exam: A board-approved examination (A.R.S. § 32-3321(F)(3)) — accepted from IC&RC, NAADAC, or NBCC.
- EducationEarn a master’s or higher degree in a behavioral science with an emphasis on counseling from a board-approved or rule-compliant, regionally accredited program (A.R.S. § 32-3321(F)(1)).
- Supervision / experienceComplete at least 1,600 hours of work experience in addiction counseling with direct client contact over at least 24 months under board-approved supervision (no more than 400 hours in psychoeducation), plus a satisfactory supervisor competency attestation (A.R.S. § 32-3321(F)(2),(4)).
- ExamPass a Board-approved addiction-counseling examination (IC&RC, NAADAC, or NBCC).
- ApplicationSubmit the LIAC application and fee to AzBBHE with transcripts, verification of supervised experience and supervisor attestation, exam score, and DPS fingerprint clearance card.
Official Addiction & Substance Use Counseling resources
Marriage & Family Therapy
Prep for the National MFT Exam →Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Required exam: National MFT Examination administered by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).
- EducationEarn a qualifying master’s or higher degree in marriage & family therapy or a behavioral-health field from a regionally accredited (COAMFTE-accredited or Board-approved) program, including at least two semesters of clinical practicum with at least 300 direct client-contact hours (of which at least 100 are relational/couple-family hours), per A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 33 and A.A.C. R4-6 Article 6.
- Supervision / experienceNo post-degree supervised work-experience hour total is required to obtain the LAMFT itself; the associate must practice only under board-approved direct supervision while accruing the post-degree hours toward the LMFT.
- ExamPass the AMFTRB National MFT Examination (must be passed within 12 months of Board authorization; limited attempts before reapplication).
- ApplicationApply to AzBBHE with application and fee, official transcripts, practicum documentation, exam score, and DPS fingerprint clearance card.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Required exam: AMFTRB National MFT Examination (if not already passed at the associate stage).
- EducationHold the qualifying MFT master’s/doctoral degree with required practicum (A.A.C. R4-6 Article 6).
- Supervision / experienceComplete at least 3,200 hours of post-degree supervised work experience over no less than 24 months, including at least 1,600 hours of direct client contact (with at least 1,000 of the credited hours involving couples or families) and at least 100 hours of clinical supervision, at least 50 of which are individual supervision (A.A.C. R4-6 Article 6 / R4-6-603; supervision under R4-6-212).
- ExamPass the AMFTRB National MFT Examination if not already passed.
- ApplicationSubmit the LMFT application and fee to AzBBHE with verification of supervised experience (supervisor attestation), transcripts, exam results, and DPS fingerprint clearance card.
Official Marriage & Family Therapy resources
Psychology
Prep for the EPPP →Licensed Psychologist
Required exam: Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) Part 1 (Knowledge) AND Part 2 (Skills), administered via ASPPB/Pearson VUE, PLUS the Arizona Psychology Jurisprudence (laws & rules) Examination.
- EducationEarn a doctoral degree (PhD, PsyD, or EdD) in an applied health-service psychology program — clinical, counseling, educational, or school psychology (forensic psychology with the required supervised clinical training has also been accepted) — per A.R.S. § 32-2071.
- Supervision / experienceComplete the supervised professional experience required by A.R.S. § 32-2071, including a minimum of 1,500 hours of supervised experience toward licensure (Arizona’s rules govern the pre-/post-doctoral structure of these hours).
- ExamPass the EPPP Part 1 (Knowledge), then EPPP Part 2 (Skills) — both parts are required for new (non-grandfathered) applicants as of November 1, 2020; applicants already holding an unrestricted independent-practice license in another jurisdiction who passed Part 1 are grandfathered and have Part 2 waived. Then pass the Arizona Psychology Jurisprudence Examination on state laws and rules.
- ApplicationApply to the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners through the online Applicant Portal (Exam and/or Licensure application) with transcripts, supervised-experience verification, fees, and a DPS fingerprint clearance card (or proof of submitted application).
Behavior Analysis
Prep for the BCBA exam →Licensed Behavior Analyst
Required exam: The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) examination for Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) — the BACB exam is the only behavior-analyst exam Arizona recognizes; there is NO separate state behavior-analyst exam (A.A.C. R4-26-404).
- EducationEarn a qualifying graduate degree (master’s or higher) from an accredited institution and complete the required behavior-analytic coursework / ABAI Verified Course Sequence specified in A.A.C. R4-26-405 and R4-26-404.1, consistent with A.R.S. § 32-2091.02.
- Supervision / experienceComplete at least 1,500 hours of supervised experience/fieldwork meeting A.A.C. R4-26-404.2 (counted strictly one-hour-for-one-hour; Arizona does not credit BACB ‘concentrated’/intensive-practicum multipliers), with a qualifying supervisor who is licensed in the state where the trainee delivers services if that state licenses behavior analysts (A.R.S. § 32-2091.03).
- ExamTake and pass the BACB BCBA certification examination — required by A.A.C. R4-26-404; no other certifying body and no separate state exam is accepted.
- ApplicationApply to the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners with the Behavior Analyst Application for Licensure (general pathway for BCBA certification on/after January 1, 2015; reciprocity pathway for earlier certification per A.R.S. § 32-2091.04 and A.A.C. R4-26-403(D)), official transcripts sent directly to the Board, supervised-experience verification, fees, and a DPS fingerprint clearance card.
Official Behavior Analysis resources
- Psychology Board — Behavior Analyst Applications →Psychology Board — Behavior Analyst Application for Licensure Basics →Psychology Board — Behavior Analyst Statutes (A.R.S. § 32-2091 et seq., PDF) →A.R.S. § 32-2091.08 — Behavior analyst exemptions from licensure →Psychology Board — Behavior Analyst Application Process →
Arizona licensing portals & background checks.
- Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AzBBHE) — Home →AzBBHE — Applying for Licensure →AzBBHE — Rules and Laws (A.A.C. Title 4, Ch. 6) →Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners — Home →A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 33 — Behavioral Health Professionals →A.A.C. Title 4, Chapter 6 — Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (PDF) →
How to use this page. Each card shows the education, supervised experience, exam, and application steps for one Arizona 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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Social Work
Prep for the ASWB exam →Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker
Required exam: ASWB Bachelors examination (a higher-level ASWB exam — Masters, Advanced Generalist, or Clinical — is also accepted).
Licensed Master Social Worker
Required exam: ASWB Masters examination.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Required exam: ASWB Clinical examination.
Official Social Work resources
AzBBHE — Social Work →AzBBHE — Supervised Work Experience & Clinical Supervision (Social Work, PDF) →A.A.C. R4-6-403 — Supervised Work Experience for Clinical Social Worker Licensure →AzBBHE — Applying for Licensure →AzBBHE — Rules and Laws →