Resources · Path to Licensure

Step-by-step licensure pathways in Connecticut.

Connecticut licenses all six behavioral-health professions, all through one regulator — the Department of Public Health (DPH) — rather than independent boards. Two points are worth noting. First, contrary to a common assumption, Connecticut DOES state-license behavior analysts; the DPH Behavior Analyst license is tethered entirely to BACB BCBA certification. Second, addiction counseling has two DPH tiers: a CADC certification (no degree required, education-hours based) and an LADC license (master’s required). Connecticut has no bachelor-level social work license — only LMSW and LCSW — and recently phased in an ASWB Master’s exam requirement for the LMSW that applies only to MSW graduates on or after January 1, 2026.

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Professional CounselingAddiction & Substance Use CounselingSocial WorkMarriage & Family TherapyPsychologyBehavior Analysis

Professional Counseling

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LPCA

Professional Counselor Associate

Required exam: None — per DPH, the LPCA does not require passage of an examination.

Scope: Connecticut’s pre-licensure counseling credential, issued by the Department of Public Health. If post-graduate counseling experience is performed in Connecticut, the counselor must hold the LPCA while accruing the supervised hours required for the LPC. It does not authorize independent practice.
  1. EducationA graduate (master’s or doctoral) degree in counseling or a related mental-health field from a regionally accredited institution, including a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour clinical mental-health-counseling internship.
  2. Supervision / experienceNone required to obtain the LPCA; this is the credential held while accruing the LPC’s 3,000 hours.
  3. ExamNone.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (no application fee); transcripts and the Course of Study form are sent directly from each institution.
LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Required exam: The NCE (National Counselor Examination) or the NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination), administered by NBCC — either satisfies the requirement. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam.

Scope: Connecticut’s full, independent counseling license, issued by DPH under the Professional Counselors practice act (CGS Chapter 383c). It authorizes the independent practice of professional counseling.
  1. EducationA master’s or doctoral degree in counseling or a related field from a regionally accredited institution, plus 60 graduate semester hours covering nine specified content areas.
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised counseling experience over not less than two years, including at least 100 hours of direct supervision by a qualifying licensed supervisor.
  3. ExamPass the NCE or the NCMHCE; the score is reported directly to DPH.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (no application fee); transcripts, the Course of Study form, and experience/supervision verifications are sent directly from the source.

Official Professional Counseling resources

Addiction & Substance Use Counseling

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CADC

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Required exam: The IC&RC Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (ADC) examination, administered for the state by the Connecticut Certification Board.

Scope: A DPH-issued addiction-counseling certification. Its defining feature is that no master’s degree is required — eligibility is education-hours based. Statutory/regulatory basis is CGS Sec. 20-74s and RCSA Sec. 20-74s-l. This DPH credential is distinct from the private Connecticut Certification Board’s certifications.
  1. Education360 hours of approved education, of which at least 240 hours relate to alcohol/drug-abuse counseling (no degree required).
  2. Supervision / experience300 hours of supervised practical training plus three years of supervised paid work experience (or unpaid internship) working directly with alcohol- and drug-abuse clients.
  3. ExamPass the IC&RC ADC examination via the CCB.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (application fee $190). IC&RC-member-board certificants are deemed to have met the education, training, and experience requirements.
LADC

Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Required exam: The IC&RC ADC examination, administered by the CCB.

Scope: Connecticut’s higher addiction-counseling tier — a DPH license (not a certification) distinguished from the CADC by requiring a master’s degree. It authorizes independent alcohol- and drug-counseling practice. Same statutory family (CGS 20-74s; RCSA 20-74s-l).
  1. EducationA master’s degree (or PhD) from an accredited institution in social work, MFT, counseling, psychology, or a related behavioral science, including at least 18 graduate semester hours in counseling, plus (if not already a DPH CADC) the 360-hour/240-hour approved education.
  2. Supervision / experience300 hours of supervised practical training plus three years of supervised paid work experience with alcohol- and drug-abuse clients, with the master’s degree substituting for one of those years.
  3. ExamPass the IC&RC ADC examination via the CCB.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (application fee $190); master’s, training, and experience verifications are sent directly from the source.

Official Addiction & Substance Use Counseling resources

Social Work

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LMSW

Licensed Master Social Worker

Required exam: The ASWB Master’s-level examination — but required only of applicants who earned the MSW on or after January 1, 2026. Those who earned the MSW before that date are licensed on the degree alone.

Scope: Connecticut’s entry master’s-level social work license, issued by DPH under CGS Chapter 383b. It is the license MSW graduates hold before clinical licensure. Connecticut has no bachelor-level (LBSW) social work license.
  1. EducationA master’s degree from a CSWE-accredited social work program (or a CT program in CSWE candidacy in the eligible window; foreign degrees require CSWE equivalency).
  2. Supervision / experienceNone required for the LMSW.
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Master’s exam only if the MSW was earned on or after January 1, 2026.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (no initial application fee). A temporary permit is available.
LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Required exam: The ASWB Clinical-level examination.

Scope: Connecticut’s license for independent clinical social work practice, issued by DPH under CGS Chapter 383b.
  1. EducationA master’s or doctoral degree from a CSWE-accredited program (same CSWE-candidacy and foreign-equivalency provisions as the LMSW).
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 hours of post-master’s social work experience, including not less than 100 hours under professional supervision by a licensed clinical or certified independent social worker.
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Clinical-level examination.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (no application fee); transcripts, employment verification, and supervision verification are sent directly from the source.

Official Social Work resources

Marriage & Family Therapy

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LMFTA

Marital and Family Therapist Associate

Required exam: None required to obtain the LMFTA (the AMFTRB exam is taken on the path to full licensure).

Scope: Connecticut’s pre-licensure MFT credential, issued by DPH. It must be held if the post-graduate MFT experience is performed in Connecticut; the associate practices only under the supervision of a licensed MFT. The associate license expires two years from issuance and is renewable.
  1. EducationA graduate degree specializing in MFT from a COAMFTE-accredited program (or a program meeting RCSA Sec. 20-195a-2), with a supervised MFT practicum/internship.
  2. Supervision / experienceNone to obtain the LMFTA; this is the credential held while accruing the LMFT’s hours.
  3. ExamNone to obtain.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (associate-specific fee; the two-year term applies).
LMFT

Licensed Marital and Family Therapist

Required exam: The Examination in Marital and Family Therapy administered by AMFTRB.

Scope: Connecticut’s full, independent MFT license, issued by DPH; education and experience standards are in RCSA Sec. 20-195a-2.
  1. EducationA graduate degree specializing in MFT from a COAMFTE-accredited (or RCSA-compliant) program with a supervised MFT-emphasis practicum/internship.
  2. Supervision / experience24 months of supervised postgraduate work experience, including at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact providing MFT services and 100 hours of postgraduate clinical supervision by a licensed MFT (of which at least 50 hours must be individual).
  3. ExamPass the AMFTRB national MFT exam.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (no application fee for the full license); transcripts, employment, and supervision verifications are sent directly from the source.

Official Marriage & Family Therapy resources

Psychology

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LP

Licensed Psychologist

Required exam: The EPPP (ASPPB), passing score 500, plus a Connecticut jurisprudence / state-law examination (Connecticut law and ethics).

Scope: Connecticut’s doctoral-level psychology license for independent practice, issued by DPH under the Psychologists practice act (CGS Chapter 383). Connecticut does not license a separate master’s-level psychologist. Education and experience standards are in RCSA Secs. 20-188-2 and 20-188-3.
  1. EducationA doctoral degree from an APA-accredited psychology program (non-accredited programs are individually reviewed under RCSA 20-188-2).
  2. Supervision / experienceAt least one year of supervised work experience at the pre- or post-doctoral level (the doctoral internship cannot count) — defined as at least 35 hours/week for at least 46 weeks within 12 consecutive months, or at least 1,800 hours within 24 consecutive months — with required supervision by a licensed doctoral psychologist.
  3. ExamPass the EPPP (score 500) and the Connecticut jurisprudence/state-law exam.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (application fee $565); transcripts, work-experience verification, and the EPPP score transfer are sent directly from the source.

Official Psychology resources

Behavior Analysis

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LBA

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Required exam: No separate state exam — the qualifying exam is the BACB BCBA examination (taken to earn the BCBA credential, which is the prerequisite). DPH verifies BCBA certification online.

Scope: Connecticut’s state behavior-analysis license, issued by DPH — confirming that, contrary to a common assumption, Connecticut DOES license behavior analysts. Eligibility is tethered directly to BACB certification: an applicant must be a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The DPH eligibility page references only the BCBA; there is no separate Connecticut license for assistant behavior analysts (BCaBAs).
  1. EducationA master’s degree with BACB coursework, satisfied by holding the BCBA (Connecticut defers to BACB’s education standards).
  2. Supervision / experienceSatisfied by holding the BCBA (Connecticut defers to BACB’s supervised-fieldwork requirements; no additional state-specific hours).
  3. ExamThe BACB BCBA examination (via the BCBA credential); no Connecticut exam.
  4. ApplicationApply to DPH online via eLicense (application fee $350) with verification of BCBA certification (DPH verifies online) and out-of-state license verifications if applicable.

Official Behavior Analysis resources

All licenses

Connecticut licensing portals & background checks.

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