Resources · Path to Licensure
Step-by-step licensure pathways in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania licenses behavioral-health professionals through several BPOA boards. As of Act 4 of 2024, counseling and marriage & family therapy now have two-tier ladders: an entry-level associate license for the supervised-practice phase, followed by the full independent license. Social work has long used a two-tier structure (LSW → LCSW). Psychologists are licensed at the doctoral level only, and the State Board of Medicine issues a master's-level Behavior Specialist License (BSL). Addiction counselors are credentialed (not state-licensed) by the Pennsylvania Certification Board. Pennsylvania does not impose a separate state jurisprudence/law exam on counselors, MFTs, social workers, or behavior specialists; psychology is the one exception, requiring the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination in addition to the EPPP.
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Professional CounselingAddiction & Substance Use CounselingSocial WorkMarriage & Family TherapyPsychologyBehavior Analysis
Professional Counseling
Prep for the NCMHCE / NCE →LAPC
Licensed Associate Professional Counselor
Required exam: None required for the LAPC license (the NCE/national exam is taken later for the full LPC)
Scope: Entry-level license (created by Act 4 of 2024) allowing a master's- or doctoral-prepared counselor to provide counseling and accrue supervised clinical hours under an approved licensed supervisor while working toward the full LPC.
- EducationHold a Master's or Doctoral degree in counseling or a field closely related to professional counseling from an accredited institution (master's may be in an applied behavioral science meeting five of the §49.2 educational areas).
- Supervision / experienceSubmit a board-approved supervision plan and your supervisor's credentials; at least half of the required hours must be supervised by an LPC with 5 years of experience in the last 10 years. Must be at least 21 years old.
- ExamNo examination is required for the associate license.
- ApplicationApply via the PALS portal; complete 3 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition & reporting CE; pay the $100.00 (LAPC) application/initial fee. (Board will not review until the supervision plan and supervisor credentials are received.)
LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Required exam: One of: National Counselor Examination (NCE), CRC, ATCB, CBMT (music therapy), NAMP practice exam, IC&RC AAODA, or NBCC EMAC
Scope: Independent, master's-level mental-health license to evaluate and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders across the lifespan through counseling.
- EducationMaster's degree (or Doctoral degree) in counseling or a closely related field from an accredited educational institution.
- Supervision / experienceMaster's: 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience completed in no less than 2 years and no more than 6 years. Doctoral: 2,400 hours, of which 1,200 hours obtained after the doctoral degree was granted.
- ExamPass the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) given by NBCC, or one of the other Board-accepted examinations listed above. No separate Pennsylvania jurisprudence exam is required.
- ApplicationApply through PALS with official transcripts and verified supervised-experience forms; complete 3 hours of child abuse recognition & reporting CE; pay the $100.00 initial fee ($95.00 biennial renewal).
Addiction & Substance Use Counseling
Prep for the MAC / NCAC exam →CADC
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
Required exam: IC&RC Examination for Alcohol and Drug Counselors (ADC Examination)
Scope: Bachelor's-level substance-use-disorder counselor providing primary, direct clinical SUD/co-occurring counseling; an IC&RC reciprocal credential that meets Pennsylvania's state staffing requirements. This is a PCB certification, NOT a state license.
- EducationMinimum bachelor's degree, plus 300 hours of relevant education/training in the CADC domains, of which 100 hours must be specific to substance use disorders and 6 hours in professional counselor ethics & responsibilities.
- Supervision / experienceTwo years full-time (or 4,000 hours part-time) of SUD-domain work experience with a relevant bachelor's degree, OR three years full-time (6,000 hours) with a non-relevant bachelor's; 200 hours of on-the-job clinical supervision (minimum 10 hours in each domain).
- ExamAfter PCB approves the application, pass the IC&RC ADC Examination.
- ApplicationSubmit the PCB CADC application with a signed current counselor job description, transcripts, and supervision/experience documentation to the Pennsylvania Certification Board (pacertboard.org).
CAADC
Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor
Required exam: IC&RC Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) Examination
Scope: Master's-level advanced SUD counselor credential for clinicians delivering and supervising substance-use and co-occurring disorder treatment; a PCB certification, not a state license.
- EducationMaster's degree (or higher) in a behavioral-science/related field, plus 180 hours of education/training specific to the CAADC domains, including 6 hours in counselor ethics & responsibilities.
- Supervision / experienceOne year full-time (or 2,000 hours part-time) of CAADC-domain work experience; 100 hours of on-the-job clinical supervision, with a minimum of 10 hours in each domain.
- ExamPass the IC&RC Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (AADC) Examination after PCB approval.
- ApplicationApply through the Pennsylvania Certification Board with transcripts, training documentation, and verified supervised experience.
Official Addiction & Substance Use Counseling resources
Marriage & Family Therapy
Prep for the National MFT Exam →LAMFT
Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Required exam: None required for the LAMFT license (the AMFTRB national exam is taken for the full LMFT)
Scope: Entry-level license (Act 4 of 2024) allowing a master's- or doctoral-prepared MFT to assess and treat mental and emotional disorders within relationships under an approved licensed supervisor while accruing the hours required for the full LMFT.
- EducationMaster's or Doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or a closely related field (counseling, psychology, social work, nursing, pastoral counseling, etc.) from an accredited institution.
- Supervision / experienceSubmit a board-approved supervision plan and supervisor credentials; at least half of the hours must be overseen by a licensed MFT who is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or Supervisor-in-Training. Must be at least 21 years old.
- ExamNo examination is required for the associate license (the AMFTRB exam comes later, before full LMFT).
- ApplicationApply via PALS; complete 3 hours of child abuse recognition & reporting CE; pay the $75.00 application fee ($95.00 biennial renewal).
LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Required exam: National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination (AMFTRB)
Scope: Independent, master's-level license applying psychotherapeutic and family-systems theory to evaluate, assess, and treat mental and emotional disorders.
- EducationMaster's or Doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field from an accredited educational institution.
- Supervision / experienceMaster's: 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience completed in no less than 2 years and no more than 6 years. Doctoral: 2,400 hours, of which 1,200 hours obtained after the doctoral degree was granted.
- ExamPass the National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination administered by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB). No separate Pennsylvania jurisprudence exam is required.
- ApplicationApply via PALS with transcripts and verified supervised-experience forms; complete 3 hours of child abuse recognition & reporting CE; pay the $100.00 initial fee ($95.00 biennial renewal).
Official Marriage & Family Therapy resources
Psychology
Prep for the EPPP →Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Psychologist
Required exam: EPPP plus the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE)
Scope: Doctoral-level license to independently practice psychology — psychological evaluation, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Pennsylvania has no separate master's-level psychologist license tier.
- EducationComplete a doctoral program in psychology accredited by the APA or CPA, or designated by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project.
- Supervision / experienceTwo years of supervised experience; an APA/CPA-accredited predoctoral internship counts as one of the two years, with the second year completed after the internship (or, for programs begun fall 2015 or later, met via at least 12 months and 1,750 hours of practicum).
- ExamPass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) AND the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) — PA is one of the few covered professions with a state law/jurisprudence exam.
- ApplicationApply via PALS with doctoral transcripts and verified supervised experience; complete 3 hours of child abuse recognition & reporting CE; pay the $105.00 initial fee ($300.00 biennial renewal). PA participates in PSYPACT for interjurisdictional telepsychology.
Behavior Analysis
Prep for the BCBA exam →BSL
Behavior Specialist License
Required exam: No state examination required
Scope: Master's-level state license (issued by the State Board of Medicine) to design, implement, or evaluate behavior-modification interventions — including applied behavior analysis — as part of a treatment plan, primarily for individuals under 21 (autism-spectrum and other behavioral challenges). This is the Pennsylvania state license in the behavior-analysis space; the national BCBA credential from the BACB is separate and not a state license.
- EducationMaster's or higher degree from a Board-approved accredited institution with a major in school/clinical/developmental/counseling psychology, special education, social work, speech or occupational therapy, professional counseling, behavioral analysis, nursing, or another related field; plus 90 hours of evidence-based coursework (ethics, assessment, crisis intervention, autism-specific, instructional strategies, co-morbidity/medications, etc.).
- Supervision / experienceAt least 1 year of experience conducting functional behavior assessments of individuals under 21, including developing and implementing behavioral support/treatment plans, and at least 1,000 hours of in-person clinical experience with individuals with behavioral challenges (or 1,000 hours in a related field with individuals with autism spectrum disorders).
- ExamNo examination is required for the Behavior Specialist License.
- ApplicationApply to the State Board of Medicine via PALS with transcripts, coursework documentation, and verified experience; complete 3 hours of child abuse recognition & reporting CE; pay the $75.00 initial fee ($75.00 biennial renewal).
Official Behavior Analysis resources
All licenses
Pennsylvania licensing portals & background checks.
- PA Department of State — Professional Licensing →BPOA Boards & Commissions directory →PALS — Apply for / Renew a Professional License →State Board of Social Workers, MFTs & Professional Counselors →State Board of Psychology →State Board of Medicine (Behavior Specialists) →Pennsylvania Certification Board (addictions) →Act 31 Child Abuse Recognition & Reporting CE providers →
How to use this page. Each card shows the education, supervised experience, exam, and application steps for one Pennsylvania 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 Social Worker
Required exam: ASWB Master's examination
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Required exam: ASWB Clinical examination
Official Social Work resources
Social Worker (LSW) Licensure Snapshot →Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensure Snapshot →Social Workers Licensure Guide (processing) →Board Resources & Documents →