LPC requirements in Arkansas

Licensed Professional Counselor (professional counselor) · Arkansas · regulated by Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (ABEC) · high confidence

Supervision

• How much: 175 clock hours of supervision
• How often: 1 hr supervision per 10 CCH for first 500 direct CCH (Level 1); then 1 per 20 CCH for remaining 2,500 (Level 2)
• Group supervision: Group (3-6 supervisees) ≤ half of 175 hours; dyadic (1 supervisor, 2 supervisees) counts as individual
• Who may supervise: Board-approved supervisor: AR LPC fully licensed 3 yrs, 3-hr post-master's clinical supervision course (18 hrs supervised supervision), jurisprudence exam + oral interview; max 12 supervisees

When hours count and what to keep

• Before your degree: Post-master's coursework needed for licensure cannot count toward supervised experience; no clients before Board-approved supervision agreement
• Paperwork: Board-approved supervision agreement before practice; client contact hours report + supervision evaluation every 6 months (30-day grace)

Can you be supervised remotely in Arkansas?

Yes by video, but the supervisor needs a state-specific supervisor credential and the board must approve the arrangement first. What shapes this: state-only supervisor credential, prior board approval.

• Video supervision: All 175 supervision hours may be face to face or through telemedicine. Technology-assisted supervision counts at both levels (Level 1: 1 hour per 10 client hours for the first 500 direct hours; Level 2: 1 per 20). No in-person share is set.
• Supervisor licensed in Arkansas? required
• Supervisor credential: ABEC board-approved supervisor status. Requires an Arkansas LPC held for 3 years, a 3-hour graduate course in clinical supervision (with 18 hours of supervised supervision), the Arkansas jurisprudence exam and an oral interview.
• Supervisee cap: No more than 12 supervision agreements per supervisor at a time. Supervision groups: 3-6 supervisees, at most half of the 175 hours.
• Board approval first: A board-approved supervision agreement must be in place before the LAC sees any client. A change of supervisor also needs board approval. Six-monthly supervision reports are due.
• If you live outside Arkansas: No rule on the associate's own location. An Arkansas license or compact privilege is required to deliver counseling to individuals located in Arkansas, including by telemedicine.

The client’s location decides which state’s rules apply. This is not legal advice; confirm with the board before building a program. Compare every state on the remote-supervision map.

Recent and pending changes

Rules recodified as 17 CAR Part 75 and revised by Ark. R. 2026-65, effective July 9, 2026 (direct min 2,200→2,000; indirect cap 800→1,000; tech-supervision cap dropped; CCH reductions now also cut supervision hours). Arkansas joined the Counseling Compact July 30, 2026.

Where the rules are unclear

Arkansas’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:

• Does telephone-only supervision count as "telemedicine" or "technology-assisted" supervision toward the 175 hours?
• Can a counselor practising in Arkansas on a Counseling Compact privilege obtain ABEC approved-supervisor status, given the "fully licensed in Arkansas for three (3) years" rule?

In the board’s own words

7 more quotes are in the state explorer.

Other licenses in Arkansas

• LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
• LCSW (clinical social worker)
• Psychologist
• All Arkansas licenses · every state