Licensed Professional Counselor (professional counselor) · New Jersey · regulated by Professional Counselor Examiners Committee, NJ State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners · high confidence
| Pre-license credential | Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) |
|---|---|
| Supervised experience | Three calendar years of supervised professional counseling experience (4,500 hours); or two calendar years (3,000 hours) plus 30 graduate credits beyond the 60 |
| Supervision | At least 50 hours face-to-face supervision per calendar year; ≤10 of those hours group |
| Minimum time | Each calendar year = max 1,500 hours over 52 weeks (full-time) or ≥750 hours in each of two 52-week periods |
| Time limit | Six years from date of LAC licensure |
| Weekly cap | No more than 30 hours/week and 125 hours/month |
| Exams | National Counselor Examination (NCE) |
Supervision
- How much: At least 50 hours face-to-face supervision per calendar year; ≤10 of those hours group
- How often: One hour per week, weekly documented face-to-face
- Group supervision: Not more than 10 hours per calendar year; group = no more than 6 counselors
- Who may supervise: Clinical license (LPC, MFT, psychology, psychiatry, social work) ≥3 yrs; 4,500 post-license hours over 3-6 yrs; NBCC ACS, equivalent, or 3 grad credits in supervision; ≤6 supervisees
When hours count and what to keep
- Before your degree: Up to one calendar year (1,500 hours) from graduate practicum/internship if not used for coursework requirements; two years must follow LAC licensure
- Paperwork: Proposed Plan of Supervised Counseling Experience (Committee-approved before counseling; uploaded via eGov since April 1, 2024); Documentation of Supervised Counseling Experience (supervisor)
Can you be supervised remotely in New Jersey?
Mostly, with some limits. What shapes this: prior board approval, video status not stated.
- Video supervision: Rules require 'weekly, documented, face-to-face' supervision (≥50 h per calendar year, ≤10 group) but neither define face-to-face nor address video/telesupervision for licensed associate counselors (contrast the MFT Board's own telesupervision rule, N.J.A.C. 13:34-3.5)
- Supervisor licensed in New Jersey? required: clinical license held ≥3 years 'in the state where the services are being provided' (New Jersey for NJ clients)
- Supervisor credential: NBCC/CCE Approved Clinical Supervisor, an equivalent credential recognized by the supervisor's own licensing board, or 3 graduate credits in clinical supervision; plus 4,500 post-license hours over 3-6 years. No NJ-only supervisor registration
- Supervisee cap: ≤6 mental health professionals at one time (excluding independently licensed ones); group supervision ≤6
- Board approval first: Written supervision plan (work setting, job description, supervisor qualifications) must be approved by the Committee before the LAC performs counseling; uploaded via the eGov portal
- If you live outside New Jersey: Not addressed; supervisor must be licensed in the state where services are provided
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
Supervisor-qualification and definition amendments eff. 4/5/2021 (53 N.J.R. 538(b)); pre-4/5/2021 supervisors grandfathered
Where the rules are unclear
New Jersey’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:
- Does video supervision satisfy the 'weekly, documented, face-to-face' requirement for LACs, and is a remote supervisor 'immediately available' for 'direct supervision'? The counselor rules are silent, unlike the MFT (13:34-3.5) and social work (13:44G-8.1) rules.
In the board’s own words
“Three calendar years of supervised professional counseling experience ... only one calendar year of which may be obtained prior to the granting of the master's degree” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-11.3(a)1✓ matched in the source
“at least 50 hours of face-to-face supervision per one calendar year, at the rate of one hour per week, of which not more than 10 hours may be group supervision” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.2✓ matched in the source
“"One calendar year" means a maximum of 1,500 hours of supervised counseling experience over a period of 52 weeks” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.2✓ matched in the source
“has six years from the date he or she was licensed as an associate counselor to satisfy the supervised professional counseling experience requirement” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-11.3(b)1✓ matched in the source
“provides weekly, documented, face-to-face consultation, guidance and instruction with respect to the counseling skills and competencies” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.2✓ matched in the source
“for a minimum of three years in the state where the services are being provided” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.2✓ matched in the source
“A clinical supervisor's certificate from the National Board for Certified Counselors Center for Credentialing and Education or its successor” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.2✓ matched in the source
“A qualified supervisor shall not supervise more than a total of six mental health professionals at any one time.” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.1(g)✓ matched in the source
“supervision by a qualified supervisor who is immediately available to assist the licensed associate counselor” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.2✓ matched in the source
“A licensed associate counselor may be compensated only through the supervisor or employing entity.” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.2(d)✓ matched in the source
“A licensed associate counselor may only engage in the independent practice of counseling under the direct supervision of a qualified supervisor” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.3(b)✓ matched in the source
“An applicant may purchase the services of a qualified supervisor if the supervision occurs in a professional counseling setting” — N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.3(d)✓ matched in the source
1 more quotes are in the state explorer.
Other licenses in New Jersey
- LMFT (marriage and family therapist)
- LCSW (clinical social worker)
- Psychologist
- All New Jersey licenses · every state
Sources
- N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.2 (definitions: one calendar year, supervision, group supervision, qualified supervisor)
- N.J.A.C. 13:34-11.3 (professional counselor: experience requirements)
- N.J.A.C. 13:34-11.4 (examination requirements)
- N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.1 (supervisor qualifications; responsibilities)
- N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.3 (experience acquired prior to application)
- Committee: Proposed Plans of Supervised Counseling Experience (April 1, 2024 notice)
- Committee: Documentation of Supervised Counseling Experience form
- Application for Licensure: Professional/Associate Counselor
- N.J.A.C. 13:34-10.3 (independent practice)
- N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.2 (responsibilities of LAC)
Checked against Professional Counselor Examiners Committee, NJ State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.