Louisiana PLPC Requirements & Hours Tracker

In Louisiana, the Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) is the mandatory post‑master’s status for counselors working toward independent Licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC). The Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners regulates both the PLPC license and the supervised experience required for full LPC licensure.

Below is a step‑by‑step overview of how to become a PLPC and what hours you must complete under that status.

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1. Understand what a PLPC is allowed to do

Louisiana defines a Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor as someone who:

• Uses the title “Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor” or “PLPC,”
• Provides mental health counseling/psychotherapy services only under board‑approved supervision, and
• Is not permitted to practice independently. (law.cornell.edu)

Key scope and supervision points:

• PLPCs provide prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment (including psychotherapy) of mental, emotional, behavioral, and addiction disorders, but always within their training and under supervision. (law.cornell.edu)
• PLPCs may not practice independently and may not receive direct payment for services; their employer or agency may bill for their services and pay the PLPC a wage. (lpcboard.org)
• Current rules prohibit individuals holding a provisional license from engaging in internet counseling. (law.cornell.edu)

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2. Baseline eligibility for PLPC licensure

Under Louisiana Administrative Code (LAC) 46:LX‑603, to receive a PLPC license you must: (law.cornell.edu)

1. Be at least 21 years old.
2. Be of good moral character.
3. Not be in violation of Louisiana’s counseling statute (R.S. 37:1101–1123) or Board rules.
4. Hold a qualifying graduate degree in professional mental health counseling (master’s or higher) from a regionally accredited institution, approved by the Board, with:
   • At least 60 graduate semester hours in counseling,
   • At least one 3‑credit graduate course in each of eight required core content areas (theories; human growth and development; abnormal behavior; counseling techniques; group counseling; lifestyle and career development; appraisal; ethics and professional orientation), and
   • Completion of required practicum and internship in mental health counseling/psychotherapy.

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3. Required practicum and internship in the degree

To be eligible for PLPC supervision, Louisiana requires specific clinical training within the graduate program: (law.cornell.edu)

Practicum (Mental Health Counseling Practicum)

• Total: 100 clock hours
• At least 40 hours of direct counseling/psychotherapy with individuals or groups
• Weekly: at least 1 hour of individual supervision and 1.5 hours of group supervision from qualified faculty or on‑site supervisor

Internship (Mental Health Counseling Internship)

• Total: 600 clock hours
• At least 240 hours of direct counseling/psychotherapy with individuals or groups
• Weekly: at least 1 hour of individual supervision and 1.5 hours of group supervision

All field experience courses must be passed with acceptable grades (A, B or Pass for practicum/internship). (law.cornell.edu)

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4. Obtain a Board‑approved LPC Supervisor (LPC‑S)

Before you can be licensed as a PLPC and begin counting supervised hours, you must: (law.cornell.edu)

1. Identify a Board‑approved LPC Supervisor (LPC‑S).

   • The supervisor must hold the “LPC Supervisor” designation issued by the Louisiana LPC Board. (law.cornell.edu)

2. Develop a written supervision proposal with your LPC‑S that:

   • Describes your anticipated counseling duties, and
   • Details the nature and frequency of the supervision you will receive.

3. Submit the supervision proposal and fee on Board‑provided forms before the start of supervision.

4. Wait for written Board approval.

   • Only after the Board approves your PLPC status and supervision plan can any supervised experience hours (direct, indirect, or supervision) be counted.

You also cannot accrue supervised hours with a new or additional supervisor until that new supervision arrangement has been approved by the Board. (law.cornell.edu)

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5. Secure a Board‑approved practice setting

In addition to a supervisor, you must have a Board‑approved practice setting: (law.cornell.edu)

• You propose a setting where you will perform counseling/psychotherapy and accumulate direct and indirect supervised experience hours.
• The practice setting must be approved by your desired LPC‑S before it is submitted to the Board.
• The Board must approve the practice setting before any hours from that setting can count.

Important restrictions:

• No hours can be accrued at an unapproved practice setting; if you fail to notify the Board of a new setting within 30 days of hire, you can forfeit all hours from that setting and face a fine. (law.cornell.edu)
• You may not operate, manage, or own the practice setting (e.g., you cannot be in private practice while a PLPC). (law.cornell.edu)
• A licensed mental health professional (e.g., LPC, LMFT, LCSW) must be employed at the setting and available for case consultation; this person may also be your LPC‑S or administrative supervisor if they meet all requirements. (law.cornell.edu)
• You must be supervised administratively by someone at the agency (an “administrative supervisor”) in addition to your Board‑approved clinical supervisor. (law.cornell.edu)

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6. Apply to the Board for PLPC licensure

Once you meet the education requirements, have an LPC‑S, and a proposed practice setting:

1. Complete the PLPC application on the Board’s forms and pay the required application fee. (law.cornell.edu)
2. Submit official transcripts documenting your qualifying degree, the 60+ counseling credits, and the required practicum and internship. (law.cornell.edu)
3. Provide a Declaration of Practices and Procedures (similar to an informed consent document), which the Board must approve. (law.cornell.edu)
4. Comply with any criminal background check or other administrative requirements in effect at the time of application (checked via the Board’s current instructions). (lpcboard.org)

You may not begin counting supervised experience hours until you have:

• Been officially approved as a PLPC, and
• Received Board approval of your supervision plan and practice setting. (law.cornell.edu)

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7. Practice under “active supervision”

Once licensed as a PLPC, you must remain under active supervision until fully licensed as an LPC. Active supervision is defined by rule as: (law.cornell.edu)

• Roughly 1 hour of face‑to‑face supervision for every 20 hours of direct client contact, and
• At minimum, meeting with the supervisor at least once every three months, even if you have low direct hours.

Additional supervision rules: (law.cornell.edu)

• Supervision must be face‑to‑face, either in person or via real‑time HIPAA‑compliant videoconference.
• Supervision cannot be conducted by mail, email, or telephone; those contacts can be counted only as consultation within indirect hours, not as formal face‑to‑face supervision.
• A supervisor cannot supervise more than 10 PLPCs at once. (regulations.justia.com)

You must also:

• Use the correct title “Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor” or “PLPC” in your identification and disclosure. (law.cornell.edu)
• Give each client a disclosure statement that includes your training status and the name of your Board‑approved supervisor. (law.cornell.edu)

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8. Supervised experience hour requirements (for eventual LPC licensure)

As a PLPC, you are working toward the supervised experience required for full LPC licensure. Louisiana law requires: (law.cornell.edu)

• Minimum total hours:
  • 3,000 hours of post‑master’s experience in professional mental health counseling under the clinical supervision of a Board‑approved LPC‑S.
  • These hours must be accrued over no less than 2 years and no more than 6 years from the date your supervised experience is approved.

The 3,000 hours are broken down as follows (using the Board’s terminology and structure): (law.cornell.edu)

8.1 Direct hours

• Direct Hours: At least 1,900 hours of direct counseling/psychotherapeutic services.
• These services must involve individuals, couples, families, or groups and include activities such as assessment, diagnosis, and treatment through psychotherapy. (law.cornell.edu)

Notes:

• Certain supervised post‑master’s practicum or internship hours in counseling may be counted toward these 1,900 direct hours only if they occur after you are approved as a PLPC and are under your Board‑approved supervisor. (law.cornell.edu)
• Time spent supervising others (e.g., doctoral students supervising master’s students) cannot be counted as direct hours. (law.cornell.edu)

8.2 Indirect hours

• Indirect Hours: At least 1,000 hours in counseling‑related activities.
• Louisiana explicitly lists activities such as case notes and records, staffings, case consultation, client contact that is not direct psychotherapy, and testing/assessment as examples of indirect hours. (law.cornell.edu)

Graduate coursework beyond the required 60 hours can substitute for part of these indirect hours:

• For every 30 additional graduate semester hours in counseling beyond the minimum 60, you may receive credit for 500 indirect hours, provided the courses:
  • Are clearly related to mental health counseling,
  • Are from a regionally accredited institution, and
  • Are acceptable to the Board. (law.cornell.edu)

Practicum and internship courses cannot be double‑counted: if they are being used toward your direct hours requirement, they cannot also be used in the 30 hours of coursework being substituted for indirect hours. (law.cornell.edu)

8.3 Supervision hours

• Supervision Hours: A minimum of 100 hours of face‑to‑face supervision by an LPC‑S. (law.cornell.edu)
• At least 50 of these 100 hours must be individual supervision (one PLPC with one supervisor).
• The remaining supervision hours may be a mix of individual and group supervision (2–10 PLPCs per group session). (law.cornell.edu)
• All 100 supervision hours can be conducted via synchronous HIPAA‑compliant videoconferencing if desired. (law.cornell.edu)

These 100 supervision hours are part of your overall 3,000 supervised hours; they are not a separate 3,000 + 100. The 3,000 hours consist of:

• At least 1,900 direct hours,
• At least 1,000 indirect hours, and
• Within that total, at least 100 face‑to‑face supervision hours meeting the individual/group breakdown and active‑supervision frequency requirements. (law.cornell.edu)

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9. Tracking and documentation of hours

The Board places responsibility on the PLPC to maintain detailed records: (law.cornell.edu)

• You must document all supervised experience hours by:
  • Employment location, and
  • Type of hour (direct, indirect, and face‑to‑face supervision).
• It is recommended that your LPC‑S regularly review and sign off on these logs.
• You must also keep your Board and supervisor updated (within 30 days) about changes in personal information, practice settings, legal status, or disciplinary actions.

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10. PLPC license renewal and exam expectations

PLPCs must renew their provisional license every two years in October. By October 31 of the renewal year, the Board must receive: (lpcboard.org)

• Online renewal application
• Renewal fee
• Documentation of required continuing education
• Updated Declaration of Practices and Procedures
• Proof of attempted or passed National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) during that renewal period (an official score report or exam printout)

If you renew late (after October 31), your PLPC license lapses and you must pay a late fee and complete additional steps (including a new fingerprint‑based criminal records check) for reinstatement. If all required renewal materials are not received by January 31, the provisional license expires and you must re‑apply from the beginning. (lpcboard.org)

Throughout this time, you must maintain active supervision and a valid PLPC license in order to continue practicing and accruing supervised hours. (law.cornell.edu)

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11. Transition from PLPC to LPC

Once you have:

• Completed the 3,000 supervised hours (with the required direct, indirect, and supervision components),
• Practiced under approved supervision for at least two years (and no more than six), and
• Passed the NCE or NCMHCE,

you may apply to the Board for full Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status, at which point you can practice independently, subject to all LPC laws and rules. (law.cornell.edu)

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In summary, Louisiana’s PLPC pathway requires a qualifying 60‑hour counseling degree with practicum and internship, Board‑approved supervision and practice settings, and strict documentation of 3,000 supervised post‑master’s hours broken down into at least 1,900 direct hours, 1,000 indirect hours, and 100 face‑to‑face supervision hours over a 2–6 year period under active supervision.