Michigan LLPC Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Michigan regulates mental health counselors through the Michigan Board of Counseling within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The Board uses a two‑tier system:

• a limited license (officially “limited licensed counselor”; historically called LLPC), and
• a full professional counselor license (LPC).

You must hold the limited license while you complete the supervised counseling hours required for full LPC licensure. The Board’s own rules and licensing guides spell out both the education hours in your degree and the post‑degree supervised hours you must accrue.

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1. What the limited license actually is

The current state licensing guide describes this credential as the “limited licensed counselor license type”, which:

“allows a licensee to engage in the practice of counseling under the supervision of a licensed professional counselor” and “is eligible for renewal no more than 10 times.” (michigan.gov)

In the Administrative Rules, this is called a “limited licensed counselor license” and is tied directly to later eligibility for full licensure. (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

In practice, Michigan counselors and many employers still use the old acronym LLPC (Limited Licensed Professional Counselor), but the Board documents now usually say “limited licensed counselor” or simply “limited counselor license.”

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2. Educational hours required before you can get the limited license

To qualify for the limited license, you must complete a graduate counseling program that meets specific state standards.

2.1 Degree level and “qualified program”

The Limited Licensed Counselor Licensing Guide requires:

• Official transcripts sent directly from an accredited college or university showing a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling from a “qualified program,” or a substantially equivalent degree. (michigan.gov)

The Counseling General Rules, R 338.1765, then define how a program qualifies. In summary: (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

• The program must be at an accredited higher‑education institution.
• It must either:
  • be CACREP‑accredited, or
  • meet minimum semester‑hour requirements and mirror CACREP coursework, including both a practicum and an internship and specific training in diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

2.2 Credit‑hour minimums (48 vs 60)

For non‑CACREP programs, the rules distinguish by when you entered the program: (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

• Entered on or before June 30, 2023

  • Program must be at least 48 semester hours (or 72 quarter hours) at the graduate level,
  • must include all CACREP‑type coursework, plus practicum and internship.

• Entered on or after July 1, 2023

  • Program must be at least 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) at the graduate level,
  • again including diagnosis/treatment coursework, practicum, and internship.

So, before you can even apply for the limited license, you must complete a graduate counseling program meeting either CACREP standards or these 48/60‑credit CACREP‑equivalent requirements, including practicum and internship experiences.

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3. Non‑hour requirements tied to the limited license

The Limited Licensed Counselor Licensing Guide sets out several non‑hour prerequisites that apply to all applicants: (michigan.gov)

• Online application and fee
  • Limited Counselor License application + 1‑year license fee: $88.10.
• Criminal background check, triggered after you submit your online application.
• Good moral character attestation and documentation if you answer any “yes” items.
• Social Security number (or a specific affidavit if legally exempt).
• Human‑trafficking training
  • You must complete training in identifying victims of human trafficking that meets Rule R 338.1771; it is required once before initial licensure. (michigan.gov)
• Implicit bias training
  • At least 2 hours of implicit bias training in the 5 years immediately preceding issuance of the license. (michigan.gov)
• English proficiency, demonstrated by:
  • coursework taught in English, or
  • at least 60 college credits from an English‑speaking school, or
  • a passing score on an approved English‑proficiency exam. (michigan.gov)

These are procedural but mandatory to get the limited license.

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4. Supervision arrangement required at the limited‑license stage

Even though the large hour counts (3,000 / 1,500) are ultimately for full LPC licensure, the state ties those hours directly to your limited license and supervised practice as a limited counselor.

4.1 Professional Disclosure Statement with supervisor identified

Under the rules (R 338.1772), an applicant for a limited licensed counselor license must: (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

• Provide a Professional Disclosure Statement with the application.
• That disclosure, when given to clients, must state that the limited licensed counselor “shall practice under the supervision of a licensed professional counselor” in good standing in Michigan, and
• It must identify the specific licensed professional counselor who is supervising the limited licensee’s practice.

The Limited Licensed Counselor Licensing Guide reiterates this and adds that:

• You must submit your Professional Disclosure Statement with your application, and
• If you are applying for the limited counselor license, your disclosure must include the name and license number of the licensed professional counselor who will be supervising your 3,000 hours of post‑degree experience. (michigan.gov)

4.2 Supervising LPC Qualifications Form

You must also submit a Supervising LPC Qualifications Form confirming that your supervisor: (michigan.gov)

• Holds a Michigan LPC (or equivalent out‑of‑state license), and
• Has completed the supervision training required under Rule R 338.1781.

The Counseling Work Experience form, which the supervisor later uses to verify your hours, states that the supervisor must: (michigan.gov)

• Confirm the total hours you practiced “under my supervision,” including the hours in the supervisor’s “immediate physical presence or via 2‑way real‑time audiovisual technology that allows direct, contemporaneous interaction by sight and sound between the supervisor and the supervisee,” and
• Certify that they were “available on a regularly scheduled basis” to review your practice, provide consultation, review records, further educate you, and maintain “continuous availability of direct communication in person or by radio, telephone or telecommunication.”

This language defines how Michigan understands supervised hours and supervision contact.

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5. The critical hour requirements you accrue while holding the limited license

Once your limited license is issued, you begin accumulating the post‑degree counseling experience needed for the full Professional Counselor (LPC) license. The Board’s requirements here are very specific and are written into Rule R 338.1774(1)(c): (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

5.1 For master’s‑level counselors

For an applicant who has completed a master’s degree in counseling, the rule requires proof of:

• “Engagement in the practice of counseling” (as defined in section 18101(d) of the Public Health Code)
• That occurred in organized education, business, health, private practice, or human services settings,
• Under the supervision of a licensed professional counselor,
• For not less than 3,000 hours of counseling practice,
• Accrued in not less than a 2‑year period, and
• Including not less than 100 hours of regularly scheduled supervision that is:
  • in the “immediate physical presence of the supervisor” or
  • via “2‑way real‑time audiovisual technology that allows direct, contemporaneous interaction by sight and sound between the supervisor and the supervisee.”

The rule also states that:

• “The supervision begins on the issuance of the limited license and continues until the licensed professional counselor license is issued.” (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)
• For practice experience in Michigan, you must have held the limited license during the period you accrued these hours, and you must have been supervised by an LPC in good standing throughout. (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

In other words, the Board does not break this into “1,500 direct + 1,500 supervised” hours. Instead, it defines:

• 3,000 hours of counseling practice (your work with clients and related professional counseling duties), and
• Within that total, at least 100 hours of scheduled supervision contact meeting the in‑person/real‑time audiovisual standard.

5.2 For doctoral‑level counselors

For an applicant who has completed a doctoral degree in counseling, the same rule provides a reduced requirement: (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

• At least 1,500 hours of counseling practice,
• Accrued over not less than a 1‑year period,
• With at least 50 hours of regularly scheduled supervision in the supervisor’s immediate physical presence or via qualifying real‑time audiovisual technology,
• Again, supervision begins when the limited license is issued and continues until the LPC is granted.

5.3 How the Board’s own forms mirror this language

The Counseling Work Experience verification form explicitly asks supervisors to certify: (michigan.gov)

• Total counseling hours under supervision, and
• The subset of those hours that were in the supervisor’s “immediate physical presence or via 2‑way real‑time audiovisual technology” as described above.

That form is how you and your supervisors demonstrate that you’ve met the 3,000/100 (master’s) or 1,500/50 (doctoral) requirements set out in Rule R 338.1774.

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6. Renewal limits and timeframe for the limited license

The Board’s limited‑license guide states: (michigan.gov)

• The limited counselor license:
  • has a 1‑year renewal cycle,
  • may be renewed annually, but for no more than 10 years total.
• You must attest at each renewal that you continue to meet renewal requirements, including:
  • completion of required human‑trafficking training (once, if not already done), and
  • implicit bias training (at least 1 hour for each year of the license cycle).

Because you must accrue at least 2 years of supervised practice for the master’s pathway (1 year for the doctoral pathway), this 10‑year cap effectively sets an outer limit on how long you can remain in limited‑license status before either qualifying for full licensure or needing an extension or other remedy (handled under separate “Limited Licensed Counselor Extension Request” guidance). (michigan.gov)

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7. Putting it together: what it takes to become (and function as) a limited licensed counselor in Michigan

Condensed into a sequence, using the Board’s own language and structure:

1. Complete an approved counseling degree.

   • Master’s or doctoral degree in counseling from a program that is either CACREP‑accredited or meets Michigan’s 48‑ or 60‑credit CACREP‑equivalent requirements, including practicum and internship. (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

2. Complete mandatory trainings and background steps.

   • Criminal background check, human‑trafficking training, implicit bias training, and any documentation needed for good moral character and English proficiency. (michigan.gov)

3. Secure an eligible supervising LPC.

   • The supervisor must be a licensed professional counselor who meets the supervision‑training standards in Rule R 338.1781. (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

4. Prepare and submit your Professional Disclosure Statement and Supervising LPC form.

   • Your disclosure must state that you “shall practice under the supervision of a licensed professional counselor” and must identify the supervisor (name and license number).
   • You must also file a separate statement/form with the department detailing the supervisor’s qualifications. (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

5. Apply for the limited license through MiPLUS and pay the limited‑license fee. (michigan.gov)

6. After the limited license is issued, begin accruing supervised practice hours.

   • If you are master’s‑prepared, the Board requires “not less than 3,000 hours” of counseling practice in not less than 2 years, including “not less than 100 hours of regularly scheduled supervision” in person or via qualifying audiovisual technology.
   • If you are doctoral‑prepared, you must accrue “not less than 1,500 hours” over not less than 1 year, including “not less than 50 hours of regularly scheduled supervision” of the same type.
   • All Michigan experience must be gained after the limited license is issued and under an LPC supervisor in good standing. (ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us)

7. When you have completed the required hours and passed an approved exam (NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCC), you apply to convert to full Professional Counselor (LPC) licensure. (michigan.gov)

In summary, the Michigan Board of Counseling does not divide the requirement into “X hours direct client contact + Y hours supervision” the way some states do. Instead, it specifies:

• Total post‑degree counseling practice hours under supervision (3,000 or 1,500), and
• Minimum numbers of “regularly scheduled supervision” hours (100 or 50) that must be in person or via specified real‑time audiovisual technology, all beginning only after the limited license is issued and continuing until the LPC license is granted.