New-jersey LRC Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

In New Jersey, the Licensed Rehabilitation Counselor (LRC) credential is issued by the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee under the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners. The requirements are spelled out in statute (N.J.S.A. 45:8B‑34 et seq.) and in the New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C. 13:34, especially Subchapter 21 for rehabilitation counselors).

Below is a structured guide that tracks the Board’s own language and structure.

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1. Role and legal status of the LRC

New Jersey law defines a “licensed rehabilitation counselor” as someone who holds a current, valid rehabilitation counselor license under the Professional Counselor Licensing Act. “Rehabilitation counseling” is defined as assisting individuals to understand the personal, social and vocational impact of disability and to plan and implement a rehabilitation program that can include training for greater independence and employability. (law.justia.com)

The Board’s advertising rule requires that an LRC who represents themselves to the public use the title “Licensed Rehabilitation Counselor” or “LRC” with their 12‑digit license number in professional representations and advertisements. (regulations.justia.com)

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2. Baseline eligibility

Age, character, and background

The underlying statute requires that a licensure applicant:

• Be at least 18 years old and
• Be of good moral character. (pub.njleg.gov)

Regulations also require:

• Submission of a Certification and Authorization Form for a Criminal History Background Check as part of the application. (law.cornell.edu)

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3. Educational requirements: master’s in rehabilitation counseling

The Board’s regulations for rehabilitation counselors are in Subchapter 21 of N.J.A.C. 13:34.

3.1 Degree and accreditation

An LRC applicant must have:

• A master’s degree in a planned educational program designed to prepare students for the professional practice of rehabilitation counseling, from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. (law.cornell.edu)

In addition, the program must be:

• A rehabilitation counseling degree program accredited at the time of graduation by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) or its successor (CORE has since merged into CACREP, but the rule still uses CORE’s name). (law.cornell.edu)

3.2 Required coursework content

The official rule lists specific content areas the degree must clearly include. In summary, you must have coursework covering at least the following (paraphrased from N.J.A.C. 13:34‑21.2):

1. Introduction to rehabilitation counseling (history and philosophy of the profession; legislation and public policy affecting individuals with disabilities; scope of practice; ethics). (law.cornell.edu)
2. Counseling theories and practice (major theories of counseling and personality, the therapeutic process, and application to counseling services). (law.cornell.edu)
3. Psychosocial aspects of disability (medical, psychosocial, functional, and environmental aspects of disabilities—especially psychiatric, developmental, cognitive, and substance‑use disabilities—and techniques to facilitate adjustment and coping). (law.cornell.edu)
4. Medical aspects of disability (impact of physical and sensory disabilities on individuals, families, and environments, including intervention resources such as assistive technology). (law.cornell.edu)
5. Evaluation and assessment (theories and practices of appraisal, data gathering, reliability/validity, and use of tests to assess abilities, interests, and career options). (law.cornell.edu)
6. Community counseling and resources (case management from referral to closure, documentation, and interdisciplinary consultation in public and private settings). (law.cornell.edu)
7. Research methods (basic statistics, research designs, implementation, report writing, program evaluation, and ethical/legal issues in research). (law.cornell.edu)
8. Group methods (group leadership styles and techniques, dynamics and processes, and types of counseling groups). (law.cornell.edu)
9. Social and cultural diversity issues (awareness, knowledge, and skills for counseling clients from diverse backgrounds and in a diverse society). (law.cornell.edu)
10. Career development theory (theories of career and lifestyle development, occupational/educational information, and career decision‑making and planning). (law.cornell.edu)
11. Career counseling and consultation (working both with individuals seeking employment and with employers on job development, retention, and advancement). (law.cornell.edu)

3.3 Required practicum and internship hours

The Board defines specific field‑based hours during the degree:

• Practicum: at least 100 hours of supervised field‑based experience in an approved agency.
• Internship: at least 600 hours in an approved agency. (law.cornell.edu)

The regulation states that practicum and internship are “designed for students to learn and practice advanced counseling skills” in the context of helping relationships, and that students must attend weekly group and/or individual supervision during this field experience. (law.cornell.edu)

These 700 hours are graduate‑level supervised fieldwork, not post‑degree experience, though some of these hours can later count toward the supervised experience requirement (see Section 4).

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4. Supervised rehabilitation counseling experience

Once the degree requirements are met, you must complete supervised rehabilitation counseling experience in a rehabilitation counseling setting acceptable to the Committee. The rules are in N.J.A.C. 13:34‑21.3.

4.1 How New Jersey defines a “calendar year” of experience (and how that becomes hours)

New Jersey does not directly say, for LRCs, “X direct hours and Y supervision hours.” Instead, it uses “calendar years” of supervised counseling experience and defines one calendar year elsewhere in the counseling rules as:

a maximum of 1,500 hours of supervised counseling experience over 52 weeks (full‑time), or at least 750 hours per year over two years (part‑time), with no more than 30 hours per week allowed. (law.cornell.edu)

Because the LRC rules speak in “calendar years” and Chapter 34 defines one calendar year this way, in practice:

• 1 calendar year = up to 1,500 supervised hours
• 2 calendar years = up to 3,000 supervised hours
• 3 calendar years = up to 4,500 supervised hours

4.2 Two experience pathways

The rehabilitation counselor experience regulation offers two options (paraphrased from N.J.A.C. 13:34‑21.3):

Option 1 – Three‑year pathway

• Three calendar years of supervised rehabilitation counseling experience in a rehabilitation counseling setting.
• Only one calendar year (up to 1,500 hours) may be earned before the master’s degree is granted.
• Graduate practicum/internship hours may be counted toward part of this supervised experience as long as those courses are not being used simultaneously to meet the educational content requirements in N.J.A.C. 13:34‑21.2. (law.cornell.edu)

In hour terms, this is up to 4,500 hours of supervised rehabilitation counseling experience, with at least 2 calendar years (about 3,000 hours) after the master’s.

Option 2 – Two‑year pathway

• Two calendar years of supervised rehabilitation counseling experience in a rehabilitation counseling setting.
• As with Option 1, hours from graduate practicums or internships may count toward this requirement if they are not also used to satisfy the specific educational‑content requirements.
• No more than one calendar year (about 1,500 hours) of supervised experience may be obtained before the master’s degree. (law.cornell.edu)

In hour terms, this is up to 3,000 hours of supervised rehabilitation counseling experience, with at least one calendar year (about 1,500 hours) after the master’s.

4.3 Timeframe to complete the experience

• You may take up to six years to accumulate the required supervised rehabilitation counseling experience under either option, according to N.J.A.C. 13:34‑21.3(b).
• Experience obtained before the date of application can count if it meets all criteria, including supervision by a qualified supervisor. (law.cornell.edu)

4.4 What counts as “supervised rehabilitation counseling” and who can supervise

The experience must be:

• In a rehabilitation counseling setting, meaning it involves rehabilitation counseling services to individuals with disabilities along the vocational/personal rehabilitation continuum, not generic case management or unrelated human services. (law.cornell.edu)

Supervision must be provided by a qualified supervisor as defined for rehabilitation counselors:

• The supervisor must have 3,000 hours of work experience obtained after holding a clinical license that permits independent mental‑health counseling, accumulated over at least two but no more than six years.
• They must hold an approved clinical supervisor credential from NBCC’s Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) or an equivalent supervisor credential recognized by their own licensing board. (law.cornell.edu)

Regulations also require:

• A written supervision plan describing the work setting, the supervisee’s duties/qualifications, and the supervisor’s responsibilities and qualifications.
• The supervisor to maintain detailed supervision records and to attest to the dates and hours of supervision and to the supervisee’s proficiency. (law.cornell.edu)

For supervisees (those working toward LRC licensure), Subchapter 23 requires that:

• They maintain documentation of supervised experience for each 52‑week period until licensed;
• They not engage in unsupervised or independent practice;
• They be paid only via the supervisor or employing entity (not directly by clients); and
• They not advertise professional services. (regulations.justia.com)

4.5 Direct vs. indirect hours

New Jersey’s LRC regulations do not subdivide the supervised experience into “direct client contact” versus “indirect” (documentation, meetings, etc.) hours as some other states do. Instead, they speak generally of:

• “Supervised rehabilitation counseling experience in a rehabilitation counseling setting” measured in calendar years/hours and
• “Supervised counseling experience” as defined above (1,500 hours per calendar year; max 30 hours/week). (law.cornell.edu)

So if you need to present your hours in a breakdown (for your own tracking or for employers), you can do so, but the Board itself focuses on:

• Total supervised hours/calendar years,
• That the work is rehabilitation counseling, and
• That it is appropriately supervised and documented.

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5. Examination requirement: Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC)

To be licensed as an LRC, you must pass the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination administered by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). (law.cornell.edu)

The Board’s examination rule specifies:

• You must submit proof that you have successfully completed the CRC exam.
• Except where the exam is taken as part of your graduate program or in another state under that state’s requirements, you may only sit for the CRC exam after the New Jersey Committee has reviewed your coursework and granted written permission. (law.cornell.edu)

Other New Jersey regulations that define “rehabilitation counselor” in Medicaid and mental‑health program settings reinforce that an LRC is typically also a CRC or eligible for CRC, underscoring that CRC certification is central to New Jersey’s conception of the role. (law.cornell.edu)

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6. Application and licensing process

Putting the pieces together, a typical sequence looks like this:

1. Complete an accredited master’s in rehabilitation counseling that meets the CORE/CACREP and content requirements in N.J.A.C. 13:34‑21.2. (law.cornell.edu)
2. Complete the required graduate fieldwork: at least 100 practicum hours and 600 internship hours in approved agencies, with weekly supervision. (law.cornell.edu)
3. Accumulate supervised rehabilitation counseling experience under one of the two options in N.J.A.C. 13:34‑21.3 (effectively 3 years/4,500 hours or 2 years/3,000 hours of supervised rehabilitation counseling, within a six‑year window, with no more than one calendar year pre‑master’s). (law.cornell.edu)
4. Work under a qualified supervisor who meets the hours and supervisor‑credential requirements, with a written supervision plan and maintained documentation. (law.cornell.edu)
5. Apply to sit for the CRC examination, obtain the Committee’s written authorization (unless exempt as described), and pass the CRC exam. (law.cornell.edu)
6. Submit the licensure application to the Professional Counselor Examiners Committee, including:
   • Completed application form with educational and experiential history;
   • Official transcripts showing the qualifying master’s degree and required coursework;
   • Supervisor certifications for practicum, internship, and supervised post‑degree experience;
   • Proof of passing the CRC exam;
   • Certification and Authorization Form for a Criminal History Background Check; and
   • The required application/licensing fee as specified in N.J.A.C. 13:34‑26.1 and 13:34‑21.5. (law.cornell.edu)

The Committee reviews your file and, if all statutory and regulatory requirements are met, recommends licensure to the Board, which issues the LRC license. (pub.njleg.gov)

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7. Maintaining the LRC license: continuing education (for completeness)

After initial licensure, LRCs must meet continuing education requirements to renew:

• 40 contact hours of continuing education every biennial renewal period,
• Of which at least 5 hours must be in ethical and legal standards in the counseling profession, and
• At least 3 hours must be in social and cultural competence. (law.cornell.edu)

New licensees are exempt from CE requirements for the period of initial licensure before the first renewal. (law.cornell.edu)

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Key hour numbers summarized

Based on current New Jersey Board regulations:

• Graduate fieldwork (during master’s):

  • 100 hours practicum + 600 hours internship = 700 supervised field‑based hours. (law.cornell.edu)

• Post‑degree supervised experience (LRC pathways):

  • Option 1: 3 calendar years supervised rehabilitation counseling experience = up to 4,500 supervised hours, with no more than one year (1,500 hours) pre‑master’s. (law.cornell.edu)
  • Option 2: 2 calendar years supervised rehabilitation counseling experience = up to 3,000 supervised hours, again with no more than one year (1,500 hours) pre‑master’s. (law.cornell.edu)

• Supervision intensity:

  • Defined in the counseling rules as weekly face‑to‑face consultation with a qualified supervisor, totaling at least 50 hours of face‑to‑face supervision per calendar year, with no more than 10 of those hours in group supervision (this definition is written for associate counselors but is used across Chapter 34 when “supervision” and “calendar year” are referenced). (law.cornell.edu)

New Jersey’s framework is therefore built around calendar years of supervised rehabilitation counseling experience, converted into hours via a 1,500‑hour/year definition, plus a CORE/CACREP‑style rehabilitation counseling master’s and successful completion of the CRC examination.