South-dakota LPC Requirements & Hours Tracker

Licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in South Dakota is grounded in state statute (SDCL 36‑32) and detailed in the Board’s administrative rules (ARSD 20:68) and forms. The process has three major components:

1. Meeting baseline eligibility and education requirements
2. Completing a Plan of Supervision and accruing post‑graduate supervised experience hours
3. Applying for full LPC licensure and maintaining the license

The section most people find confusing is the hours. In South Dakota the law requires 2,000 hours of supervised post‑master’s professional counseling experience, and the Board further breaks that 2,000 hours into specific categories of hours under ARSD 20:68:04:10 and the LPC Supervision Tracking Form. (law.justia.com)

Below is a step‑by‑step guide with the exact hour types and the Board’s terminology.

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1. Baseline eligibility under South Dakota law

South Dakota Codified Law § 36‑32‑13 sets the core requirements the Board must apply before issuing an LPC license. In summary, an applicant must: (law.justia.com)

• Be at least 19 years of age.
• Be of good moral character.
• Reside in South Dakota, or receive a residency exemption from the Board (per SDCL 36‑32‑16).
• Not be in violation of the counselor licensing chapter or related rules.
• Have the required counseling degree (see below).
• Have 2,000 hours of supervised full‑time experience in professional counseling, obtained after the master’s degree and acceptable to the Board.
• Demonstrate competence in professional counseling by passing an examination prescribed by the Board.

The 2,000‑hour requirement in the statute is the total post‑graduate supervised experience; the Board’s rules specify how those 2,000 hours must be distributed among direct client work, supervision, and counseling‑related activities (Section 3 below). (law.justia.com)

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2. Educational requirements for LPC

Degree and credit hours

State law requires that the applicant: (law.justia.com)

• Hold a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling,
• From an accredited institution of higher learning,
• With at least 48 semester credit hours in counseling, including a supervised counseling internship.

The Board’s Plan of Supervision application clarifies that the degree must either: (dss.sd.gov)

• Be from a CACREP‑accredited counseling program, or
• Be a 48‑hour master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution (if not CACREP, you document required content areas on Attachment 2).

Attachment 2 to the Plan of Supervision lists standard counselor‑education content areas (counseling theory, techniques, practicum, internship, human growth and development, group counseling, career, appraisal, research, professional orientation, etc.), which must be covered somewhere in your coursework. (dss.sd.gov)

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3. National examination requirement

Before you can begin your supervised post‑graduate hours under a Plan of Supervision, the Board requires proof of a passing score on a national exam. The Board’s LPC page and Plan of Supervision application currently require: (dss.sd.gov)

• National Counselor Examination (NCE), or
• Counselor Rehabilitation Certification Examination (CRC)

A passing score on the NCE or CRC must be on file prior to approval of your Plan of Supervision.

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4. Plan of Supervision (LPC)

Purpose and timing

You cannot start counting supervision or direct client contact hours toward LPC licensure until your Plan of Supervision is approved by the Board. (dss.sd.gov)

The Board’s LPC page states that no supervision or direct client contact hours will be counted before the date of an approved Plan of Supervision, and the Plan application reiterates that “no supervision hours can accrue until a Plan of Supervision is approved for the applicant.” (dss.sd.gov)

What you submit for a Plan of Supervision

According to the Plan of Supervision – Professional Counselor application, you must submit: (dss.sd.gov)

• Completed Plan of Supervision application
• Attachment 1, completed directly by your proposed Board‑approved supervisor
• Official graduate transcripts (sent directly from the institution) from a CACREP program or a 48‑hour counseling master’s
• Proof of passing the NCE or CRC (sent directly or released via NBCC portal)
• Verification of any other licenses
• Color photo and any name‑change documentation
• Non‑refundable $100 Plan of Supervision application fee

You may have more than one approved supervisor; additional supervisors do not require an extra Plan fee, but they must be added formally with the appropriate pages and Attachment 1. (dss.sd.gov)

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5. Post‑graduate supervised experience: structure and hour breakdown

Legal foundation

The statute requires 2,000 hours of supervised full‑time post‑master’s experience in professional counseling. (law.justia.com)

The Board’s administrative rule, ARSD 20:68:04:10 – Post graduate supervision requirements – professional counselor, explains how these 2,000 hours must be structured. The LPC Supervision Tracking Form reproduces the rule language and is used to document compliance. (law.cornell.edu)

Under ARSD 20:68:04:10, post‑graduate supervision for LPC must:

1. Occur under a Board‑approved Plan of Supervision
2. Be supervised by a Board‑approved supervisor (who meets qualifications in ARSD 20:68:04:09)
3. Include the specific minimum hours below

Required post‑graduate hours for LPC

The Board defines the LPC post‑graduate supervision requirements as follows (all must be post‑degree): (law.cornell.edu)

1. Direct client contact

   • Minimum of 1,000 hours of direct client contact.
   • Of those, no more than 400 hours may be obtained via counseling provided through approved electronic means; the remainder must be in‑person.
   • Direct client contact is face‑to‑face (in person or synchronous electronic) counseling services provided to clients.

2. Supervision hours

   • Minimum of 100 hours of supervision with a Board‑approved supervisor.
   • Ratio: At least 1 hour of supervision for every 20 hours of direct client contact.
   • Format:
     • Supervision may be individual or group.
     • For LPC supervision, “individual supervision” is defined as supervision between one supervisor and up to two supervisees.
     • “Group supervision” is supervision between one supervisor and three or more supervisees.
     • No more than 50 of the 100 supervision hours may be group supervision.
   • Required supervision methods: Supervision must include at least 5 hours in each of these four methods:
     1. Presentation and staffing of cases
     2. Direct observation of the supervisee (live or via recorded sessions)
     3. Co‑counseling with the supervisee
     4. Review of the supervisee’s recordkeeping (law.cornell.edu)
   • Supervision may occur via synchronous electronic means as permitted by chapter 20:68:06 (e.g., real‑time video), as well as in person. (law.cornell.edu)

3. Counseling‑related activities

   • Minimum of 900 hours of counseling‑related activities.
   • The rule states that for each hour of direct client contact, a supervisee accrues 55 minutes of counseling‑related activity toward this requirement. (law.cornell.edu)
   • The rule does not list an exhaustive definition, but in practice, “counseling‑related activities” usually includes documentation, treatment planning, consultation, case staffing, and other tasks directly tied to client care, as long as they fit within the Board’s understanding of that term.

Taken together, these categories total the 2,000 post‑master’s supervised hours required by SDCL 36‑32‑13 (1,000 direct client, 100 supervision, 900 counseling‑related). (law.justia.com)

Personal counseling/therapy that can count as direct hours

ARSD 20:68:04:10 includes a special provision: up to 100 hours of your own personal counseling or therapy may be counted as direct client contact hours toward the 1,000‑hour requirement, if all conditions are met: (law.cornell.edu)

• The personal counseling/therapy must be with one of the following professionals:
  • Licensed professional counselor
  • Licensed professional counselor–mental health
  • Certified social worker–private independent practice (CSW‑PIP)
  • Psychologist
  • Psychiatrist
• The therapist cannot be your approved supervisor.
• Personal counseling may be in person or through approved electronic means.
• These hours are subject to verification by the Board.

This is an optional component but can be helpful if you have engaged in your own therapy and want that counted toward your direct hours.

How supervision is documented

The Board requires that direct client contact hours and supervision hours be recorded on a Board‑provided form—the LPC Supervision Tracking Form. (dss.sd.gov)

That form reiterates:

• Minimum 1,000 direct client contact hours
• Minimum 100 supervision hours (1:20 ratio, with less than 50 allowed as group supervision)
• Minimum 900 counseling‑related hours
• Identification of which supervision method (a–d) occurred each time (case presentation, observation, co‑counseling, record review)

Original completed tracking forms must be submitted with your licensure application. (dss.sd.gov)

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6. Supervisor requirements and multiple supervisors

The Board’s supervision chapter (ARSD 20:68:04) allows for multiple supervisors, but each must be separately approved and attached to your Plan of Supervision. A supervisee may have more than one approved supervisor; the required supervision frequency (the 1:20 ratio) may be met by one supervisor in any given period even when multiple supervisors are listed. (law.cornell.edu)

Supervisors must meet Board‑set qualifications (license type, active licensure, required supervision training, etc.) under ARSD 20:68:04:09.

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7. Applying for full LPC licensure

Once you have:

• Completed your 2,000 hours of supervised experience in the required distribution,
• Finished your Plan of Supervision,
• Passed the NCE or CRC, and
• Met all legal and ethical fitness requirements,

you may submit the Application for Licensure (selecting Licensed Professional Counselor) along with the $225 refundable license fee. (dss.sd.gov)

You must provide:

• Completed application form (indicating LPC as the license type)
• Your Plan of Supervision number
• Original LPC Supervision Tracking Form(s)
• Attachment A (Supervised Experience) completed by your supervisor(s)
• Any other documentation the Board requests (dss.sd.gov)

If the Board finds that all requirements of SDCL 36‑32‑13 and ARSD 20:68 have been met, it issues the LPC license.

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8. Renewal and continuing education (post‑licensure)

After initial issuance, LPC licenses must be renewed by November 30 of even‑numbered years. The Board requires: (dss.sd.gov)

• 40 hours of continuing education every two years
• Of those, at least 4 hours in ethics

This applies to maintaining, not obtaining, the LPC license—but it is useful to plan for from the outset.

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9. Hour requirements at a glance (LPC only)

Total post‑master’s supervised experience required by statute:

• 2,000 hours of supervised full‑time experience in professional counseling, post‑degree (law.justia.com)

How the Board divides those 2,000 hours (ARSD 20:68:04:10): (law.cornell.edu)

• Direct client contact

  • Minimum 1,000 hours
  • Up to 400 hours may be via approved electronic counseling; the rest must be in‑person
  • Up to 100 hours of personal counseling/therapy with specified professionals may count toward this total

• Supervision

  • Minimum 100 hours with a Board‑approved supervisor
  • At least 1 hour of supervision per 20 hours of direct client contact
  • No more than 50 supervision hours may be in a group format
  • Must include at least 5 hours each of: case presentation, direct observation, co‑counseling, and record‑review supervision methods

• Counseling‑related activities

  • Minimum 900 hours of counseling‑related work
  • Calculated at 55 minutes of counseling‑related activity for each hour of direct client contact

All of these hours must: (law.cornell.edu)

• Be obtained after the granting of the counseling master’s degree
• Occur under an approved Plan of Supervision
• Be supervised by a Board‑approved supervisor
• Be documented on Board forms (notably the LPC Supervision Tracking Form)

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10. Relationship to LPC‑MH (for context)

You asked specifically about the LPC, but one point often matters for planning: South Dakota law allows only a limited carry‑over of LPC supervision and clinical hours toward the Licensed Professional Counselor–Mental Health (LPC‑MH) license. Under SDCL 36‑32‑44, no more than 50 hours of supervision and 1,000 hours of clinical experience obtained for LPC may be applied to LPC‑MH licensure requirements. (law.justia.com)

This is relevant if you intend eventually to pursue LPC‑MH; choosing an LPC‑MH‑eligible supervisor from the beginning can help maximize how your LPC hours later apply.