West-virginia PLC Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

West Virginia regulates professional counseling through the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling (WVBEC). The Board issues two main counseling credentials:

• Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate (LPCA): your supervised, pre‑independent license. Until April 14, 2026 this was the provisional license (title "Provisionally Licensed Counselor," often called Provisional LPC, PLPC or PLC in school/employer materials). The Board's Licensing Rule (27CSR1) renamed it, and many Board web pages and forms still use the old name. (apps.sos.wv.gov)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC): full, independent license once all supervision requirements are completed.

The associate license is the gateway to accumulating the supervised hours that lead to independent LPC status. The sections below walk through both (1) how to get the associate license and (2) the supervised hour requirements you must meet while holding it.

---

1. Education requirements

The Board's Licensing Rule (27CSR1 §27‑1‑6.1) sets the core education standard: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• Degree level:
  • At least a master's degree (or higher) in counseling or a closely related counseling field.
• Program accreditation:
  • The program must be accredited by CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs), CAEP, NCACS, SACS or a comparable accrediting body.
• Credit hours:
  • Minimum of 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) of graduate coursework.
• Required curricular content:
  • At least 3 semester hours in each of the rule's core areas, such as counseling theories, counseling techniques, human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, group dynamics, individual appraisal, career/lifestyle development, research/evaluation, professional responsibilities, etiology/diagnosis/treatment planning, addictions, and marriage/couple/family counseling. (apps.sos.wv.gov)
• Practicum and internship:
  • Your program must include both a supervised practicum and supervised internship in counseling as part of those 60 hours. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

---

2. Exam requirement

To qualify for the associate license, you must pass one Board‑approved national counseling examination before the license is issued: (wvbec.org)

• National Counselor Examination (NCE), or
• National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), or
• Certified Rehabilitation Counselor examination (CRC).

Applicants who have not yet tested must file a complete licensure application first; the exam may be taken only after the Board determines you are eligible. If you already passed one of these exams, have official scores sent directly to the Board. A passing score is valid for five years, and you may make three attempts in a twelve‑month period. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

While you test, you may request a one‑time temporary permit (valid up to six months, not renewable, $50). Hours supervised by an approved supervisor under the permit count toward licensure. (code.wvlegislature.gov)

---

3. Application for the associate license

On the Board's website, the associate license is handled under the general "Becoming a Licensed Counselor" section. (wvbec.org)

The elements the rule (27CSR1 §27‑1‑4.1) and the Board's application packet list include: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

1. Completed application, dated within six months, through a Board‑approved modality.
2. Non‑refundable application fee under the fee rule (27CSR2). The Board's application packet lists $250; confirm the current fee with the Board.
3. Two professional recommendation forms from master's‑ or doctoral‑level licensed counselors, psychologists, social workers or psychiatrists.
4. Three personal reference letters (from people other than your recommenders).
5. Official graduate transcripts sent directly from your university or a clearinghouse, plus a transcript review sheet.
6. Supervisor's registration contract naming your proposed supervisor, and your current job description.
7. Verification of exam: official NCE/NCMHCE/CRC scores sent to WVBEC.
8. Background and legal disclosures, including:
   • Social Security number (for state requirements),
   • Responses to questions about criminal convictions or disciplinary actions. (wvbec.org)

The Board will not grant permission to take an exam, or issue the associate license, until it has a completed application. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

---

4. Official title and practice limitations under the associate license

Title you must use

The April 2026 rule names the credential "Licensed Professional Counselor‑Associate (LPCA)." (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• The Board's Supervision FAQ, written before the rename, says the title "Provisionally Licensed Counselor" may not be abbreviated. Ask the Board how it wants the new title used on notes and signatures. (wvbec.org)
• Until fully licensed you may not call yourself, or be represented as, a licensed professional counselor.

Where and how you can practice

While holding the associate license: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• You must work under supervision as part of your licensure plan.
• You may not own, operate or work as an independent contractor (1099) of a private practice.
• Supervision must be continuous; any interruption of more than six weeks must be reported to the Board in writing within 30 days.
• Any change of supervisor or job must be approved by the Board before it happens, or hours between the change and the approval are nullified.
• The license is valid for 36 months and can be renewed once for 24 more months (5 years at most).
• The Board's FAQ adds that an ALPS or another licensed mental health professional must be onsite whenever you are providing counseling services, and that you practice at sites that match the job description and supervision contract on file. (wvbec.org)

---

5. Supervised experience requirements while holding the associate license

Once you hold the associate license, you begin accruing the supervised experience required to upgrade to full LPC. These requirements are set by WVBEC's Licensing Rule (27CSR1 §27‑1‑6.2) and W. Va. Code §30‑31‑8, and explained in the Board's Supervision FAQ. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

5.1 Total counseling activity hours

Under the rule, a master's‑level applicant must complete:

• 3,000 hours of supervised counseling experience after the master's degree, of which up to 600 hours may be credited from your master's internship (the Credentialing Committee decides how many).

The Board's supervision FAQ sets out the core numbers:

• "3000 counseling activity hours"
• "1500 hours must be in direct provision of the client(s) – 50% of the total counseling activity hours"
• "150 individual supervision hours with your ALPS." (wvbec.org)

For applicants with a doctoral degree in counseling, the rule requires 1,500 hours of post‑degree supervised counseling experience, with at least 50% in direct client services and no internship credit. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

5.2 Direct vs. other counseling hours

Using the Board's language and related rule definitions: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• Direct counseling hours (minimum 1,500):

  • Hours in the direct provision of counseling services to clients, i.e., counseling/therapy sessions with individuals, couples, families, or groups, where you are actively providing clinical counseling services.
  • Must be at least 50% of your total counseling activity hours (1,500 of the 3,000).

• Other counseling activity hours (up to 1,500):

  • The licensing rule defines "counseling experience" as professional responsibility in the direct provision of counseling services or such indirect services… approved by the Board.
  • The Board's quarterly log groups these as consultation, counseling‑related work, screening/assessment, intake/diagnostic work, crisis intervention and case management. (wvbec.org) In practice they commonly include:
    • Case documentation and treatment planning,
    • Consultation with other providers,
    • Phone follow‑up and scheduling related to clients,
    • Insurance forms and correspondence about clients,
    • Other Board‑approved indirect counseling services.

These non‑direct hours still count toward the 3,000 counseling activity hours, as long as they fit the Board's definition and occur under approved supervision.

5.3 Supervision hours

WVBEC tracks supervision as its own category on the quarterly log: (wvbec.org)

• Total supervision required:
  • About 150 hours of supervision with your ALPS for a master's‑level applicant (1 hour per 20 hours of 3,000).
• Required ratio:
  • The rule requires at least 1 hour of direct supervision for every 20 hours of practice. (apps.sos.wv.gov)
• Frequency and continuity:
  • Supervision must be continuous. If your supervisor is not a full‑time employee of the same practice or agency, supervision must occur at least twice in each calendar month.
  • The Board's FAQ still says supervision must happen at least every two weeks and that counseling hours "cannot be counted" if this is not met. (wvbec.org)
• Format: in person or via any secured, encrypted telecommunication modality.

Quarterly logs, signed by you and your supervisor, are due to the Board within 15 days of the end of each quarter, per the Board's log instructions.

The Licensing Rule further distinguishes between: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• Direct counselor supervision: face‑to‑face or secured interactive contact (telephone, video or other) that addresses the required practice areas.
• Indirect counselor supervision: review of reports, case notes, test data, and other representations of the supervisee's work.

The 1:20 supervision requirement refers to direct supervision with your ALPS, not just indirect review of your work.

5.4 Timeframe limits and pacing

The statute and rule set the timing rules for counting supervised experience toward LPC: (code.wvlegislature.gov)

• W. Va. Code §30‑31‑8 requires at least two years of supervised professional experience after a master's (one year after a doctorate).
• The pre‑2026 rule also said the Board would not credit more than 1,500 hours in any 12‑month period. The April 2026 rule removed that cap. The Board's Supervision FAQ has not been updated and still describes the 1,500‑hour yearly maximum and a 19‑month minimum. (wvbec.org)
• Documentation (including supervision) three years old or older is not considered, and up to 500 supervision hours from another state may be considered with proof at the time of application. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

Your ALPS can require longer than the minimum if they feel more experience is needed before endorsing you for independent LPC licensure; without the ALPS's endorsement, additional supervision may be required. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

---

6. Supervisor qualifications (ALPS)

Your supervisor during the associate period must be pre‑approved by the Board, normally as an Approved Licensed Professional Supervisor (ALPS). Key points from the rule: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• The professional supervisor must:
  • Be pre‑approved by the Board,
  • Be a Licensed Professional Counselor or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, licensed at the highest level for at least 2 years, and
  • Have five years of counseling experience.
• Supervisors must complete Board‑approved training in clinical counseling supervision (the Board's ALPS page asks for 15 or 30 contact hours depending on length of counseling experience) and the Board's jurisprudence exam. (wvbec.org)
• A supervisor may take no more than four supervisees, or up to eight with prior Board approval.
• An ALPS signs:
  • The Supervisor Registration Form/Contract,
  • Your job description, and
  • The quarterly logs, the midpoint and the final Supervisor's Verification and Assessment (SVA).

You are responsible for keeping copies of your quarterly logs and ensuring that supervision hours and counseling activity hours are accurately tracked and aligned with Board requirements. (wvbec.org)

---

7. Upgrading from the associate license to full LPC

After you have: (wvbec.org)

1. Completed 3,000 counseling activity hours (with at least 1,500 direct client hours),
2. Accumulated about 150 hours of supervision at a 1:20 ratio,
3. Met the minimum timeframe (at least two years of supervised experience under the statute), and
4. Satisfied any additional experience your ALPS believes you need,

your ALPS will:

• Determine the next scheduled WVBEC meeting date, and
• Submit a final Supervisor's Verification and Assessment (SVA) and the final quarterly log summarizing all hours, at least two weeks before that meeting. (wvbec.org)

You must remain in supervision and continue practicing under your associate license until the Board formally grants you full Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status and notifies you of its decision. (wvbec.org)

---

8. Summary of hour types and numbers (master's‑level pathway)

All hours are post‑master's, completed while you hold the associate license (or a temporary permit):

• 3,000 counseling activity hours, of which: (apps.sos.wv.gov)
  • 1,500 hours minimum must be direct counseling with clients (50% of total).
  • Up to 1,500 hours may be other Board‑approved counseling activity (indirect but counseling‑related tasks).
  • Up to 600 hours may be credited from your master's internship.
• About 150 hours of supervision with an ALPS,
  • At a rate of at least 1 hour supervision / 20 hours counseling activity,
  • Continuous, and at least twice per calendar month when your supervisor is not a full‑time employee of your practice or agency.
• At least two years of supervised experience under the statute. The old 1,500‑hours‑per‑12‑months cap was removed in April 2026.
• Associate license term: 36 months, renewable once for 24 months.

This is the structure the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling applies when moving someone from Licensed Professional Counselor‑Associate (formerly Provisionally Licensed Counselor) to Licensed Professional Counselor, and it is the key supervised‑experience framework attached to the associate counseling license in West Virginia.