What Is APCC Registration?
An Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) registration is the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) credential that allows a graduate of a qualifying counseling master’s program to begin earning supervised experience toward a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) license. You cannot accrue supervised experience in California without being registered as an APCC, with the only exception being hours protected under the 90-day rule (more on that below).
APCC registration is not a license. A registration cannot be renewed beyond six years from the last day of the month it was issued. When no further renewals are possible, you may apply for a subsequent APCC registration number if you meet the education requirements and have passed the California Law and Ethics Exam, and subsequent-registration holders cannot work in a private practice or professional corporation. Separately, hours cannot be older than six years when the BBS receives your Application for Licensure (BPC 4999.46(e)). For exactly how that six-year limit is counted and what the subsequent-registration restrictions involve, see our guide to the BBS six-year rule for associates.
For the full picture of where APCC registration sits in the LPCC pathway, see our guide to becoming an LPCC in California.
Confirm Your Eligibility
Before you submit an APCC application, confirm three things:
- 1.Your degree has been awarded. The 90-day window runs from your degree award date (the statute says “the granting of the qualifying degree”). Ask your registrar which date that is.
- 2.Your education qualifies under the BBS. The BBS requires a qualifying master’s degree under Business and Professions Code § 4999.33 (for applicants who began graduate study on or after August 1, 2012, or who began before then but did not graduate by December 31, 2018) or § 4999.32 (for applicants who began before August 1, 2012 and graduated by December 31, 2018). Applicants who began before August 1, 2012 may also qualify under § 4999.33 (§ 4999.33(a)(2); § 4999.32(a)). Check with the BBS to confirm your program qualifies.
- 3.Your transcripts are ready to send. Follow the transcript instructions on the BBS APCC registration page.
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Choose and Complete the Right Application
The BBS lists three APCC registration applications. Check the BBS APCC page for which one applies to you:
- ✓In-state APCC registration:
pci_app.pdf - ✓Out-of-state registration:
pcci_app_oos_01012016.pdf - ✓Subsequent registration:
pciapp_2reg.pdf, for an applicant who held an APCC registration that can no longer be renewed.
The application packet lists what to enclose. Always download the current version of every form from bbs.ca.gov, since older copies may be out of date.
The BBS evaluates your criminal history as part of the application. Answer every question on the form completely.
Complete Fingerprinting (Live Scan or Hard Cards)
California residents complete electronic Live Scan fingerprinting, which runs your prints through the Department of Justice and FBI databases and forwards the results to the BBS. Take the BBS Live Scan request form (/pdf/forms/livescan.pdf) to an authorized Live Scan site (directory: oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations).
Applicants who live outside California can’t use Live Scan. Instead, you submit hard fingerprint cards mailed to the BBS at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S-200, Sacramento, CA 95834. Hard-card processing takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks.
The processing fee is $49. Live Scan sites may charge an additional rolling fee that varies by location. The Board recommends completing Live Scan no more than 30 days before you submit your application, and Live Scan results expire after six months if no application is filed.
For a deeper walkthrough of fingerprinting — how Live Scan and the background check work, what the fees cover, and how out-of-state hard cards are handled — see our guide to BBS Live Scan and the background check.
A workplace Live Scan can matter for 90-day hours
If you gain hours before your registration is issued and completed graduate study on or after January 1, 2020, the workplace must have required completed Live Scan first. This is separate from the fingerprints you submit with your registration application.
The 90-Day Rule
If the BBS receives your APCC registration application within 90 days of your degree award date and then grants the registration, post-degree hours gained before the registration was issued can be credited (BPC 4999.46(b)(1)). If the BBS does not receive it within 90 days, those hours are not credited.
Until your APCC registration is issued, you may not be employed by or volunteer in a private practice or professional corporation (BPC 4999.46(b)(2)); other settings are allowed (BPC 4999.26(b)(2)). If you completed graduate study on or after January 1, 2020, the workplace must also have required completed Live Scan before you gained the hours.
For more on the 90-day rule, including the Live Scan condition and what happens if the window is missed, read our complete guide to the BBS 90-day rule. (It covers AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs.)
Make sure the BBS receives your application within 90 days of your degree award date.
The California Law and Ethics Exam
The California Law and Ethics Exam is administered by Pearson Vue. As an APCC, you must take the exam each year in order to renew your registration until you pass it, and you must have passed it before the BBS will issue you a subsequent APCC registration. The exam must be taken each year until passed.
For current passing scores, exam content, scheduling, and fees, see the BBS Law and Ethics Exam Candidate Handbook (Pearson Vue) and bbs.ca.gov. Exam details change, so always confirm with the BBS.
Separately, effective January 1, 2023, all registered Associates — including APCCs — must complete three hours of California Law and Ethics continuing education during each renewal period, before renewing, regardless of whether they have passed the Law and Ethics Exam. Other continuing education and renewal requirements may apply; check bbs.ca.gov for the current rules.
After You Submit
Hard-card fingerprint processing takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks. The 90-day rule only asks that your application reached the BBS in time; processing after that date does not change which hours are credited. For current processing information, check bbs.ca.gov.
While your application is being processed, you may not be employed by or volunteer in a private practice or professional corporation. Hours gained before the registration is issued are credited only under the 90-day rule, including the Live Scan condition for 2020+ graduates.
When your APCC registration is approved, the BBS issues a registration number and an issue date. From day one, start logging your hours against the BBS categories so nothing slips. For the rules on what counts and how to log it, see our guides to tracking LPCC hours in California and BBS supervision requirements, and try the California LPCC hours calculator to see how far along you are.
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Start counting your hours freeFrequently Asked Questions
What is an APCC registration in California?
APCC stands for Associate Professional Clinical Counselor. It is the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) registration that lets a graduate of a qualifying counseling master's program begin earning supervised experience toward a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) license. You cannot accrue supervised experience in California without being registered as an APCC, except for hours protected under the 90-day rule.
Which BBS form do I use to register as an APCC?
The BBS lists an in-state registration application (pci_app.pdf), an out-of-state registration application (pcci_app_oos_01012016.pdf), and a subsequent registration application (pciapp_2reg.pdf). Check the BBS APCC page for which one applies to you, and always download the current versions from bbs.ca.gov.
How does the 90-day rule work for APCCs?
If the BBS receives your APCC registration application within 90 days of your degree award date and then grants the registration, post-degree hours gained before the registration was issued can be credited. If you completed graduate study on or after January 1, 2020, the workplace must also have required completed Live Scan fingerprinting before you gained those hours. If the BBS does not receive your application within 90 days, those hours are not credited. Until the registration is issued, you may not be employed by or volunteer in a private practice or professional corporation.
Do I need fingerprinting to register as an APCC?
Yes. California residents complete electronic Live Scan fingerprinting, which sends results to the Department of Justice and the FBI. Applicants who live outside California submit hard fingerprint cards mailed to the BBS at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S-200, Sacramento, CA 95834; hard-card processing takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks. The processing fee is $49, and Live Scan sites may charge an additional rolling fee that varies by location. The Board recommends completing Live Scan no more than 30 days before you submit your application, and Live Scan results expire after six months if no application is filed.
Is the APCC the same as the LPCC license?
No. The APCC is a registration that allows you to earn supervised experience. The LPCC license is granted only after you complete the required supervised hours, pass the required exams, and submit a separate licensure application. An APCC registration cannot be renewed beyond six years from the last day of the month it was issued. When no further renewals are possible, you may apply for a subsequent registration number if you meet the education requirements and have passed the California Law and Ethics Exam, and a subsequent-registration holder cannot work in a private practice or professional corporation. Separately, hours cannot be older than six years when the BBS receives your Application for Licensure (BPC 4999.46(e)).
When do I take the California Law and Ethics Exam as an APCC?
The California Law and Ethics Exam is administered by Pearson Vue. As an APCC, you must take the exam each year in order to renew your registration until you pass it, and you must have passed it before the BBS will issue you a subsequent APCC registration. For current passing scores, exam content, scheduling, and fees, see the BBS Law and Ethics Exam Candidate Handbook (Pearson Vue) and bbs.ca.gov. Exam details change — always confirm with the BBS.
Do APCCs have continuing education requirements?
Effective January 1, 2023, all registered Associates — including APCCs — must complete three hours of California Law and Ethics continuing education during each renewal period, before renewing, regardless of whether they have passed the Law and Ethics Exam. Other continuing education requirements may apply; check bbs.ca.gov for the current rules.
Can I work between graduation and getting my APCC number?
Until your APCC registration is issued, you may not be employed by or volunteer in a private practice or professional corporation (BPC 4999.46(b)(2)); other settings are allowed (BPC 4999.26(b)(2)). If you completed graduate study on or after January 1, 2020, the workplace must also have required completed Live Scan before you gained the hours. Those hours are credited only if the BBS received your application within 90 days of your degree award date and then grants the registration.
Related Guides
How Long Does the BBS Take to Issue Your APCC Number?
The three factors that drive the wait, and how to use the waiting room productively.
How Long Does the BBS Take to Issue Your AMFT Number?
The same BBS fingerprint and workload factors, applied to the AMFT track.
BBS Form 37A-638: The APCC Weekly Log of Experience Hours
How to fill out the APCC weekly log column by column, and where to download it.
How to Become an LPCC in California: Step-by-Step
The full pathway from a counseling master's degree to the LPCC license.
The BBS 90-Day Rule for AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs
How the deadline works, the Live Scan condition, and what happens if the window is missed.
How to Track LPCC Hours in California
What counts toward the supervised-experience requirement and how to log it cleanly.
BBS Supervision Requirements: California Associates
Who can supervise you, supervisor qualifications, and weekly supervision ratios.
This guide is for informational purposes only. Always verify requirements directly with the BBS at bbs.ca.gov. Application fees, processing times, and procedures may change. Check bbs.ca.gov for current fee amounts.