The Path From Degree to LPC
The Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists (the Board) requires a master's or higher from a regionally accredited program in clinical counseling or counseling psychology, consisting of "at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours," with an approved internship or practicum (O.C.G.A. § 43-10A-11(a)(1)(A)). For degrees after September 30, 2018, the program must be accredited by CACREP or CORE, or be a regionally accredited program recognized by CHEA and "substantially similar in coursework and content to a CACREP or CORE accredited program," and the practicum must run 600 hours for anyone completing it after September 30, 2018 (Rule 135-5-.01(b)1).
With the degree in hand, an applicant becomes an Associate Professional Counselor (APC) by registering "an acceptable contract, the Directed Experience Under Supervision Contract," and passing "the required competency examination for licensure prescribed by the Board" (Rule 135-5-.01(b)2,3). The rules do not name which exam the Board prescribes. Current APCs do not retake it for the LPC (Rule 135-3-.03(2)(b)2).
As an APC, the counselor practices "only under direction and supervision, and only for a period not to exceed five years while obtaining the post-master's experience" (Rule 135-5-.01(c)2). That post-master's stage is two years of directed experience and supervision, covered below. Once those two years and the supervision that goes with them are complete, the APC applies for the LPC through the Georgia LPC application.
The 2022 Statute Change: Two Years, Not the Old Matrix
Georgia's statute controls where it and a Board rule differ, and the statute governing the LPC experience requirement was amended effective July 1, 2022 and again July 1, 2024. It now reads: "Two years of post-degree experience under direction and supervision in a work setting acceptable to the board" (O.C.G.A. § 43-10A-11(a)(2)(B)).
Board Policy VIII, approved November 17, 2022, sets how the Board applies the change: applications received and date-stamped on or after July 1, 2022 must meet the new statute, and APCs licensed before July 1, 2022 who meet the current education requirement "shall be allowed to move forward with the LPC licensing process by completing the required two (2) years of Directed Work Experience with appropriate Supervision."
The Board's rule text at 135-5-.02(b) through (f) still prints an older four-year, three-year, two-year and one-year schedule tied to degree type, but the statute controls and sets two years for every APC applying under current law.
What a Year Means, and the 60-Month Window
The statute sets two years; the Board's rule defines what a year is made of. "One year of Directed Experience" means "a minimum of 1000 hours of directed experience acquired in not less than a twelve (12) month period" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7)(v)). "One year of Supervision" means "a minimum of thirty five (35) hours of supervision obtained during one twelve (12) month period of Directed Experience" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(8)(v)). The Directed Experience Under Supervision Contract must specify the number of hours per week needed "to meet the minimum thirty-five (35) hours required per year."
| Requirement | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Post-degree experience | Two years, under direction and supervision | O.C.G.A. 43-10A-11(a)(2)(B) |
| One year of directed experience | 1,000 hours in not less than 12 months | Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7)(v) |
| One year of supervision | 35 hours in that same 12-month period | Rule 135-5-.02(a)(8)(v) |
| Window | Within 60 months before the application | Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7)(vi), (8)(vi) |
Two years at that minimum pace works out to at least 2,000 hours of directed experience and 70 hours of supervision. That is arithmetic, not a stated requirement: no Georgia rule or statute prints 2,000 or 70 as a figure. The requirement is two years, each one defined by the 1,000-hour and 35-hour minimums above.
Board Policy VII, from 2016, adds a pacing expectation rather than a rule: hours should be "obtained consecutively each and every month for the duration of the required months/years of the post-master's experience," with "a minimum number of hours for each month… expected to be accrued," and "Contemporaneous logs MUST be kept and shall be subject to Board review upon request." Spread evenly, the yearly minimums come out to roughly 83 directed-experience hours and just under 3 supervision hours a month, arithmetic drawn from the yearly figures rather than a monthly figure the Board states.
The rule counts directed-experience hours; it does not split hours into a direct-client-contact category with its own minimum. For how the hours and the 60-month window work in practice, see Georgia LPC hour requirements.
Direction and Supervision Are Different Roles
Georgia's rule separates two roles that an APC's contract affidavit tracks on separate lines. Direction is "the ongoing administrative overseeing by an employer or superior of a Professional Counselor's work in the practice of professional counseling," and a director is "the person who provides direction and who is either the employer of the person who receives direction or is the supervisor in the administrative chain of command" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)2,3).
Supervision is "the direct clinical review, for the purpose of training or teaching, by a supervisor of a Professional Counselor's interaction with their client(s)" and "may be provided pro bono or for a fee" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)4).
The work setting has to be acceptable to the Board. Acceptable settings "may include, but is not limited to, education, rehabilitation, career development, mental health, community, or industrial organizations. Practice without direction is not a work setting acceptable to the Board" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)9). The APC Contract Affidavit rules out independent private practice as a work setting for directed experience under supervision. Sites need "a signed contractual agreement that outlines the job description, office hours, performance review procedures and dismissal policies," and the Board reviews non-compensated arrangements on a case-by-case basis (Rule 135-5-.02(a)6).
Every supervision session, whatever the setting, falls under the records rule covered below.
Eligible Supervisors and the ACS/CPCS Rule
An APC's supervisor must be "a licensed Professional Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist," with post-licensure experience of three years for a supervisor holding a master's degree, two years for a specialist, or one year for a doctoral-level supervisor (Rule 135-5-.02(a)5, (a)5(i)-(iii)). The Board "in its discretion may approve a supervisor whose experience is substantially similar" to those thresholds (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(5)(v)).
A supervisor who is a Licensed Professional Counselor carries one more requirement. For supervision entered into after September 30, 2018, that LPC supervisor must hold "either a National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Approved Clinical Supervisor credential or a Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCAGA) Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor credential" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(5)(iv)). The Board's 2018 FAQ narrows that scope: the credential requirement "does not apply to other eligible licensure types," and applies to a dual-licensed supervisor only when one of their licenses is an LPC license.
Technology-delivered supervision has a rule of its own. TeleMental Health Supervision is "the delivery of supervision via technology-assisted media by a supervisor at one site while the supervisee is located at a distant site," and the supervisor needs 9 hours of continuing education first, including 3 hours in "Supervising TeleMental Health Therapy," plus "verbal and written consent from the supervisee" (Rule 135-11-.01(a)7, (b)2(i),(iv)). On whether APC supervision must be face-to-face, the Board's FAQ says the question is "currently under consideration of possible revision by the board."
For more on who may supervise and how supervision is delivered, see Georgia LPC supervision requirements.
Individual and Group Supervision
The rule defines exactly two supervision formats. Individual Supervision means "one supervisor meeting with a maximum of two supervisees," and Group Supervision means a supervisor meeting with "a maximum of six supervisees" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(4)(i),(ii)). The rule sets no LPC-track minimum split between the two formats, so applicants should not assume one.
The APC Contract Affidavit asks the supervisor to circle the type of supervision being provided from three options: "Individual Paired Group." The rule defines only Individual and Group; it does not define "Paired" supervision.
Location does not change either format: "Supervision does not require the supervisor to be present at the work site with the supervisee" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)4).
What the Records Rule Requires
The same records rule runs across every Georgia track: "Both supervisors and supervisees are required to maintain a contemporaneous record of the date, duration, type (individual, paired, or group), and a brief summary of the pertinent activity for each supervision session to be submitted to the Board upon request. If there are any discrepancies in hours, contemporaneous documentation of supervision will be requested" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)4). The record sits with both people in the supervision relationship, and the Board can ask for it at any time.
The Five-Year APC Limit
An APC practices "only for a period not to exceed five years while obtaining the post-master's experience" (Rule 135-5-.01(c)2). The Board's FAQ measures the five years from the date of initial issuance. Inside those five years, the APC license still renews on the same biennial schedule as every other Georgia license, every September 30 of even numbered years (Rule 135-6-.03(1)).
A lapsed APC license carries extra limits. According to the Board's LPC How-To Guide, an Associate PC license "may only be reinstated once and will only be valid for the remaining five-year period from initial licensure as outlined in the Board's law," and "Associate PC licenses cannot be placed in inactive status."
The five-year limit applies to the APC and AMFT licenses only. The LMSW, on the social work track, is a full license with no comparable cap.
Forms A, C and E
The LPC How-To Guide checklist runs on three forms specific to this track, alongside the contract affidavit filed at the APC stage. Form A, the Practicum-Internship Verification, documents the 600-hour practicum from the degree program. Form C, the Post-Master's Directed Experience Verification Form, prints as the "Post-Master's Directed Work Experience Verification Form"; the Director "MUST Complete Part II in its entirety and return it to the Applicant," recording the official job title, agency, start and end date, and a "Total # of Hours" field. The form is explicit that "the dates must be noted" and that "'Present' or 'Current' is not acceptable in lieu of an actual date."
Form E, the Post-Master's Supervision Verification Form, prints as the "Post-Master's Clinical Supervision Verification Form." The applicant must "Complete a separate form for each Supervisor listed in your application," and the supervisor returns it to the applicant or submits it directly to the Board office. Form E has one "Total Number of Hours" field with From and To dates; it has no individual and group split of its own, so the contemporaneous record described above is what backs up the total if the Board asks.
At the APC stage, the Directed Experience Under Supervision Contract itself is filed one at a time: "You must complete a SEPARATE CONTRACT AFFIDAVIT for EACH directed experience site and supervisor." Any change to that contract has to be reported within a short window: "The applicant is responsible for notifying the Board of any changes in the contract, by submitting a new contract within fourteen (14) days of the change" (Rule 135-5-.01(b)2). Board Policy IV, from 2013, ties the license itself to that approval: "The applicant will NOT receive a license until the Contract Affidavit is received and approved by the Board, even if the exam has been passed."
The verification forms for every Georgia track are collected in Georgia supervised experience verification forms and Georgia LPC application.
Renewal and CE
"All licenses shall expire on September 30th of even numbered years," the LPC included (Rule 135-6-.03(1)), and continued practice after the late renewal period "shall constitute unlawful practice" (Rule 135-6-.03(5)). Renewal of every license, the APC included, requires "Thirty-five (35) hours of continuing education… within the two (2) year biennial licensure cycle," with at least 5 hours in ethics obtained through synchronous activities (Rule 135-9-.01(2)(a),(b)). A license first issued on or after October 1 of an odd-numbered year owes no CE for its first renewal (Rule 135-9-.01(2)(a)1). Application and renewal fees are $100 each, per the Board's fee schedule.
For the full CE breakdown, deadlines and what changes once the APC becomes an LPC, see Georgia license renewal and CE requirements.
Common Mistakes on the Georgia LPC Track
Planning around the old years-by-degree matrix
The Board's rule text at 135-5-.02(b) through (f) still prints a four-year, three-year, two-year and one-year schedule by degree type. The statute controls: two years for every APC applying under current law (O.C.G.A. 43-10A-11(a)(2)(B); Board Policy VIII).
Treating the director and the supervisor as the same requirement
Direction is administrative oversight by an employer or superior; supervision is clinical review by a supervisor. The contract affidavit tracks them as separate roles (Rule 135-5-.02(a)2,3,4).
Building hours in independent private practice
The APC Contract Affidavit rules out independent private practice as an acceptable work setting for directed experience under supervision.
Missing the 14-day window to report a contract change
A new site, a new supervisor, or any other change to the registered contract has to reach the Board within 14 days (Rule 135-5-.01(b)2).
Assuming any LPC supervisor qualifies without the ACS or CPCS credential
For supervision entered into after September 30, 2018, a supervisor who is an LPC must hold an NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor or LPCAGA Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor credential. The requirement does not extend to other licensure types unless the supervisor is dual-licensed with an LPC (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(5)(iv); 2018 Board FAQ).
Losing track of the 60-month window
Directed experience and supervision both have to fall within the 60 months before the date of application, not the 60 months since the degree (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7)(vi), (8)(vi)).
Assuming the exam clears every stage
The competency exam is required to become an APC. A current APC does not retake it for the LPC, but the two years of directed experience and supervision still have to be complete and documented on Forms A, C and E (Rule 135-3-.03(2)(b)2).
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More on Georgia licensure
Georgia's social work path runs on its own hours and no associate tier, covered in LMSW in Georgia and Georgia LCSW requirements, with its own supervision rules at Georgia LCSW supervision requirements. Marriage and family therapy candidates should see Georgia LMFT requirements, since that track's direct-clinical-hours figure differs from the LPC track's directed-experience figure. The full path across all three Georgia tracks starts at how to become a therapist in Georgia.
Related Georgia LPC Guides
Associate Professional Counselor in Georgia
The APC license itself: the contract, the exam, and the five-year term.
Georgia LPC Hour Requirements
What counts as a year of directed experience, the 35 supervision hours, and the 60-month window.
Georgia LPC Supervision Requirements
Who may supervise an APC, the ACS or CPCS credential, and individual and group supervision.
Georgia LPC Application
What GOALS and Forms A, C and E ask for at the LPC application stage.
Georgia Supervised Experience Verification Forms
The Board's experience and supervision verification forms for each track and what each one asks for.
How to Become a Therapist in Georgia
The full picture across Georgia's counseling, social work and marriage and family therapy tracks.
FAQ: Georgia LPC Requirements
What are the Georgia LPC requirements?▾
A master's or higher in clinical counseling or counseling psychology of at least 60 semester hours, with a 600-hour practicum (O.C.G.A. 43-10A-11(a)(1)(A); Rule 135-5-.01(b)1). That degree qualifies an applicant for the Associate Professional Counselor (APC) license, which requires a registered contract and a passing score on the Board's prescribed competency exam (Rule 135-5-.01(b)2,3). The APC then completes two years of post-degree experience under direction and supervision before applying for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license (O.C.G.A. 43-10A-11(a)(2)(B)).
How many hours do you need for LPC in Georgia?▾
Georgia's statute sets the requirement as two years of post-degree directed experience under supervision, not a stated hour total (O.C.G.A. 43-10A-11(a)(2)(B)). The Board's rule defines one year as a minimum of 1,000 hours of directed experience acquired in not less than 12 months, with at least 35 supervision hours in that same 12-month period (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7)(v), (8)(v)). Two years at that pace works out to at least 2,000 experience hours and 70 supervision hours, though no Georgia source states those totals directly.
What is a year of directed experience in Georgia?▾
The rule's own definition: "a minimum of 1000 hours of directed experience acquired in not less than a twelve (12) month period" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7)(v)). The matching year of supervision is "a minimum of thirty five (35) hours of supervision obtained during one twelve (12) month period of Directed Experience" (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(8)(v)). All directed experience and supervision must fall within the 60 months before the date of application (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7)(vi), (8)(vi)).
Who can supervise an APC in Georgia?▾
A licensed Professional Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist, with post-licensure experience of three years for a master's-degree supervisor, two for a specialist, or one for a doctoral supervisor (Rule 135-5-.02(a)5, (a)5(i)-(iii)). For supervision entered into after September 30, 2018, a supervisor who is an LPC must also hold an NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor credential or an LPCAGA Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor credential (Rule 135-5-.02(a)(5)(iv)).
How long can you hold an APC license in Georgia?▾
An APC may practice under direction and supervision for a period not to exceed five years while completing the post-master's experience (Rule 135-5-.01(c)2; O.C.G.A. 43-10A-11(c)), which the Board's FAQ counts from the date of initial issuance. Inside that five years the license still renews every September 30 of even years. A lapsed APC license may be reinstated only once, according to the Board's LPC How-To Guide, and associate licenses cannot be placed in inactive status.
What is the difference between direction and supervision in Georgia?▾
Direction is "the ongoing administrative overseeing by an employer or superior of a Professional Counselor's work in the practice of professional counseling," provided by a director, who is the employer or the person in the administrative chain of command (Rule 135-5-.02(a)2,3). Supervision is "the direct clinical review, for the purpose of training or teaching, by a supervisor of a Professional Counselor's interaction with their client(s)" and may be paid or pro bono (Rule 135-5-.02(a)4).
How do you become an LPC in Georgia?▾
Complete the master's degree and 600-hour practicum, register a Directed Experience Under Supervision Contract, pass the Board's prescribed competency exam and hold the APC license (Rule 135-5-.01(b)1-3). Complete two years of post-degree directed experience and supervision, each year at least 1,000 experience hours and 35 supervision hours within 60 months of applying (O.C.G.A. 43-10A-11(a)(2)(B); Rule 135-5-.02(a)(7),(8)). Then apply for the LPC with Forms A, C and E documenting the practicum, experience and supervision.
Requirements verified against Chapter 135 of the Board's rules (current through rules filed September 2, 2026) and O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 10A, current as of September 24, 2026. Statutes, rules and fees can change. Confirm current requirements at the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.