The Degree: 48 Semester Hours and 13 Core Areas
Every path to the LCPC starts with a qualifying master's or doctoral degree in counseling, rehabilitation counseling, psychology, or a similar field, from a program with at least 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours and one course in each of 13 core content areas (68 IAC 1375.45(a)(5)). Starting July 1, 2026, that floor rises: applicants for licensure must graduate from a program with a minimum of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours (1375.45(a)(7)). A degree from a CACREP- or CORE-accredited program is approved outright, without a course-by-course review (1375.45(c)).
The degree carries its own practicum requirement, separate from anything counted toward the LCPC: 700 clock hours of practicum and internship, at least 280 of them direct client contact (Appendix A(j)). Those hours satisfy your program, not the LCPC. Nothing earned before your degree is complete counts toward the 3,360 supervised hours in Step 3.
The LPC: Illinois's Supervised-Practice License
With the degree in hand, most counselors apply for the Licensed Professional Counselor Illinois license, the LPC, before starting their clinical hours. The application costs $150 and runs through IDFPR's CORE portal, with a paper alternative for those who prefer it. The file needs the ED-PC form from your graduate institution and an official score report for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) from the National Board for Certified Counselors, or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination (CRCE) from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (68 IAC 1375.60). The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) is not accepted toward the LPC (178 Qualifications for Licensure sheet).
Unlike the LCPC, the LPC requires no post-degree supervised experience at all (178 sheet). IDFPR asks applicants to allow six weeks from mailing before checking on status, and an application is active for three years from the date IDFPR receives it (LPC and LCPC Qualifications for Licensure sheets); the statute gives applicants 3 years from the date of application to complete the process before it is denied (225 ILCS 107/70). Since January 1, 2026, applicants do not have to wait out that window before working: practice pending licensure lets a person "temporarily practice under supervision pending issuance of a license" once IDFPR acknowledges receipt of the application, proven with a copy of the application status screen (225 ILCS 107/47, P.A. 104-178). Full mechanics of the license itself, scope of practice, and protected titles live at the Illinois LPC license.
The Supervised Experience: 3,360 Hours Across Two Years
One year of supervised clinical professional counseling experience is 1,680 clock hours, obtained in not less than 48 weeks. Two years, the standard master's-level requirement, is 3,360 hours total (68 IAC 1375.130(a),(d)). At least half of each year's hours, 840 of every 1,680, must be direct face-to-face service to clients, which includes synchronous audio-visual telehealth, so 1,680 of the full 3,360 must be direct (1375.130(d)).
Supervision runs on a weekly rate, not a running total: your supervisor has to meet with you face-to-face at least one hour every week (1375.130(e)(1)). IDFPR's own qualifications sheet restates this as "an average of at least 4 hours per month," but the rule's weekly minimum is what controls; a five-week month at one hour a week is five hours, not four. Supervision can be individual or group, and when it is group, no more than five supervisees may be in it at once (1375.130(f)).
Five license types can supervise LCPC hours: an Illinois LCPC, an LCSW, a licensed clinical psychologist, an LMFT, or a licensed psychiatrist (1375.130(c)). Your supervisor can be assigned at your workplace, or you can hire one yourself; Illinois explicitly allows a paid, hired supervisor (1375.130(h)). What is not allowed is working as an independent contractor or holding an ownership stake in the practice while you gather hours (1375.130(l)).
Illinois does not state that you need the LPC before your LCPC hours start counting. The rule counts experience from the date your degree is complete, and the Act exempts post-degree candidates from licensure so long as they are "not engaged in the independent private practice of clinical professional counseling" and remain under a supervisor's order, control, and full professional responsibility (225 ILCS 107/15(b-5)). Two narrower provisions do presume the LPC: volunteer hours count only "when the volunteer holds a licensed professional counselor license" (1375.130(k)), and the rule on self-employment is written for "a licensed professional counselor who is obtaining the required supervised clinical professional experience" (1375.130(l)).
Full mechanics, including out-of-state supervision and what does not count as supervision, are in Illinois LCPC requirements and Illinois LCPC supervision requirements.
The VE-LCPC verification form itself says "not less than 52 weeks." The rule, amended in 2024, says 48. The rule controls; plan your own timeline on 48 weeks per year, not the older number printed on the form.
The NCMHCE (or the CRCE Alone)
The LCPC exam requirement is different from the LPC's. You need both National Board for Certified Counselors exams, the NCE and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE), or the CRCE by itself (68 IAC 1375.150). If you passed only one of the NCE or NCMHCE for your LPC, you still have to sit for whichever one you are missing (180 Qualifications for Licensure sheet). IDFPR grants exam approval "upon submission of the IL LCPC licensure application," so you are not waiting on your hours to finish before you are cleared to sit for the NCMHCE (180 sheet).
Filing the LCPC Application
The LCPC application costs $150 (68 IAC 1375.205). Proof of education is simple if you already hold an active Illinois LPC: that license satisfies the education requirement on its own (1375.145(b)). Otherwise you resubmit the same education documents you filed for the LPC.
Each of your supervisors completes a Verification of Employment/Experience form, the VE-LCPC, and returns it to you directly in a sealed envelope, one form per site, per supervisor, and per experience. You file these along with official score reports from NBCC for the NCE and NCMHCE, or from CRCC for the CRCE.
After Licensure: Renewal, CE, and Becoming a Supervisor
The LCPC renews every two years, on March 31 of odd-numbered years, for $120 (68 IAC 1375.200(a), 1375.205). Your first renewal is CE-free; after that, each 24-month period requires 30 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics (1375.220(a)).
One requirement is a one-time event, not a recurring one: "Upon the second renewal of a clinical professional counselor license, 9 of the required 30 CE hours shall be in clinical supervision training. This is a one-time (lifetime) requirement." (1375.220(a)(3)). Complete it and you become eligible to supervise LCPC candidates yourself, one of the five license types listed in Step 3.
How Long 3,360 Hours Actually Takes
The 48-week floor only binds at a fast pace; at a slower one, the hour count itself takes longer than the floor requires. The arithmetic below is ours, not IDFPR's: the rule states the 1,680-hour year and the 48-week minimum, not a total timeline.
| Weekly Pace | Weeks per 1,680-Hour Year | Weeks for Both Years |
|---|---|---|
| 40 hours a week | 48 weeks (48-week floor binds) | 96 weeks |
| 30 hours a week | 56 weeks (pace binds) | 112 weeks |
| 20 hours a week | 84 weeks (pace binds) | 168 weeks |
At 40 countable hours a week, 1,680 hours arrives in 42 weeks, so the 48-week floor is what actually sets your pace, not the hour count. At 30 or 20 hours a week, the hours themselves take longer than 48 weeks, so the floor never becomes the binding constraint.
What the LCPC Path Costs
| Item | Fee | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| LPC application | $150 | 1375.205 |
| LCPC application | $150 | 1375.205 |
| LCPC renewal (per 2-year period) | $120 | 1375.205 |
Exam fees for the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE are paid directly to the testing organization and are not set in Illinois rule, so they are not included above.
Common Mistakes on the Illinois LCPC Path
Assuming the NCMHCE counts toward the LPC
It does not. The LPC exam is the NCE or the CRCE only; the NCMHCE is not accepted toward the LPC (178 sheet).
Treating the LPC as a hard prerequisite for LCPC hours
Illinois does not state it as one, though volunteer hours specifically require an LPC license (1375.130(k)).
Planning around the VE-LCPC form's printed 52 weeks
The rule, amended in 2024, says 48 weeks per year. The rule controls over the older number on the form.
Quoting 4 hours a month as the supervision rule
That is IDFPR's summary of a weekly rule. The rule itself is one hour of face-to-face supervision every week (1375.130(e)(1)).
Working as an independent contractor while gathering hours
Both independent-contractor status and ownership in the practice are barred while an LPC is earning LCPC hours (1375.130(l)).
Losing track of which hours belong to which supervisor
The LCPC application needs a separate VE-LCPC for each site, each supervisor, and each experience, not one combined total.
Track Your Hours From Day One
A supervised-experience total like this one is easiest to reconstruct while it is still current, not two years from now. HourJourney logs your hours as you go:
- ✓Log every week's hours once, by supervisor and by site
- ✓Running totals by category, so the direct-service share is always visible
- ✓A per-supervisor record you can hand to whoever signs your verification form
- ✓Export history so nothing is reconstructed from memory
Built for pre-licensed clinicians.
Related Illinois Counselor Guides
Illinois LCPC Hours Requirements
The 3,360-hour breakdown: direct minimums, weekly duration, and what never counts.
Illinois LCPC Supervision Requirements
Supervisor eligibility, group caps, and what does not qualify as supervision.
LPC vs LCPC in Illinois
How the two licenses differ in scope of practice and requirements.
The Illinois LPC License
Title protection, application file, and what the LPC does and does not allow.
Illinois LCSW Requirements
The parallel social work path: LSW to LCSW hours and supervision.
Illinois ALMFT to LMFT Hours Requirements
The parallel marriage and family therapy path.
All Illinois Guides
Every Illinois licensure guide in one place.
FAQ: Becoming an LCPC in Illinois
How do I become a counselor in Illinois?▾
In Illinois, the independent-practice license for talk therapy is the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The path runs through a qualifying master's or doctoral degree, the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license, 3,360 hours of supervised experience across two years, the NCE and NCMHCE exams (or the CRCE alone), and the LCPC application (225 ILCS 107; 68 IAC 1375). Social workers and marriage and family therapists follow separate licenses instead.
How many hours do I need to become an LCPC in Illinois?▾
3,360 clock hours total: two years of supervised clinical professional counseling experience, each year 1,680 hours obtained in not less than 48 weeks (68 IAC 1375.130(d)). At least half of each year, 840 of the 1,680, has to be direct face-to-face service to clients, so 1,680 of the full 3,360 must be direct. Supervision is set as a weekly rate rather than a total: one hour of face-to-face supervision every week (1375.130(e)(1)).
How long does it take to become an LCPC in Illinois?▾
It depends on your weekly pace against the 48-week-per-year floor. At 40 countable hours a week, the floor binds and both years take at least 96 weeks. At 30 hours a week, reaching 1,680 hours takes about 56 weeks a year, or roughly 112 weeks total. At 20 hours a week it runs about 84 weeks a year, or 168 weeks total. That is arithmetic on top of the rule, not a stated deadline; add the degree and both applications on top of it.
Do I need an LPC before my LCPC hours start counting in Illinois?▾
Not stated as a requirement. The rule counts experience from the date your degree is complete, and the Act exempts post-degree candidates from licensure so long as they are not in independent private practice and remain under a qualified supervisor's control (225 ILCS 107/15(b-5)). Two narrower provisions do presume the LPC: volunteer hours only count when the volunteer holds an LPC license (1375.130(k)), and the self-employment rule is written for an LPC obtaining the experience (1375.130(l)).
What exams do I need for a Licensed Professional Counselor Illinois license?▾
For the LPC, pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE) from the National Board for Certified Counselors, or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination (CRCE); the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) is not accepted toward the LPC (68 IAC 1375.60; 178 qualifications sheet). For the LCPC, you need both the NCE and the NCMHCE, or the CRCE alone (1375.150). IDFPR grants exam approval automatically when you submit the LCPC application, so approval does not wait on your hours being finished.
How much does it cost to get your LPC in Illinois?▾
The LPC application is $150, and the LCPC application after it is another $150 (68 IAC 1375.205). LCPC renewal runs $120 per two-year period after that (1375.205). Exam fees for the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE are paid directly to the testing organization and are not set in Illinois rule, so they are separate from these totals.
Can my employer supervise my LCPC hours in Illinois?▾
Yes. A qualified supervisor may be provided at your workplace or hired or contracted by you to provide clinical supervision (68 IAC 1375.130(h)). Five license types are eligible: LCPC, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), licensed clinical psychologist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), or licensed psychiatrist (1375.130(c)). What is barred is the reverse arrangement: you may not work as an independent contractor or hold an ownership stake in the practice while gathering hours (1375.130(l)).
What is the difference between an LPC and an LCPC in Illinois?▾
The LPC is Illinois's supervised-practice license: an LPC may not practice independently and must work under the order, control, and professional responsibility of an LCPC, LCSW, licensed clinical psychologist, or psychiatrist. The LCPC is the independent-practice license, authorizing private practice in clinical professional counseling (225 ILCS 107/10). The LPC requires no post-degree supervised experience to obtain; the LCPC requires the full 3,360 hours described above.
More on the Illinois counselor track
Once you know the overall path, the next questions are usually LPC vs LCPC in Illinois, the Illinois LPC license, Illinois LCPC requirements, and Illinois LCPC supervision requirements.
Requirements verified against 68 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1375 (last amended effective June 5, 2025), 225 ILCS 107, and the IDFPR Professional Counselor page. Statutes and rules can change. Confirm current requirements at the Part 1375 rule text before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.