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Substance Abuse Counselor – Licensure requirements by state

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Academic and professional requirements to become a licensed Substance Abuse Counselor vary from state to state. This directory is intended to serve as a tool for future counselors who want to learn about the substance use disorder treatment licensing and certification in their state, and it includes information about Single State Agencies (SSA), governmental, and non-governmental agencies.

State State abbreviation Agency Link
Alabama AL AL Dept. of Mental Health, Substance Abuse Services Division https://mh.alabama.gov/division-of-mental-health-substance-abuse-services/certification
Alaska AK Alaska Commission for Behavioral Health Certification
 https://akcertification.org/
Arizona AZ Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/ProfessionalCounselors/ApplicationsForms.aspx
Arkansas AR Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners https://www.azbbhe.us
California CA Board of Behavioral Sciences https://www.bbs.ca.gov
Colorado CO Center for Credentialing & Education, State Board of Addiction Counselor Examiners https://dpo.colorado.gov
Connecticut CT Connecticut Certification Board https://www.ctcertboard.org
Delaware DE Delaware Certification Board https://www.decertboard.org/certifications
District of Columbia DC District of Columbia Department of Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (HRLA) https://dchealth.dc.gov/service/addiction-counselors-licensing
Florida FL Florida Credential Board https://flcertificationboard.org
Georgia GA Alcohol and Drug Abuse Certification Board of Georgia https://adacbga.org/certifications
Hawaii HI Department of Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division https://health.hawaii.gov/substance-abuse/home/counselor-certification
Idaho ID Idaho Board of Alcohol/Drug Counselor Certification https://www.ibadcc.org/certification
Illinois IL Illinois Certification Board https://www.iaodapca.org
Indiana IN Behavioral Health & Human Services Licensing Board https://www.in.gov/pla/social.htm
Iowa IA Iowa Board of Certification https://iowabc.org/credentials
Kansas KS Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board https://ksbsrb.ks.gov/professions/addiction-counselors
Kentucky KY Kentucky Board Of Alcohol And Drug Counselors https://adc.ky.gov
Louisiana LA Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority https://www.la-adra.org
Maine ME Board of Alcohol & Drug Counselors https://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing
Maryland MD Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists https://health.maryland.gov/bopc/Pages/index.aspx
Massachusetts MA Bureau of Substance Addiction Services https://www.mass.gov/orgs/bureau-of-substance-addiction-services
Michigan MI Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals https://www.mcbap.com/
Minnesota MN Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy https://mn.gov/boards/behavioral-health
Mississippi MS Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors https://www.lpc.ms.gov/secure/index.asp
Missouri MO Missouri Credentialing Board https://missouricb.com
Montana MT Board of Behavioral Health http://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/bbh
Nebraska NE Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services http://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Licensing-Home-Page.aspx
Nevada NV Nevada State Board of Examiners for Alcohol, Drug, and Gambling Counselors http://alcohol.nv.gov
New Hampshire NH New Hampshire Board of Licensing for Alcohol and Other Drug Use Professionals https://www.oplc.nh.gov/board-licensing-alcohol-and-other-drug-use-professionals
New Jersey NJ State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners https://certbd.org
New Mexico NM Counseling and Therapy Practice http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Counseling_and_Therapy_Practice.aspx
New York NY National Board for Certified Counselors, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services https://oasas.ny.gov/providers/professional-credentialing
North Carolina NC North Carolina Substance Abuse counselor Professional Practice Board https://www.ncsappb.org/credentialing
North Dakota ND North Dakota Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners http://www.ndbace.org
Ohio OH Chemical Dependency Professionals Board (CDPB) https://ocdp.ohio.gov/
Oklahoma OK Oklahoma Drug and Alcohol Professional Counselor Association https://www.odapca.org
Oregon OR Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists https://www.oregon.gov/oblpct/Pages/index.aspx
Pennsylvania PA Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing
Rhode Island RI Rhode Island Certification Board https://www.ricertboard.org
South Carolina SC South Carolina Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, Board of Examiners for Licensure of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Addiction Counselors and Psycho-Educational Specialists https://www.llr.sc.gov/cou
South Dakota SD Board of Addiction and Prevention Professionals https://dss.sd.gov/licensingboards/bapp/bapp.aspx
Tennessee TN Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marital and Family Therapists and Licensed Pastoral Therapists, Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/pcmft-board.html
Texas TX Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals https://www.tcbap.org
Utah UT Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing https://dopl.utah.gov
Vermont VT Vermont Alcohol and Drug Certification Board https://sos.vermont.gov/alcohol-drug-abuse-counselors
Virginia VA Virginia Board of Counseling https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/counseling
Washington WA Washington Department of Health, Board of Professional Counseling https://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/SubstanceUseDisorderProfessional
West Virginia WV West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction & Prevention Professionals https://www.wvcbapp.org
Wisconsin WI Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/BoardsCouncils/MPSW/Default.aspx
Wyoming WY Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board https://mentalhealth.wyo.gov
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