1.3 Fees, License Renewal, and Continuing Education (CE) Rules

State Board Fee Schedule (OAC 86:10-1-4)

Maintaining an active Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) license in Oklahoma requires adherence to the State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure (BBHL) fee schedules, renewal timelines, and continuing education regulations. Failure to comply with these rules can result in late penalties, license lapsation, or administrative disciplinary action.

The BBHL establishes a clear schedule of fees under OAC 86:10-1-4 to fund its regulatory operations. These fees are non-refundable and must be paid through the Board's online licensing system. The primary fees associated with the LPC lifecycle are:

• Licensure Application Fee: One Hundred Forty-Five Dollars ($145.00), paid upon submission of the initial candidate application.
• Annual License Renewal Fee: Eighty Dollars ($80.00), due by the expiration date of the license.
• Late Renewal Fee: Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00), assessed if the renewal is filed after the license expiration date.
• Inactive Status Fee: Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) annually, which allows a licensee to place their license on inactive status and avoid accruing CE requirements or paying full renewal fees.
• Reinstatement Fee: If a license has been inactive or lapsed for more than one year, the reinstatement fee is typically equivalent to the renewal fee plus any late penalties, along with the submission of a new background check.

Annual License Renewal and Lapsation Timelines

The licensing year for LPCs in Oklahoma runs from July 1st to June 30th. Every license expires annually on June 30th. Licensees must submit their renewal application and pay the eighty-dollar renewal fee on or before this date. The renewal process must be completed online through the BBHL official portal. In addition to the fee, licensees must attest that they have completed the required continuing education hours during the preceding licensing year. The Board does not require licensees to submit copies of their CE certificates during renewal, but they must keep these records for at least two years in case of a random audit.

If a licensee fails to renew by June 30th, the license enters 'lapsed' status. Practicing clinical counseling with a lapsed license is a direct violation of the LPC Act and is treated as unlicensed practice, subject to misdemeanor charges and administrative fines. A licensee has a grace period of one year to renew a lapsed license by paying the renewal fee and the twenty-five-dollar late fee, and submitting proof of CE completion. If the license is not renewed within one year of lapsing, it is officially revoked, and the individual must reapply for licensure under the current rules, which may require taking the exams again and repeating supervised hours if the candidate status has also expired.

Continuing Education (CE) Requirements (OAC 86:10-11-3)

Continuing Education (CE) rules are designed to ensure that LPCs remain current with clinical practices, ethical standards, and legal requirements. Under OAC 86:10-11-3, every LPC must complete twenty (20) hours of counseling-related continuing education during each annual renewal period. The requirements for these hours are highly specific:

• Ethics CE: Minimum of three (3) hours of the annual twenty hours must be in counseling ethics. These ethics hours must cover topics such as client confidentiality, boundary issues, dual relationships, and legal responsibilities.
• Supervision CE: For LPCs who are Board-Approved Supervisors, there is an additional requirement to complete three (3) hours of continuing education in counseling supervision during each renewal cycle. These hours count toward the total twenty-hour requirement.
• Online and Distance Learning: In a major regulatory update enacted in August 2024, the BBHL removed the restriction on in-person CE hours. Previously, counselors were limited in the number of hours they could earn via home study or online courses. Under the current rules, all twenty (20) hours of continuing education, including the ethics and supervision hours, can be earned online, provided the courses are offered by Board-approved providers.
• Approved CE Providers: The Board maintains a list of pre-approved CE sponsors. These include national organizations like the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Psychological Association (APA), National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and their state affiliates (e.g., the Oklahoma Counseling Association). Programs sponsored by these organizations do not require individual Board approval.
• Non-Approved Providers: If a program is not offered by a pre-approved provider, the licensee or the provider must submit a Program Approval Application to the Board at least forty-five (45) days before the event, along with a fee and a copy of the program syllabus and presenter credentials, to verify that the content meets clinical standards.

The Board conducts random CE audits of approximately 10% of licensees each year. If audited, the counselor must submit official certificates of completion showing the title, date, number of hours, and provider approval number for each course claimed. Failure to provide verification of the required hours during an audit can result in the suspension of the license and administrative fines.