History Is Made: Louisiana Allows Counselors to Practice Across State Lines

Alexandria, Va. (April 20, 2026) — As part of the historic interstate Counseling Compact agreement, Louisiana is the latest state that can now start granting privileges to licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines. Currently, other states that can grant these privileges include Arizona, Minnesota, and Ohio, with additional states expected to begin granting privileges in coming months.

The compact is a legislative agreement that functions much like a driver’s license — participating states agree to recognize the license of all eligible counselors from other compact states, allowing them a privilege to practice in person or via telehealth. Previously, counselors had difficulty transferring their licenses to another state because of independent jurisdictional licensing rules and regulations. 

The Counseling Compact represents the biggest change in the counseling profession in 20 years and has the potential to increase access to the estimated 122 million people in the U.S. who live in areas with mental health provider shortages.

The American Counseling Association (ACA) — the world’s largest association exclusively representing an estimated 60,000 professional counselors — played a lead role in the creation of the compact, investing close to $2 million in the initiative.

To date, 38 states plus the District of Columbia have passed Counseling Compact legislation. They include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Washington, D.C. 

A state’s passage of the Counseling Compact legislation is merely the legal adoption of the agreement authorizing a state or jurisdiction to participate in the compact. Once a state passes the legislation, the next step is to grant privileges to counselors from other compact states to practice across state lines. 

To learn more, visit the  ACA website and watch a video interview with ACA’s Chief of Professional Practice Lynn Linde, EdD, who played a lead role in the creation of the compact. 

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 About the American Counseling Association
Founded in 1952, the American Counseling Association (ACA) is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. ACA represents more than 60,000 members and is the world’s largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings. Driven by the belief that all people can benefit from the power of counseling, ACA’s mission is to promote the professional development of counselors, advocate for counselors, and ensure that ethical, culturally inclusive practices protect our members’ clients and all people who seek counseling services. For more information, visit the ACA website and follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram , Threads , BlueSky and YouTube.