{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-3-1281.03","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 3-1281.03","heading":"State participation in the Compact.","body":"(a)\nTo participate in the Compact, a state must currently:\n(1)\nLicense and regulate licensed professional counselors;\n(2)\nRequire licensees to pass a nationally recognized exam approved by the Commission;\n(3)\nRequire licensees to have a 60 semester-hour (or 90 quarter-hour) master's  degree in counseling or 60 semester-hours (or 90 quarter-hours) of graduate course work, including in the following topic areas:\n(A)\nProfessional counseling orientation and ethical practice;\n(B)\nSocial and cultural diversity;\n(C)\nHuman growth and development;\n(D)\nCareer development;\n(E)\nCounseling and helping relationships;\n(F)\nGroup counseling and group work;\n(G)\nDiagnosis and treatment, and assessment and testing;\n(H)\nResearch and program evaluation; or\n(I)\nOther areas as determined by the Commission.\n(4)\nRequire licensees to complete a supervised postgraduate professional experience as defined by the Commission; and\n(5)\nHave a mechanism in place for receiving and investigating complaints about licensees.\n\n(b)\nA member state shall:\n(1)\nParticipate fully in the Commission's data system, including using the Commission's unique identifier as defined in rules;\n(2)\nNotify the Commission, in compliance with the terms of the Compact and rules, of any adverse action or the availability of investigative information regarding a licensee;\n(3)\n(A)\nImplement or utilize procedures for considering the criminal history records of applicants for an initial privilege to practice, which shall include the submission of fingerprints or other biometric-based information by applicants for the purpose of obtaining an applicant's criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state's criminal records.\n(B)\nA member state shall fully implement a criminal background check requirement, within a time frame established by rule, by receiving the results of the Federal Bureau of Investigation record search and using the results in making licensure decisions.\n(C)\nCommunication between a member state, the Commission, and among member states regarding the verification of eligibility for licensure through the Compact shall not include any information received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation relating to a federal criminal records check performed by a member state under Public Law 92-544;\n(4)\nComply with the rules of the Commission;\n(5)\nRequire an applicant to obtain or retain a license in the home state and meet the home state's qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as all other applicable state laws;\n(6)\nGrant the privilege to practice to a licensee holding a valid unencumbered license in another member state in accordance with the terms of the Compact and rules; and\n(7)\nProvide for the attendance of the state's commissioner to the Counseling Compact Commission meetings.\n\n(c)\nMember states may charge a fee for granting the privilege to practice.\n\n(d)\nIndividuals not residing in a member state shall continue to be able to apply for a member state's single state license as provided under the laws of each member state; provided, that the single state license granted to these individuals shall not be recognized as granting a privilege to practice professional counseling in any other member state.\n\n(e)\nNothing in this Compact shall affect the requirements established by a member state for the issuance of a single state license.\n\n(f)\nA license issued to a licensed professional counselor by a home state to a resident in that state shall be recognized by each member state as authorizing a licensed professional counselor to practice professional counseling under a privilege to practice in each member state.","path":["Title 3. District of Columbia Boards and Commissions.","Chapter 12C. Counseling Compact Commission."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/3-1281.03","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"ecc9f3d3a5501d3cf51966332d32452a8d93ad9707089ed2da490b9f5a60b1e3","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-3-1281.02","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-3-1281.04"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}