Continuing education / Requirements / Ohio
Ohio continuing education requirements for counselors
Ohio LPC and LPCC license holders need 30 continuing education hours every two years, including 3 hours of ethics. Counselors with an S supervision endorsement must also include 3 hours of supervision within those 30 hours. Your renewal deadline follows your individual license, rather than a single statewide calendar date.
You may earn all required hours through qualifying distance learning. A change effective July 1, 2026, ended the practice of carrying excess CE hours from the previous renewal period into the current period. Plan to complete the full requirement during the current license period and document it in CE Broker.
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What the board requires
Mandated topics
All LPC and LPCC renewals require 3 ethics hours within the 30-hour total.
Related course: Ethics and Professional Boundaries. 3 hours, self-paced and asynchronous (home study, not a live webinar). Not yet CE-approved for this license: until an approval is confirmed, it counts as professional development only.
LPCs and LPCCs holding the S supervision endorsement must include 3 hours of supervision within the 30-hour total. This is separate from initial qualification for the endorsement.
Related course: Supervisor Ethics and Effective Supervision. 6 hours, self-paced and asynchronous (home study, not a live webinar). Not yet CE-approved for this license: until an approval is confirmed, it counts as professional development only.
Format and self-study limits
Where our courses fit. Every Psychology.com course is self-paced and asynchronous: you read and listen on your own schedule and finish with an online exam. Where your board separates home study, self-study, distance or non-interactive CE from live or synchronous CE, our courses fall in the first group. They never count as live, interactive or in-person training.
All 30 hours may be earned through approved distance learning, including eligible home-study courses. There is no separate in-person minimum. Home-study providers must verify learner identity and include post-tests with at least 5 questions per credit hour.
Generally, the same program cannot be counted twice in one two-year renewal period. The rule permits an exception for eligible programs required annually by national accreditation, state certification or evidence-based practice models. General personal growth, general business skills, CPR and first aid are not accepted CE subjects.
Which providers count
The current Rule 4757-9-05 expressly accepts qualifying programs sponsored or offered by, or providers approved by, ASWB, NBCC, NASW national, NASW Ohio, ACA, Ohio Counseling Association, AAMFT and the other organizations it lists. Programs meeting the CE rules are accepted across the board's license types under the August 18, 2025, rules; older profession-only approval descriptions should not be used.
Board-approved providers, qualifying counseling, social work and MFT academic departments, listed Ohio agencies, and qualifying out-of-state licensing board approvals provide other routes. APA alone is not expressly listed as an automatic association approval in Rule 4757-9-05(H); verify another accepted approval before relying on an APA-only certificate. Unapproved online or in-state programs cannot be rescued through individual post-program approval. Limited exceptions exist for specified activities, including qualifying in-person out-of-state training.
Reporting and audits
Record CE in CE Broker, using the provider's upload or your completion certificate as appropriate, and verify that the required subject hours are recorded. Complete the separate license renewal in eLicense Ohio after meeting CE requirements. Keep certificates showing the course, date, hours, sponsor and approval information, and document academic coursework with transcripts. Uploading CE alone does not renew the license.
First renewal
The ordinary initial LPC or LPCC license lasts two years, and the current rules do not provide a general first-renewal CE exemption. Complete 30 hours, including 3 ethics hours, during that first period unless the board grants an applicable waiver. Temporary licenses and trainee registrations follow separate provisions.
Common questions
How many CE hours do Ohio counselors need?
LPC and LPCC license holders need 30 hours every two years, including 3 ethics hours. Counselor S endorsement holders also need 3 supervision hours within the total.
Can I complete all my Ohio CE online?
Yes. All required hours can be completed through qualifying distance learning. Choose accepted providers and check that the certificate identifies ethics or supervision credit when you need it.
Does Ohio require suicide prevention or cultural competence hours for renewal?
The standard renewal rule does not assign a separate fixed-hour suicide prevention, cultural competence or implicit bias mandate to these licenses. Ethics is required for everyone, and supervision CE is required for S endorsement holders. Relevant approved training in other topics can count toward the general total.
Can I carry unused CE hours into my next renewal?
No. Effective July 1, 2026, Ohio ended CE banking. Do not rely on the former allowance of up to 12 excess hours from the prior renewal period.
Does submitting hours to CE Broker renew my license?
No. CE Broker documents your education. You must also complete renewal through eLicense Ohio before your individual license expires.
Are first-time license renewals exempt from CE?
There is no general exemption for the first renewal of these regular licenses. The initial license normally lasts two years, and CE must be earned during that period.
Editorial standard. Requirement guides cite official board sources only, carry a last-verified date, and are reviewed on a schedule. Corrections: reply to any email from us or use the site contact page.
Not legal advice. This guide summarizes board rules for convenience. Your board's current published rules control.
Crisis resources. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) in the US.