For years, an Arizona counselor who wanted to see a client across state lines faced a wall of paperwork: a separate license application in every state, separate fees, separate renewals. The Counseling Compact was built to knock that wall down — and as of late 2025, it's operational in Arizona.
If you're an Arizona LPC, this is one of the most consequential changes to your practice mobility in years. Here's what it actually means.
Arizona was first out of the gate
The Counseling Compact went live in Arizona and Minnesota on September 30, 2025 — making Arizona one of the very first two states where counselors could actually use it. Since then, more states have come online, including Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, and Indiana, with the roster continuing to grow.
Being an early state is a genuine advantage: Arizona LPCs were among the first counselors in the country able to obtain a privilege to practice in other member states.
What the "privilege to practice" is
The Compact doesn't give you a new license. It gives you a privilege to practice — think of it as a travel pass that rides on top of your existing Arizona license. Through the Compact's Compact Connect system, an Arizona LPC who qualifies can obtain the authority to practice in other live member states without applying for a full license in each one.
To use it, you generally need to:
- Hold an unencumbered Arizona LPC license (no active discipline or restrictions)
- Maintain Arizona as your home state of residence
- Obtain the privilege for each member state where you want to practice through Compact Connect
The privilege is especially powerful for telehealth. A counselor in Phoenix can, through the Compact, legally serve a client physically located in another live member state — something that previously required full licensure in that state.
The rule that trips people up: location of the client
Here's the concept every Compact counselor has to internalize: you must hold the license or privilege for the state where the client is physically located at the time of service — not where you are.
If your client travels, or lives in a member state you don't yet have a privilege for, you need that state's privilege before you provide services to them there. The Compact makes obtaining that privilege dramatically easier, but it doesn't erase the requirement. Always know where your client physically is when you meet.
The big limitation: it's LPCs only
This is the part that generates the most confusion, so let's be direct: the Counseling Compact covers Licensed Professional Counselors — and only LPCs.
It does not cover:
- Addiction counselors (LACT / LAAC / LIAC)
- Social workers (LBSW / LMSW / LCSW)
- Marriage and family therapists (LAMFT / LMFT)
If you're a licensed addiction counselor in Arizona, the Counseling Compact does not give you interstate privileges. Social workers have their own compact (enacted in Arizona but not yet issuing multistate licenses as of early 2026), and marriage and family therapists currently have no compact at all. So before you assume the Compact applies to you, confirm that your license type is actually an LPC.
Why this matters for Arizona's behavioral health landscape
Arizona has real access challenges — rural and tribal communities, workforce shortages, and rising demand for behavioral health services. Interstate practice authority helps in two directions: it lets Arizona LPCs extend services to underserved clients who move or travel, and it makes Arizona a more attractive place for counselors to base their telehealth practices. For a state fighting to expand behavioral health access, the Compact is a meaningful tool.
What to do next
- Confirm you're an LPC. The Compact is LPC-only; other license types don't qualify.
- Check that your Arizona license is unencumbered and that Arizona is your home state.
- Identify the member states where you actually want to practice, and confirm they're live.
- Apply for the privilege through Compact Connect for each of those states.
- Build "where is my client physically located?" into your intake and scheduling so you never provide services outside your authority.
The takeaway
The Counseling Compact went live in Arizona on September 30, 2025, putting Arizona LPCs at the front of the line for interstate practice privileges — a game-changer for telehealth and cross-border care. Just remember the two guardrails: you need the privilege for wherever your client is located, and the Compact is for LPCs only. Know which side of those lines you're on, and the Compact becomes one of the most useful tools in your professional kit.
Want to use your privilege?
The list of live member states changes frequently, and eligibility details are governed by Arizona statute (A.R.S. § 32-3306) and Compact rules. Verify the current live-state roster and your eligibility through the official Counseling Compact resources before you provide cross-state services.
This article is educational and not legal advice. Confirm current Compact participation and requirements at counselingcompact.gov and with AZBBHE at bbhe.az.gov.
