If your Arizona license still says LISAC, LASAC, or LSAT, you're holding a credential with a name that no longer officially exists. Arizona overhauled the titles — and the scope — of its addiction-counseling licenses through SB1062, and every licensed addiction counselor in the state should understand what actually changed.
Here's the plain-English breakdown.
What SB1062 did
SB1062 was signed into law on April 23, 2024 (Chapter 169) and took effect September 14, 2024. It made two meaningful changes:
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It renamed the licenses. The "substance abuse" titles became "addiction counseling" titles:
- LSAT → LACT (Licensed Addiction [Counselor] Technician)
- LASAC → LAAC (Licensed Associate Addiction Counselor)
- LISAC → LIAC (Licensed Independent Addiction Counselor)
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It expanded the scope of practice. The old licenses were built around substance abuse. The new titles reflect a broader reality: addiction isn't only about substances. SB1062 redefined the scope to cover "all forms of addiction that are a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance."
That second change is the one that actually affects your clinical work.
Why the name change matters (and why it's more than cosmetic)
Renaming a license might sound like paperwork, but the shift from "substance abuse counselor" to "addiction counselor" signals something real: Arizona is formally recognizing behavioral (process) addictions as within the addiction-counseling scope.
That means the license now more clearly encompasses conditions like gambling disorder and other compulsive behavioral patterns — not just alcohol and drugs. For counselors, that's an expansion of what you're recognized to treat under your license.
What "expanded scope" means for your caseload
Here's the important nuance: the statute doesn't hand you an exhaustive checklist of every behavioral addiction you're now cleared to treat. It describes a category — persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance.
That places the responsibility where it belongs: on your clinical competence. Just because your license scope now encompasses process addictions doesn't mean you're automatically competent to treat all of them. Practicing within your scope and practicing within your competence are two different professional obligations. If you're going to treat gambling disorder or another behavioral addiction, that's a signal to:
- Pursue targeted continuing education in that specific area
- Seek supervision or consultation when you're outside your experience
- Document your competency-building the same way you would for any specialized population
The license permits it. Your ethics require you to be ready for it.
What you need to do about it
For most licensees, the transition is straightforward:
- Re-designation happens at renewal. You don't need to panic or reapply mid-cycle. Existing licensees move to the new titles as they renew.
- Your exam requirements didn't change. SB1062 renamed and rescoped the licenses; it did not add a new testing requirement. The board still accepts the same approved exams (IC&RC, NAADAC, or NBCC, depending on level).
- Update your professional materials. Your business cards, email signature, directory listings, and superbills should reflect the new title. Payers, referral sources, and clients increasingly expect the current terminology.
The bigger picture
SB1062 reflects a broader modernization of how the field — and Arizona specifically — understands addiction. The Arizona Association of Addiction Professionals advocated for the change, and it aligns Arizona's licensing language with a clinical consensus that addiction is a pattern of compulsive dependence, whether the object is a substance or a behavior.
For counselors, the message is encouraging: your work is being recognized as broader and more clinically sophisticated than the old "substance abuse" framing allowed. The trade-off is the professional responsibility that comes with an expanded scope — the obligation to keep your competence as broad as your license now is.
The takeaway
SB1062 didn't just swap letters on a license. It renamed Arizona's addiction-counseling credentials (LSAT/LASAC/LISAC → LACT/LAAC/LIAC), broadened their scope to include behavioral addictions, and did so without changing your exam requirements. If you're still using the old titles, update them — and if you're going to practice at the edges of your newly expanded scope, make sure your competence keeps pace with your credential.
Renewing soon?
Your re-designation to the new title happens at renewal, but the details of scope and continuing-education requirements are worth confirming directly. Review the current statute and AZBBHE guidance before you rely on any specific requirement.
This article is educational and not legal advice. SB1062's provisions are summarized here for general understanding; verify current requirements with AZBBHE at bbhe.az.gov and consult the enacted text of SB1062 and A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 33.
