The North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors has provisions
for persons that are in the military or military spouses in accordance with
NC Gen Stat § 93B‐15.1. Although the military does not provide military
training or award a military occupational specialty license in professional
counseling, if an applicant is a member of the military or military spouse,
they may apply for licensure under the following requirements:
A member of the military who is seeking to become licensed as a
professional counselor in North Carolina shall meet the following
criteria:
(1)
Has been awarded a military occupational specialty and has done all of the
following at a level that is substantially equivalent to or exceeds the
requirements for licensure, certification, or registration of the
occupational licensing board from which the applicant is seeking licensure,
certification, or registration in this State: completed a military program
of training, completed testing or equivalent training and experience, and
performed in the occupational specialty.
(2)
Has engaged in the active practice of the occupation for which the person
is seeking a license, certification, or permit from the occupational
licensing board in this State for at least two of the five years preceding
the date of the application under this section.
(3)
Has not committed any act in any jurisdiction that would have constituted
grounds for refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license to practice
that occupation in this State at the time the act was committed and has no
pending complaints.
(4)
Repealed by Session Laws 2017-28, s. 3, effective July 1, 2017, and
applicable to applications submitted on or after that date.
No later than 30 days following receipt of an application, an occupational
licensing board shall notify an applicant when the applicant's military
training or experience does not satisfy the requirements for licensure,
certification, or registration and shall specify the criteria or
requirements that the board determined that the applicant failed to meet
and the basis for that determination.
An occupational licensing board, as defined in
G.S. 93B-1
, shall issue a license, certification, or registration to a
military-trained applicant to allow the applicant to lawfully practice the
applicant's occupation in this State if the military-trained applicant,
upon application to the occupational licensing board:
(1)
Presents official, notarized documentation, such as a U.S. Department of
Defense Form 214 (DD-214), or similar substantiation, attesting to the
applicant's military occupational specialty certification and experience in
an occupational field within the board's purview; and
(2)
Passes a proficiency examination offered by the board to military-trained
applicants in lieu of satisfying the conditions set forth in subsection (a)
of this section; however, if an applicant fails the proficiency
examination, then the applicant may be required by the board to satisfy
those conditions.
In any case where a proficiency examination is not offered routinely by an
occupational licensing board, the board shall design a fair proficiency
examination for military-trained applicants to obtain licensure,
certification, or registration under this section. If a proficiency
examination is offered routinely by an oral licensing board, that
examination shall satisfy the requirements of this section.
A military spouse who is seeking to become licensed as a professional
counselor in North Carolina shall meet the following criteria:
(1)
Holds a current license, certification, or registration from another
jurisdiction, and that jurisdiction's requirements for licensure,
certification, or registration are substantially equivalent to or exceed
the requirements for licensure, certification, or registration of the
occupational licensing board for which the applicant is seeking licensure,
certification, or registration in this State.
(2)
Can demonstrate competency in the occupation through methods as determined
by the Board, such as having completed continuing education units or having
had recent experience for at least two of the five years preceding the date
of the application under this section.
(3)
Has not committed any act in any jurisdiction that would have constituted
grounds for refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license to practice
that occupation in this State at the time the act was committed.
(4)
Is in good standing; has not been disciplined by the agency that had
jurisdiction to issue the license, certification, or permit; and has no
pending complaints.
(5)
Repealed by Session Laws 2017-28, s. 3, effective July 1, 2017, and
applicable to applications submitted on or after that date.
All relevant experience of a military service member in the discharge of
official duties or, for a military spouse, all relevant experience,
including full-time and part-time experience, regardless of whether in a
paid or volunteer capacity, shall be credited in the calculation of years
of practice in an occupation as required under subsection (a) or (b) of
this section.
