Alabama School Counselor Certification

The state of Alabama, as with the rest of the country, requires school counselors to hold and maintain a state-issued certification.

Select your certification pathway:

• Initial School Counseling Certification
• Certification Renewal
• Reciprocity for School Counseling Certification

Why is school counseling certification in Alabama a requirement?

School counselors guide children throughout much of their childhood and help them successfully navigate the K-12 school system until graduation. They help ensure that students have what they need to pursue further education or a career beyond graduation. Their services also include helping students with mental health and social needs.

Certification ensures that school counselors have the right blend of training and knowledge to serve students to the best of their ability.

The job duties of school counselors can vary widely and include everything from career and college guidance to individual and group counseling.

Initial Alabama School Counselor Certification

There are a few avenues you may go down in order to meet the requirements for initial school counseling certification in Alabama. The following is the most popular option.

Initial Certification with an Accredited School Counseling Program:

Step 1: Begin your school counseling program

Complete a CACREP-accredited master’s degree in school counseling that meets the requirements for Alabama school counseling certification. The following are a few online programs offering CACREP-accredited school counseling programs.

School counseling master’s degree programs will provide you with access to practicum opportunities and prepare you to take the appropriate Praxis exams.

Step 2: Background check

You must complete a criminal background check through the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (ASBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Learn how to complete this process through the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) Identity Management (AIM) portal.

Step 3: Official Transcripts

Make sure that your official transcripts from both your bachelor’s degree and your master’s degree programs have been sent to the Alabama Certification Section in a sealed envelope directly from the institution or submitted securely through electronic transmission.

Step 4: Examinations

Successfully complete examination requirements. These requirements are typically coordinated with the help of your master’s degree program in school counseling. The examinations to be completed are the following:

• National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE)
• Pass the Praxis examinations for school counseling licensure. This requires some examinations that all educators must successfully pass and one specific instructional support personnel examination for Professional School Counselors. More information about Praxis examinations required for Alabama educators can be found here.

Step 5: Application Checklist

Organize your school counseling certification application materials. They will include the following:

• $30.00 nonrefundable application fee. Fee must be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order made payable to the Alabama State Department of Education or through the Alabama State Department of Education Educator Certification Online payment system using a credit card (an additional $4.00 transaction fee is applied). The online payment system can be found here.
• Verification that your background clearance based on a fingerprint review was completed successfully.
• Official transcripts of all degrees and credit earned should be sent directly from educational institutions.

  Organize your school counseling certification application materials. They will include the following:

Additional options are available for initial certification with the following scenarios:

1. You currently hold a valid Alabama Professional Educator or Professional Leadership Certificate. In this situation, you may be able to acquire an Interim Employment Certificate (IEC) while you complete a school counseling certification program. To learn more about school counseling programs, try contacting one of these institutions offering online school counseling master’s programs:
2. You currently hold a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification for school counselors. With the NBPTS certification, you may be eligible for initial school counseling certification in Alabama.

Alabama School Counselor Certification Renewal

It is your responsibility to pay close attention to the expiration date of your certificate and renew it on time. It’s also important to know that certificates are not continued prior to the calendar year of their expiration.

Requirements for certification renewal will be in the following form:

• Allowable coursework credit
• Allowable clock hours of professional development
• Professional educational work experience

Learn more about maintaining your certification here.

School Counselor Certification Reciprocity in Alabama

If you hold a valid professional educator certificate issued by any other state, the District of Columbia, a United States Territory, or the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), you are eligible for Alabama school counseling certification through Certificate Reciprocity. Learn more about certification through reciprocity here.

1.) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job market and salary figures for Educational, Guidance and Career Counselors and Advisors represents state data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2025.

2.) School Counselor projections data retrieved from Projections Central, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Data accessed May 2025.

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