Kansas School Counselor Certification
Kansas school counselor certification comes from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), not the counseling board. You’ll need a graduate counseling program, a 3.25 GPA, a passing Praxis School Counselor (5422) score, and a fingerprint check. You start on a two-year Initial license and upgrade to the five-year Professional license after a supervised year.
Kansas Links
If you’re working toward a school counselor license in Kansas, KSDE is your agency. The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board issues LPC and LCPC licenses, which are separate credentials for clinical counseling. Kansas counselor licensing for schools runs through three tiers, and the one you start on depends on where you are in your program. For the full career path, see how to become a Kansas school counselor.
KSDE also publishes the Kansas Curricular Standards for School Counseling, which shape what your program and your future school will expect from you.
Skip down the page to the section you need:
Kansas School Counselor License Tiers
KSDE issues school counselors a School Specialist license at three levels. Most people coming straight out of a graduate program start at Initial.
| License | Who It’s For | Valid For | How You Get It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provisional | Candidates hired as a school counselor before finishing their program | 2 years | Complete at least half of your program coursework, submit a deficiency plan from your university, have a district verify your counseling assignment, and work under a licensed school counselor. Candidates without a teaching license also need to complete part of their field experience first. |
| Initial | New program graduates | 2 years | Finish an approved graduate school counseling program with a 3.25 GPA, pass the Praxis 5422, and clear a fingerprint check. |
| Professional | Counselors who’ve finished their supervised first year | 5 years | Licensed teachers complete a State Board-approved one-year mentoring program on the Initial license and apply with Form 21. Direct Entry counselors complete their internship year and apply with Form 19. |
Two program pathways shape how you reach each tier.
The Traditional Pathway is for licensed teachers. Your teaching license covers KSDE’s school experience requirement, so your program focuses on counseling coursework and fieldwork.
The Parallel Pathway is for candidates without a teaching license. Some Kansas universities now call it Direct Entry, so you may see either name on program pages. KSDE requires additional field experience in schools on this route: two courses or 70 hours spread over two semesters. After you graduate, you complete an internship year on the Initial license before moving to Professional.
Here’s how the Provisional license can work in practice. Marcus teaches eighth-grade science in a central Kansas district and enrolls in a school counseling program on the Traditional Pathway. Halfway through his coursework, his district opens a counseling position. His university writes a deficiency plan listing the courses he still needs, the district confirms a licensed counselor will supervise him, and he applies for a Provisional license. Once he graduates and passes the 5422, he moves to the Initial license, then completes a one-year mentoring program to reach Professional.
The Provisional license isn’t limited to teachers. A Direct Entry candidate can qualify too, after finishing at least one three-credit field-experience course or 35 of the 70 required hours, with on-site supervision from the university during the first semester.
Initial Kansas School Counselor Certification
Most applicants start here. The Initial School Specialist License is valid for two years; here are the steps to get it.
Step 1: Education Requirements
Complete an approved graduate school counseling program and keep at least a 3.25 GPA in your program coursework. Most candidates earn a master’s degree, though KSDE requires a graduate-level school specialist program, and some programs award an Ed.S. instead.
KSDE also asks for recent experience or coursework: at least one year of recent accredited work experience or at least eight semester hours of recent college coursework. Check with your university’s licensure officer about how your coursework is documented for this.
Before you enroll, confirm the program is approved for Kansas school counselor licensure. That matters most for online and out-of-state programs, where approval for Kansas isn’t automatic. If you’re comparing options, see our guide to school counseling master’s programs.
Step 2: Submit to a Criminal Background Check
Every first-time Kansas license applicant submits fingerprints for a state and federal background check. KSDE’s processing fee is $57, and the agency that takes your prints may charge an additional fee.
How you pay depends on how you submit your prints. If a Kansas law enforcement agency takes them on LiveScan and sends them digitally to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, you pay the $57 in KLAS after the prints are submitted. If your prints go on a paper FD-258 card instead, KSDE mails the card along with a $57 check or money order, kept separate from your license application fee. KSDE’s fingerprint page has the full instructions and the waiver form you’ll need.
Step 3: Examination Requirements
Kansas currently lists Praxis School Counselor (5422) with a qualifying score of 156. Applicants with an older Praxis score should confirm whether KSDE will accept it. The 5422 replaced the earlier 5421 exam in 2023. Each state sets its own qualifying score, so check the ETS Kansas test requirements page before you register.
Step 4: Know the Fees
KSDE raised every license application processing fee by $20 on October 1, 2026.
Initial license application: $80
Fingerprint background check: $57, plus any fee the fingerprinting agency charges
Fees are non-refundable, so confirm you’re filing the right application. KSDE posts current requirements on its license information and application page.
Step 5: Organize Your Application Materials
Your application is submitted online and includes:
- A completed Initial School Specialist license application in the Kansas Licensure Application System (KLAS)
- Verification from your university that you completed an approved school counseling program
- Proof of recent accredited experience or eight semester hours of recent coursework
- Your Praxis 5422 score
- Your fingerprint submission and $57 background check fee
- The $80 application fee
Step 6: Submit Your Application
Register for a KLAS account, log in, and open the Initial School Specialist license application. If you’re finishing a Kansas program, your university’s licensure officer verifies your program completion before the application goes to KSDE.
Processing times vary by season and how complete your file is, so submit everything at once. Once your license is issued, you can look it up and print it through KSDE’s Educator License Lookup.
For questions about your application, contact KSDE Teacher Licensure at [email protected] or 785-296-2288.
Upgrading to the Professional License
How you upgrade depends on your pathway. If you entered as a licensed teacher, complete a one-year mentoring program approved by the Kansas State Board of Education while holding your Initial license and working as a school counselor, then apply with Form 21. If you entered through Direct Entry, complete your internship year on the Initial license, then apply to upgrade with Form 19. Both lead to the five-year Professional license.
Kansas School Counselor Certification Renewal
The Initial license is valid for two years, and the Professional license is valid for five. Complete renewal applications online through KLAS.
If you hold an advanced degree, you can renew your Professional license in one of these ways during your current license term:
- Earn 120 professional development points under an approved Individual Development Plan filed with your local Professional Development Council
- Document three years of recent accredited experience. Kansas allows this option for only two renewals, so plan on using professional development points at some point in your career.
- Complete eight credit hours in an approved program, or finish an approved program
The Professional license renewal fee is $90 after the October 2026 fee increase. Check KSDE’s renewal requirements before you apply, and keep documentation of your points, coursework, or experience.
If you have questions about renewing, contact KSDE Teacher Licensure at 785-296-2288.
Kansas School Counselor Certification Through Reciprocity
Kansas changed its out-of-state licensing rules in 2026. In June 2026, the Kansas State Board of Education approved streamlined requirements for out-of-state school specialist applicants: a graduate degree, an unencumbered out-of-state license, an application and fee, and a background check and fee.
Because the rules changed recently, check KSDE’s out-of-state application requirements before you apply, and contact Teacher Licensure if anything on the application doesn’t match what you expected. Apply online through KLAS, and plan for the $90 out-of-state application fee and the $57 fingerprint fee.
Experienced counselors may be able to skip the Initial level. KSDE’s school counselor pathways guide says out-of-state applicants with three years of recent school counselor experience and a professional-level license in their home state may come in at the Professional level. Ask KSDE to confirm this applies to you before you file.
For questions, contact KSDE Teacher Licensure at [email protected] or 785-296-2288.
School Counselor License vs. LPC/LCPC in Kansas
If you searched for an LCPC, you’ve found a different Kansas license. In Kansas, the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) issues the LPC and LCPC for clinical counseling in agencies and private practice. KSDE issues the school counselor license for work in Kansas pre-K through 12 schools. The two are issued separately, and holding one doesn’t give you the other.
Some Kansas counselors hold both, and a few Kansas universities offer bridge coursework in either direction, from school counseling toward the LPC or from clinical mental health counseling toward the school license. If you think you’ll want both options someday, ask programs early which coursework counts toward each, since adding it later usually means going back for more credits.
Kansas School Counseling Certification Resources
For continuing education and career development, see:
- Kansas State Department of Education School Counselor Resources
- Kansas School Counselor Association
- American School Counselor Association
- National Board for Certified Counselors
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a teaching license to become a certified school counselor in Kansas?
No. Kansas offers a Traditional Pathway for licensed teachers and a Parallel Pathway, which some universities now call Direct Entry, for candidates without a teaching license. You complete the same graduate program, but KSDE requires additional field experience in schools if you don’t have a teaching license: two courses or 70 hours over two semesters.
What exam do I need to pass for Kansas school counselor certification?
Kansas currently lists Praxis School Counselor (5422) with a qualifying score of 156. Applicants with an older Praxis score should confirm whether KSDE will accept it. Each state sets qualifying scores, so check the ETS Kansas requirements page before you register.
Can I work as a school counselor in Kansas before I finish my degree?
Possibly. Once you’ve completed at least half of your program coursework and a district hires you into a counseling position, you can apply for a two-year Provisional license. You’ll need a deficiency plan from your university and a licensed school counselor to supervise you. Without a teaching license, you also need at least one three-credit field-experience course or 35 of the 70 required hours, plus on-site university supervision in your first semester.
How do I renew my Kansas school counselor license?
The Professional license is valid for five years and renewed online through KLAS. With an advanced degree, you can renew with 120 professional development points under an approved Individual Development Plan, or with three years of recent accredited experience. The experience option can be used for only two renewals. The renewal fee is $90.
Can I transfer my school counselor license from another state to Kansas?
Yes. In June 2026, Kansas approved streamlined out-of-state requirements for school specialists: a graduate degree, an unencumbered out-of-state license, an application and fee, and a background check and fee. Experienced counselors may qualify for the Professional license directly. Confirm current requirements with KSDE before you apply.
- Three license tiers: Provisional (two years) covers candidates hired partway through their program, Initial (two years) is the standard starting point, and Professional (five years) follows a supervised first year.
- Two program pathways: Licensed teachers take the Traditional Pathway. Everyone else takes the Parallel Pathway, also called Direct Entry, which adds 70 hours of field experience in schools.
- Kansas uses the Praxis 5422: The state’s qualifying score is 156. If you have an older Praxis score, confirm whether KSDE will accept it.
- Budget for fees upfront: Plan for an $80 Initial application and a $57 background check, plus any fingerprinting agency fee. Out-of-state applicants pay $90.
- Not the same as an LPC: In Kansas, KSDE licenses school counselors and BSRB licenses clinical counselors.
Still choosing a program? Choose a KSDE-approved program for school counselor licensure, so your degree, Praxis score, and initial license line up without extra coursework.
