Virginia School Counselor Certification
To work as a school counselor in Virginia, you need a Pupil Personnel Services License with a school counselor endorsement from the Virginia Department of Education. That takes a master’s degree with 200 practicum and internship hours, two years of full-time school experience (often earned on a Provisional License), and required trainings. There’s no licensure exam.
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Virginia licenses school counselors through the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), not the Board of Counseling, and the credential is called the Pupil Personnel Services License. There’s no exam to pass, and most master’s programs in school counseling are built to cover the coursework and fieldwork. The piece that catches many applicants off guard is the two-year experience requirement, and many new graduates meet it on the job.
Virginia sets a floor for school counselor staffing
Virginia’s Standards of Quality require school divisions to staff at least one full-time school counselor for every 325 students in grades K-12 (Code of Virginia § 22.1-253.13:2). That single ratio took effect in the 2021-2022 school year, replacing separate ratios for elementary, middle, and high school. A separate law (§ 22.1-291.1:1) requires counselors to spend at least 80 percent of their time during normal school hours on direct counseling, which includes individual and small-group counseling, crisis counseling, classroom lessons, and advisement. The rest can go to program planning and school support. For you, that means a job built around time with students.
Initial Virginia School Counselor Certification
Most candidates apply for their PPS License as they finish a master’s program, and many start working under a Provisional License while they complete the experience requirement. Here’s how each piece fits together.
Step One: Education Requirements
Virginia’s regulation for the school counselor preK-12 endorsement (8VAC20-23-670) gives you two ways to meet the education requirement.
Option One: Earn a master’s degree from an accredited institution in a state-approved school counselor preparation program. The most direct route is a master’s in school counseling, though some programs offer a school counseling concentration within a broader counseling degree. Online programs are available. The university’s accreditation alone isn’t enough. The preparation program itself has to be state-approved. If your program is out of state or online, confirm with the program and VDOE that it meets Virginia’s endorsement requirements before you enroll.
Option Two: If you already hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution in another field, you can complete an approved school counselor preparation program that includes the same 200 hours of practicum and internship. This path makes sense if you already have a graduate degree and don’t want to start a second master’s from scratch.
Both options carry the same experience requirement, covered in Step Three.
If you already hold a clinical license, Virginia law gives school divisions another option. To meet their counselor staffing requirements, divisions may hire a licensed professional counselor, clinical social worker, psychologist, or other licensed counseling professional with appropriate experience and training under a provisional license issued by VDOE. That license runs three school years, with a possible two-year extension if the division superintendent approves, and you have to make progress toward full school counselor licensure during that time. A clinical license on its own doesn’t authorize you to work as a school counselor.
Note: If you completed your school counseling education outside the United States, you’ll typically need a credential evaluation from an approved evaluation service showing equivalency to a U.S. master’s degree, including a full accounting of credit hours and coursework. Check with the VDOE Office of Licensure for current requirements.
Step Two: Fieldwork Requirements
Virginia requires at least 100 clock hours of practicum and internship experience in a preK-6 setting and at least 100 clock hours in a grades 7-12 setting, for a total of 200 hours. That split is specific to Virginia. Other states set their own totals. State-approved programs build these hours into their practicum and internship sequence, so you usually won’t have to arrange them on your own.
Step Three: Two Years of School Experience
This is the requirement older guides often leave out or describe as optional. It isn’t. Both endorsement options require two years of successful, full-time teaching experience or two years of successful, full-time school counseling experience in a public or accredited nonpublic school.
You don’t necessarily need to have taught first. Under the regulation, two years of successful, full-time school counseling under a nonrenewable Provisional License may be accepted to meet the requirement. Provisional Licenses are valid for up to three years.
Here’s how that can play out. Aaliyah finishes her school counseling master’s in May and gets hired by a school division over the summer. She’s never taught, so she works as a counselor on a Provisional License. After two years of full-time counseling, her division verifies the experience on a Report on Experience form, and she applies to move to the full 10-year PPS License. If you’re unsure how your background fits, contact the VDOE Office of Licensure at 804-786-2302.
Step Four: Mandatory Training Requirements
Virginia requires five trainings for school counselors, both before your initial license and again at each renewal. Keep your completion certificates, because you’ll submit proof with your application.
Child Abuse Recognition and Intervention: Required for every applicant. VDOE’s child abuse training page lists approved options.
Emergency First Aid, CPR, and AED: The training has to follow current national emergency cardiovascular care guidelines, such as programs from the American Heart Association or American Red Cross, and it must include hands-on CPR practice. A waiver is available for applicants whose disability prevents them from completing it. See VDOE’s emergency training page for details.
Dyslexia Awareness: VDOE offers a free online module, which also counts for five professional development points.
Mental/Behavioral Health: Virginia requires school counselors to complete training in recognizing depression, trauma, violence, youth suicide, and substance abuse. If you graduated since January 2016 from a CACREP-accredited, state-approved school counseling program, your coursework covers this for initial licensure. You’ll still need the training at renewal. Other applicants can use VDOE’s school counselor webinar library, Mental Health First Aid training, or other approved options.
Cultural Competency: Virginia law has required cultural competency training for initial licensure and renewal since July 1, 2023. VDOE offers a free online module on its cultural competency training page.
Step Five: Preparing Your Application
VDOE processes applications through Virginia Licensure Online (VALO), which replaced the old eGOV portal at the end of 2024. You can still mail a paper application, but VDOE says you’ll need to register for a VALO account either way. Check the VDOE licensure page for the current application form and instructions. Here’s what to include.
- A completed, signed application. VDOE requires applicants to hold a Social Security number issued by the U.S. Social Security Administration.
- The application fee: currently $100 for in-state applicants and $150 for out-of-state applicants (subject to change). You can pay online through VALO, or by personal check, money order, certified check, or cashier’s check payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.
- A College Verification Form, completed by the licensure officer at each institution where you finished a program. Part III of this form verifies your practicum and internship hours.
- A Report on Experience, completed by your school division, if you’re documenting teaching or school counseling experience.
- Official transcripts from every college and university you attended. Follow the transcript instructions in VALO or the application packet. VDOE has accepted sealed official transcripts and electronic transcripts sent directly by your school through services such as Parchment or the National Student Clearinghouse.
- A copy of any out-of-state license, if applicable.
- Proof of completion for all five required trainings.
Note: The application includes background questions you answer yourself, covering criminal convictions, founded child abuse findings, and past license actions. There’s no fingerprinting step in the VDOE application itself, but Virginia school divisions typically run their own background checks before hiring.
Step Six: Submitting Your Application
The fastest route is submitting through VALO. If you’re mailing a paper packet, gather everything into one envelope and send it to:
Virginia Department of EducationOffice of Licensure and School Leadership
PO Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218
Virginia School Counselor Certification Renewal
Your PPS License is valid for 10 years. To renew, you’ll need 270 professional development points during that cycle, earned through options such as college coursework, conferences, mentoring, and professional development activities.
You’ll also need to complete all five required trainings again: child abuse recognition, emergency first aid/CPR/AED, dyslexia awareness, mental/behavioral health, and cultural competency. The renewal fee is currently $50. If you work for a Virginia school division, your division recommends renewal and typically handles the paperwork. If you don’t, you renew directly with VDOE through VALO.
Virginia School Counselor Certification Through Reciprocity
If you hold a school counselor license from another state, you can apply to VDOE for a Virginia license, but it isn’t an automatic transfer. Virginia’s reciprocity regulation is written mainly around teaching licenses, so expect VDOE to review your credentials against Virginia’s school counselor preK-12 endorsement requirements. Submit one complete packet with your out-of-state license and official transcripts, and use VDOE’s licensure reciprocity page and state comparison tool to see how your credential lines up.
Military spouses have a clearer path. If your spouse is an active duty or reserve member of the U.S. Armed Forces or a member of the Virginia National Guard, and you hold a valid out-of-state license with full credentials and no deficiencies, you can apply for licensure by reciprocity without service requirements or licensing assessments. Include official transcripts and a copy of your spouse’s permanent assignment orders. VDOE must decide your eligibility within 15 business days of receiving a complete packet. Confirm the details with VDOE before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Virginia require an exam for school counselor certification?
No. Virginia’s licensure regulations exempt PPS License applicants from the professional assessments teachers take, so you won’t need the Praxis School Counselor test or a comparable exam. Some master’s programs require the Praxis for graduation, but that’s a program rule, not a state licensure requirement.
What is the Pupil Personnel Services License?
The PPS License is Virginia’s credential for school-based support staff: school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and vocational evaluators. School counselors hold it with a school counselor preK-12 endorsement. VDOE issues it. The Virginia Board of Counseling, which licenses LPCs and LMFTs, is a separate agency and doesn’t license school counselors.
Do I need teaching experience to get a school counselor license in Virginia?
Not necessarily. Virginia requires two years of successful, full-time teaching or two years of successful, full-time school counseling experience. Under the regulation, school counseling experience earned on a Provisional License, which is valid for up to three years, may be accepted toward the requirement. Contact VDOE if you’re unsure how your experience counts.
Can I transfer my school counselor license to Virginia?
Not automatically. You apply to VDOE with your out-of-state license and official transcripts, and VDOE reviews your credentials against Virginia’s school counselor endorsement requirements. Military spouses with a full out-of-state license get a faster review, with an eligibility decision due within 15 business days of a complete application.
What counts toward Virginia’s mental/behavioral health training requirement?
The training has to cover depression, trauma, violence, youth suicide, and substance abuse. Graduates of a CACREP-accredited, state-approved school counseling program since January 2016 have it covered for initial licensure through coursework. Everyone needs the training again at renewal, and VDOE’s webinar library and Mental Health First Aid are common ways to complete it.
- No state exam required: Virginia exempts PPS License applicants from the Praxis and other professional assessments.
- 200 fieldwork hours across two grade bands: At least 100 hours in preK-6 and 100 hours in grades 7-12, a Virginia-specific requirement built into state-approved programs.
- Two years of school experience: Teaching or school counseling experience is required, and counseling experience on a Provisional License may be accepted.
- Five required trainings: Child abuse recognition, CPR/AED, dyslexia awareness, mental/behavioral health, and cultural competency, each required at initial licensure and again at renewal.
- 10-year license, 270 points to renew: Apply and renew through VALO, VDOE’s online licensure system.
If you’re comparing master’s programs, start with the state where you plan to practice. Virginia’s PPS License is built around state-approved programs, so confirming a program meets Virginia’s endorsement requirements before you enroll can save you time later.
