Pennsylvania LPC continuing education requirements

A Pennsylvania LPC needs 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years to renew. This page is our summary of the continuing education rules for a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania, as we read them from the published rules of the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors on September 26, 2026.

Hours: 30
Renewal: Every 2 years
Last checked: September 26, 2026

A reference, not legal or licensing advice. Confirm is not affiliated with the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors and does not speak for it. We summarize the published rules as a convenience and they can change or be read differently, so this page may be incomplete or out of date. Your board has the final say: always confirm your requirements with your board before you renew. Use this page at your own risk. See the Terms.

Total hours

30 hours (after the first renewal)
0 hours (first renewal)Exempt for the biennial renewal following initial licensure (§49.40).

Hours that must be included

Ethical issues: 3 hours
Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 hours
Suicide risk assessment, treatment and management: 1 hourAct 74 of 2016.

Limits

Self-study / non-interactive hours (self-study): at most 20 hoursUp to 20 clock hours by home study.

If you hold two licenses from this board

The rules do not say whether a course can count toward more than one; Confirm counts it toward each and suggests you check with the board.

Approved providers

Courses must come from a provider the board approves or recognizes. Recognized: State board, NBCC, APA, NASW, AAMFT.

Source

49 Pa. Code §49.32 (hours, ethics, child abuse, home study) + §49.40 (first renewal), read on September 26, 2026.

Board: Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors.

This summary may be incomplete or out of date. The board’s own rules are the only authority; confirm your requirements with the board before you renew.