Interstate Licensure Portability: Logistics and Barriers for Professional Counselors

Counseling licensure portability is in a state of crisis. The collaborative 20/20 initiative made headway in establishing the profession’s objectives toward consistent licensure standards across states; however, inconsistencies and significant barriers persist. The authors conducted a qualitative content analysis to understand the logistics associated with interstate portability of counseling licenses in the Rocky Mountain Region of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming). Results describe participants’ experiences in fulfilling licensure requirements and the barriers encountered because of discrepancies in practice standards. Recommendations for counselors, supervisors, and state licensing boards are described.