# Title 4.5 — Addiction Counseling Examiners, Board of

## Article 4.5-02.1 — Addiction Counseling Examiners Licensure

## Chapter 4.5-02.1-01 — Initial Licensure and Fees

### § 4.5-02.1-01-01. Definitions.

Repealed effective January 1, 2008.
### § 4.5-02.1-01-02. Licensure and registration application.

1. An application for a license to practice addiction counseling must be made to the state board
of addiction counseling examiners on forms approved by the board. Each application for
license must be accompanied by:
a. A completed application, signed by the applicant.
b. The required fee.
c. All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts verifying academic requirements and
any degree or degrees earned.
d. Proof of successful completion of clinical training.
e. Proof of successful completion of the appropriate examination submitted to the board
office by the entity that administered the examination.
2. An individual who is a licensed addiction counselor may apply for licensure as a licensed
clinical addiction counselor on or before January 1, 2024, by:
a. Submitting a completed application form approved by the board.
b. Demonstrating that on June 30, 2018, the applicant met all academic requirements for
licensure as an addiction counselor set forth in North Dakota Administrative Code
title 4.5.
c. Paying the required application fee.

3. An individual who is a licensed addiction counselor may apply for licensure as a licensed
master addiction counselor on or before January 1, 2024, by:
a. Submitting a completed application form approved by the board.
b. Demonstrating that on June 30, 2018, the applicant possessed either a master's degree
or doctorate degree that met the academic requirements for licensure as an addiction
counselor set forth in North Dakota Administrative Code title 4.5.
c. Paying the required application fee.
4. An application for registration of an individual as a clinical trainee must be submitted to the
board by the applicant's training consortium director, university program director, or agency
program director, using forms approved by the board, prior to the registrant's accumulation of
any clinical training hours. Each application for registration must be accompanied by
documentation indicating that the applicant:
a. Meets the academic requirements for registration as a clinical trainee or meets the
academic requirements for master's- or doctoral-level practicum or internship at the
applicant's university.
b. Has been accepted into a training consortium or other training program approved by the
board.
c. Has been assigned a trainee's training plan, which must:
(1) Identify the board-registered clinical supervisor responsible for overseeing the
trainee's clinical training.
(2) Include a copy of transcripts from each attended college or university.
(3) Include a transcript review on a form approved by the board.
An applicant may remain in clinical trainee status for up to twelve months. An applicant's
clinical training supervisor may request that the board grant up to a twelve month extension of
the applicant's clinical trainee status. During the time an individual is registered as a clinical
trainee, the individual is expected to achieve the academic, clinical training, and examination
requirements necessary for licensure.
5. An application for registration as an intern must be made to the board on forms approved by
the board. Each application for registration must be accompanied by documentation indicating
that the applicant either:
a. Possesses an addiction counseling license or certification in good standing from another
jurisdiction; is accepted into an academic program offering a bachelor's, master's, or
doctorate degree in addiction counseling or a closely related mental health field; and is
no more than nine semester credit hours short of obtaining the degree;
b. Possesses an addiction counseling license or certification in good standing from another
jurisdiction, meets the academic requirements for licensure, but has not earned all
clinical training hours required for licensure; or
c. Has completed all academic coursework and clinical training hours required for licensure,
but has not taken the required examination.
An applicant may remain in intern status for up to twelve months. The board may grant up to a
twelve month extension to internship status. Request for an extension of the internship period
with documentation of need by clinical supervisor is the responsibility of the intern.

History: Effective January 1, 2002; amended effective July 1, 2018; October 1, 2025.
General Authority: NDCC 43-45-04
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-45-04, 43-45-05.1
### § 4.5-02.1-01-03. Academic requirements.

Academic requirements related to the registration of clinical trainees and interns, and the licensing
of addiction counselors must be completed at a college or university accredited by one of six regional
institutional accreditors in the United States. The board may accept continuing education hours to
supplement the required content in academic requirements. The continuing education hours may not
replace an academic course.
1. Trainee. An individual meets the academic requirements for registration as a trainee if the
individual:
a. Has been accepted into or completed an academic program that meets the academic
requirements for licensure as an addiction counselor or a master addiction counselor;
and
b. If the individual has not completed the academic program, is no more than six credits
short of meeting all academic requirements for licensure as either an addiction counselor
or a master addiction counselor.
2. Licensed addiction counselor and licensed clinical addiction counselor. An individual meets the
academic requirements for licensure as an addiction counselor or as a licensed clinical
addiction counselor, if the individual possesses:
a. A bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree in addiction studies from a program
accredited by the national addiction studies accreditation committee, the international
coalition for addiction studies and education accreditation, or counsel for accreditation of
counseling and related educational programs for addiction counseling; or
b. A bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree in addiction studies or a closely related
mental health care field, including a minimum of twenty-seven credits meeting the
following content and credit requirements:
(1) A minimum of three credits in theories and techniques of counseling that must
include content in theories specific to addiction counseling, counseling techniques
specific to addiction counseling, and American society of addiction medicine criteria.
(2) A minimum of three credits in group counseling.
(3) A minimum of three credits in psychopharmacology that must include content in all
of the following areas:
(a) Drugs of abuse;
(b) Medication-assisted treatment for addictive disorders; and
(c) Medications used to treat mental health disorders.
(4) A minimum of three credits in dynamics of addiction or introduction to addiction
studies.
(5) A minimum of three credits in professional ethics that must include content specific
to addiction counseling, the national association for alcoholism and drug abuse
counselors code of ethics, and 42 CFR part 2.

(6) A minimum of three credits in family systems.
(7) A minimum of three credits in lifespan development.
(8) A minimum of three credits in multicultural diversity.
(9) A minimum of three credits in co-occurring disorders that must include content in the
assessment and diagnosis of substance abuse disorders and an overview of a
broad range of mental health disorders.
3. Licensed master addiction counselor. An individual meets the academic requirements for
licensure as a master addiction counselor if the individual possesses:
a. A master's or doctorate degree in addiction studies from a program accredited by the
national addiction studies accreditation committee, the international coalition for addiction
studies and education accreditation, or counsel for accreditation of counseling and
related educational programs for addiction counseling; or
b. A master's or doctorate degree in addiction counseling or a closely related mental health
care field, including a minimum of twenty-eight graduate-level credits meeting the
following content and credit requirements:
(1) A minimum of three credits in theories and techniques of counseling that must
include content in theories specific to addiction counseling, counseling techniques
specific to addiction counseling, and American society of addiction medicine criteria.
(2) A minimum of three credits in group counseling.
(3) A minimum of three credits in psychopharmacology that must include content in all
of the following areas: drugs of abuse, medication-assisted treatment for addictive
disorders, and medications used to treat mental health disorders.
(4) A minimum of three credits in research methods or program evaluation.
(5) A minimum of three credits in professional ethics that must include content specific
to addiction counseling, the national association for alcoholism and drug abuse
counselors code of ethics, and 42 CFR part 2.
(6) A minimum of three credits in family systems.
(7) A minimum of three credits in lifespan development.
(8) A minimum of three credits in multicultural diversity.
(9) A minimum of three credits in treatment of co-occurring disorders that must include
content in the assessment diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse disorders
and other mental health disorders.
(10) A minimum of one credit in clinical supervision.
4. Licensee of other North Dakota mental health boards.
a. An individual licensed in North Dakota as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or physician who
possesses a doctorate degree in that field of licensure meets the academic requirements
for licensure as a master in addiction counseling.
b. An individual licensed in North Dakota as a licensed associate marriage and family
therapist, licensed associate professional counselor, licensed professional counselor,

licensed master social worker, or advanced clinical practice nurse is eligible to apply for
licensure as a licensed addiction counselor if that individual also meets the academic
standards set forth by this board.
c. An individual who holds licensure in North Dakota as a licensed marriage and family
therapist, professional clinical counselor, licensed clinical social worker, or advanced
clinical practice nurse is eligible to apply for licensure as a licensed addiction counselor
or licensed master addiction counselor if the individual also meets the academic
standards set forth by this board.
d. A licensed addiction counselor designated as a registered clinical supervisor that
subsequently receives clinical licensure from a North Dakota mental health licensing
board is eligible to apply for licensure as a licensed master addiction counselor.
e. As set forth in North Dakota Century Code section 43-45-06, this rule may not be
construed as preventing an individual from doing work within the standards and ethics of
that individual's profession or within the scope of a license issued in this state.
History: Effective January 1, 2002; amended effective January 1, 2008; July 1, 2014; July 1, 2018;
October 1, 2025.
General Authority: NDCC 43-45-04
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-45-04, 43-45-05.1
### § 4.5-02.1-01-04. Clinical training requirements.

1. All clinical training hours must involve the clinical application of addiction counseling and be
completed at a training consortium, one or more sites approved by the board, through a
university placement or through an individualized training program approved by the board.
Clinical training hours must be supervised by a registered clinical supervisor who is either a
licensed clinical addiction counselor or a licensed master addiction counselor. Licensed
addiction counselors who are registered clinical supervisors may supervise clinical training
hours.
2. During clinical training a supervisee may not work independently with clients and the
supervisor shall provide direct observation of all addiction-specific work performed by the
supervisee with clients, until the supervisee obtains a score of three or higher in that particular
clinical training area as documented by the supervisor on a supervisee progress report. After
being rated three or higher in a clinical training area, a supervisor shall provide appropriate
indirect supervision to the supervisee on that clinical training area. The clinical supervisor and
supervisee shall sign all supervisee progress reports.
3. Clinical training areas include:
a. Clinical evaluation, which means screening and American society of addiction medicine
assessment;
b. Treatment planning;
c. Referral;
d. Service coordination;
e. Counseling;
f. Client, family, and community education;
g. Documentation; and

h. Professional and ethical responsibilities.
4. The training program director or clinical supervisor shall maintain supervisee progress reports
and retain them for at least twenty-four months. The board may carry out audits of supervisee
progress reports as it deems appropriate.
5. The training consortium's training program director or the clinical supervisor shall submit to the
board completion forms and final performance reviews for each supervisee. The final
performance review must demonstrate scores of three or higher in each of the clinical training
areas.
6. Clinical training requirements also include a minimum of the following:
a. Licensed addiction counselor. Nine hundred sixty clinical training hours in multiple levels
of therapeutic care earned at one or more training sites. Completion forms or final
performance reviews must include documentation of the provision of at least:
(1) Forty hours of direct, face-to-face supervision in each of the following clinical
training areas: screening and American society of addiction medicine assessment;
treatment planning; counseling; client, family, and community education; and referral
and service coordination.
(2) Thirty hours in the clinical training area of documentation, which must include the
supervisor reviewing and discussing clinical notes with the supervisee.
b. Licensed master addiction counselor.
(1) Seven hundred clinical training hours in multiple levels of therapeutic care earned at
one or more training sites. Completion forms or final performance reviews must
include documentation of the provision of at least:
(a) Thirty hours of direct, face-to-face supervision in each of the following clinical
training areas: screening and American society of addiction medicine
assessment; treatment planning; counseling; client, family, and community
education; and referral and service coordination.
(b) Twenty hours in the clinical training area of documentation, which must include
the supervisor reviewing and discussing clinical notes with the supervisee.
An individual who meets this clinical hours requirement, the academic requirements
for a licensed master addiction counselor, and the examination requirements for
either a licensed addiction counselor or a licensed master addiction counselor, upon
submission of a completed application to the board, may be granted licensure as a
licensed addiction counselor.
(2) Two thousand postclinical training hours earned after the individual has been
awarded an appropriate master's or doctorate degree. A minimum of fifty percent of
the supervised practice hours must be supervised by a board-approved supervisor
who is a licensed clinical addiction counselor, licensed master addiction counselor,
or a licensed addiction counselor who is a registered clinical supervisor. No more
than fifty percent of the clinical training hours may be supervised by other
professionals that the supervising addiction counselor deems competent in the area
of practice being supervised, and who are either registered as a clinical supervisor
by the board that licenses the other professional or determined by the board to be
competent to serve as the supervisor. Supervision of the clinical training hours must
consist of a minimum of one hour weekly supervision and may be provided by an
offsite supervisor.

c. Clinical trainee and intern.
(1) Clinical trainee. An individual accepted into a training consortium, one or more sites
approved by the board, or through a university placement approved by the board
meet the clinical training requirements for registration by the board as clinical
trainees.
(2) Intern.
(a) The supervision of an intern may be direct or indirect. At least one hour of
supervision must be direct supervision. At least fifty percent of the clinical
training hours for an intern must be supervised by a board-approved
supervisor who is a licensed clinical addiction counselor, a licensed master
addiction counselor, or a licensed addiction counselor who is a registered
clinical supervisor. No more than fifty percent of the clinical training hours for
an intern may be accumulated under other professionals who are designated
by the registered clinical supervisor, approved by the board, and competent in
the area of practice being supervised. The other professional must be
registered as a clinical supervisor by the board that licenses that other
supervisor.
(b) If, before being registered as an intern, an individual completed clinical training
hours at any location other than a board-approved location, all clinical training
hours earned after registration as an intern must be under direct supervision
until the intern scores three or higher in a clinical training area as documented
on the intern's monthly progress report. After being rated as a three or higher in
a particular clinical training area, the intern may receive indirect supervision
while performing tasks within that clinical training area. The intern's clinical
supervisor shall submit the intern's completion form and the final performance
review to the board.
d. Licensees of other North Dakota mental health boards.
(1) Individuals licensed in North Dakota as psychologists, psychiatrists, or physicians
who possess a doctorate degree in their field of licensure meet the clinical training
requirements for licensure as a licensed master addiction counselor by completing
three hundred fifty supervised addiction-specific clinical training hours.
(2) Individuals licensed in North Dakota as licensed associate marriage and family
therapists, licensed associate professional counselors, licensed professional
counselors, licensed master social workers, or advanced clinical practice nurses
meet the clinical training requirements for licensure as a licensed addiction
counselor by completing three hundred fifty supervised addiction-specific clinical
training hours.
(3) Individuals who hold licensure in North Dakota as licensed marriage and family
therapists, professional clinical counselors, licensed clinical social workers, or
advanced clinical practice nurses meet the clinical training requirements for
licensure as a licensed addiction counselor or licensed master addiction counselor
by completing three hundred fifty supervised addiction-specific clinical training
hours.
(4) The three hundred fifty hours may be supervised only by a board-approved
supervisor who is a licensed clinical addiction counselor, a licensed master
addiction counselor, or a licensed addiction counselor who is a registered clinical
supervisor. As set forth in North Dakota Century Code section 43-45-06, this rule

may not be construed as preventing an individual from doing work within the
standards and ethics of that individual's profession or within the scope of a license
issued in this state.
History: Effective January 1, 2002; amended effective April 1, 2009; July 1, 2014; July 1, 2018;
October 1, 2025.
General Authority: NDCC 43-45-04
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-45-01, 43-45-04, 43-45-05.1
### § 4.5-02.1-01-05. Examination.

An applicant must pass the appropriate written examination as approved by the board. A written
examination may be taken after the completion of the required academic coursework.
1. Licensed addiction counselor. An applicant must pass the national certified addiction
counselor level II examination or the master addiction counselor examination administered by
the national association for alcoholism and drug abuse counselors or other equivalent
examination as determined by the board.
2. Licensed master addiction counselor. An applicant must pass the master addiction counselor
examination administered by the national association for alcoholism and drug abuse
counselors or other equivalent examination as determined by the board.
3. Exemption. An individual licensed in North Dakota as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or physician
who possess a doctorate degree in that field of licensure is not required to complete an
examination to be eligible for licensure as a licensed addiction counselor or a licensed master
addiction counselor.
History: Effective January 1, 2002; amended effective April 1, 2009; July 1, 2014; July 1, 2018;
October 1, 2025.
General Authority: NDCC 43-45-04
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-45-04, 43-45-05.1
### § 4.5-02.1-01-06. Reciprocity.

Repealed effective January 1, 2008.
### § 4.5-02.1-01-06.1. Reciprocity.

Pursuant to subsection 3 of North Dakota Century Code section 43-45-05.1, an applicant for
reciprocity demonstrating the applicant possesses qualifications or experiences substantially similar to
the requirements under this chapter may apply for licensure. The board may grant reciprocity, on such
terms and conditions as it may determine necessary, to an applicant for licensure who is in good
standing as a licensed, approved, or certified addiction counselor, licensed clinical addiction counselor,
or licensed master addiction counselor under the laws of another jurisdiction that imposes at least
substantially the same requirements that are imposed under this chapter. For the purposes of
reciprocity as set forth in subsection 3 of North Dakota Century Code section 43-45-05.1:
1. A current national certified addiction counselor level II certification issued by the national
association for alcoholism and drug abuse counselors meets the licensure requirements
imposed under this chapter for a licensed addiction counselor.
2. A current master addiction counselor certification issued by the national association for
alcoholism and drug abuse counselors or the national board for certified counselors meets the
licensure requirements imposed under this chapter for a licensed master addiction counselor.

History: Effective April 1, 2009; amended effective July 1, 2018; October 1, 2025.
General Authority: NDCC 43-45-04
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-45-04, 43-45-05.1
### § 4.5-02.1-01-07. Fees.

1. Initial license fee:
a. Application for license received on or after January first of the $300.00
even-numbered year and before July first of the even-numbered year
b. Application for license received on or after July first of the $250.00
even-numbered year and before January first of the odd-numbered year
c. Application for license received on or after January first of the $150.00
odd-numbered year and before July first of the odd-numbered year
d. Application for license received on or after July first of the $100.00
odd-numbered year and before January first of the even-numbered year
2. Biennial renewal of license fee $300.00
3. Private practice initial fee $200.00
4. Late fee $200.00
5. Annual continuing education provider approval fee $250.00
6. Provider continuing education program approval fee $50.00
7. Fee for mailing list $50.00
8. Written examination fee is the national testing agency fee plus an additional board
administrative fee of fifty dollars.
9. An individual who is granted a license to practice addiction counseling on or after July 1,
2018, who meets the academic requirements for a licensed master addiction counselor and
has completed the two thousand hours of clinical training shall pay an administrative fee of
seventy-five dollars at the time of application.
The fees assessed by the board are nonrefundable.
History: Effective January 1, 2002; amended effective January 1, 2008; April 1, 2009; July 1, 2014;
July 1, 2018; October 1, 2025.
General Authority: NDCC 43-45-04
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-45-04, 43-45-07
