§34-8A-6. Inactive status; collection and disposition of fees, etc.; reactivation; renewal.

(a) A licensee may request that the board designate his or her license with inactive status at any point prior to the date of renewal. Granting inactive status to a licensee revokes all privileges associated with this chapter until reactivation is requested by the licensee. Procedures for reactivating a license for practice status will be established by the board.

(b) All fees from applicants seeking licensing or certification for private practice under this chapter, and all license, certificate, or renewal fees received under this chapter shall be paid to the board. No part of any fee shall be returnable under any conditions. All fees collected in this manner plus renewal fees and all gifts or grants shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the board. There is appropriated from the Treasury funds to the credit of the board to be used for printing, travel expenses of the board, and for other necessary expenses as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. Expenses shall be paid under the written direction of the chair of the board, or designee of the chair of the board, in accordance with normal state procedure.

(c) The board is required to charge an application fee to be determined by the board. In addition to the application fee, the board may establish by rule a reasonable application package fee, supervising counselor approval processing fee, examination fee, provisional licensure fee, licensure reactivation fee, and fee for written verification of licensee status to a third party. The board shall determine and collect additional reasonable fees in amounts determined by the board.

(d) Every licensed professional counselor engaging in private practice in this state is required to pay biennially to the board by August 1 a renewal fee to be determined by the board. The chair thereupon shall issue a document renewing his or her license for a term of two years. The license of any licensed professional counselor who fails to have his or her license renewed biennially by August 1 shall lapse. Failure to renew a license, however, shall not deprive the licensed professional counselor of the right of renewal thereafter. A lapsed license may be renewed within a period of two years after lapse upon payment of fees in arrears, or thereafter, upon payment of a renewal fee as determined by the board. Any licensed professional counselor whose license has lapsed beyond six years must reapply under the current regulations for initial licensure.

(e) An associate licensed counselor engaging in private practice under the supervision of a supervising counselor in this state is required to pay annually to the board by the anniversary of his or her initial license issuance date a renewal fee to be determined by the board. The chair thereupon shall issue a document renewing the license for a term of one year. The license of any associate licensed counselor who fails to have his or her license renewed annually by the anniversary of the initial license issuance date shall lapse. Failure to renew a license, however, shall not deprive the associate licensed counselor of the right of renewal thereafter. A lapsed license may be renewed within a period of one year after lapse upon payment of fees in arrears or thereafter, upon payment of a renewal fee as determined by the board. Any associate licensed counselor whose license has lapsed beyond six years must reapply under the current regulations for initial licensure.

(f) Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the license of any person licensed as a professional counselor who has allowed his or her license to lapse for 15 years or less, and who has been in a profession for at least eight years where counseling is a part of the daily routine of the profession including, but not limited to, service as a school principal, school vice principal, school psychometrist, or school psychologist, shall be reinstated upon the payment of a fee of five hundred dollars ($500) and the completion of 40 hours of continuing education.

(Acts 1979, No. 79-423, p. 649, §6; Acts 1997, No. 97-154, p. 196, §3; Act 2000-810, p. 1925, §1; Act 2006-566, p. 1314, §1; Act 2009-587, p. 1724, §1; Act 2012-107, p. 180, §3.)