BY STATE · ARKANSAS · 49 CFR §40.281
How to Become a DOT SAP in Arkansas
Becoming a DOT Substance Abuse Professional is one uniform federal pathway, set in 49 CFR §40.281 and applied the same way in every state. What is specific to Arkansas is the underlying clinical credential — the license or certification you earn through the boards below to satisfy the §40.281(a) requirement before you complete SAP qualification training and pass the national exam.
TRACK A
Addiction-counselor certification (the DOT counselor path)
This is the path that satisfies the §40.281(a) “drug and alcohol counselor” category, which DOT accepts only through a NAADAC-, IC&RC-, or NBCC-affiliated board. In Arkansas that credential is:
ADC (Alcohol & Drug Counselor)
IC&RC-affiliated: Yes- Issuing board
- Arkansas Substance Abuse Certification Board (ASACB)
- Education requirement
- 300 clock hours of ASACB-approved education in the SUD field, including at least 6 hours in ethics (per ASACB Standards Manual — confirm at asacb.com).
- Supervised hours
- 300-hour supervised practicum plus a work-experience requirement (base up to ~6,000 hours, reduced by education level) — confirm in the ASACB Standards Manual.
- Required exam
- IC&RC ADC examination (administered through ASACB)
- Also accepted
- ASACB is the state IC&RC member board. (Arkansas also has a separate state title, LADAC — confirm current path at ASACB.)
TRACK B
State clinical license
Arkansas also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).
LADAC (Licensed Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselor) — state title; verify current issuing framework
OTHER PATHS
Other SAP-eligible boards in Arkansas
You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Arkansas boards licenses a profession that satisfies one of the other five §40.281(a) SAP credential categories — physician, social worker, psychologist, employee assistance professional, or marriage and family therapist.
THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS
The federal steps are the same in every state
Once you hold a qualifying Arkansas credential above, the rest of the SAP pathway is set by federal rule and does not change by state. See the full federal requirements →
- 1 What credential do you need to become a DOT SAP?
- 2 What knowledge does a SAP need?
- 3 What qualification training and exam are required?
- 4 What continuing education must a SAP maintain?
- 5 What documentation must a SAP keep?
- 6 What does a DOT SAP actually do?
Sources
- https://internationalcredentialing.org/member-boards/
- https://asacb.com/certifications/
- https://armedicalboard.org/
Last reviewed: 2026-07-07
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