BY STATE · LOUISIANA · 49 CFR §40.281

How to Become a DOT SAP in Louisiana

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana that credential is:

Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC); RAC (registered/HS tier); LAC (master-level licensed tier)

IC&RC-affiliated: Yes

Issuing board: Louisiana Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority (LA-ADRA)
Education requirement: CAC: a bachelor's degree in a human-services/behavioral-science field plus 300 clock hours of ADRA-approved addiction-specific education (180 hours required at the CIT entry step). LAC requires a master's. Confirm on la-adra.org.
Supervised hours: Accumulated as a Counselor-in-Training (CIT): CAC ~4,000 supervised hours (incl. a ~300-hour practicum); RAC ~6,000; LAC ~2,000. Per ADRA/secondary guides — verify on la-adra.org.
Required exam: IC&RC examination (ADC for CAC; advanced exam for LAC)
Also accepted: LA-ADRA is the Louisiana IC&RC member board; the CAC/LAC use IC&RC exams. DOT also accepts NAADAC/NBCC credentials directly.

TRACK B

State clinical license

Louisiana also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).

Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) — master-level state license

Issuing board: Louisiana Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority (LA-ADRA)

OTHER PATHS

Other SAP-eligible boards in Louisiana

You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Louisiana 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.

Social worker Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners

Psychologist Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists

Marriage & family therapist Louisiana LPC Board of Examiners (LPC / MFT)

Physician Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners

THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal steps are the same in every state

Once you hold a qualifying Louisiana 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

Last reviewed: 2026-07-07

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