BY STATE · MASSACHUSETTS · 49 CFR §40.281

How to Become a DOT SAP in Massachusetts

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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts that credential is:

Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC I master-level / LADC II bachelor-or-HS+experience tier); a parallel voluntary IC&RC CADC is issued by MBSACC

IC&RC-affiliated: Yes

Issuing board: Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS), Dept. of Public Health — for the LADC license (voluntary IC&RC CADC via the Massachusetts Board of Substance Abuse Counselor Certification, MBSACC)
Education requirement: LADC II: 270 hours of addiction-counseling training (with a ~300-hour practicum). No degree strictly required for LADC II (HS diploma + experience); LADC I requires a master's in behavioral sciences with 18 graduate counseling credits. Confirm on mass.gov BSAS.
Supervised hours: LADC II: ~6,000 hours of supervised work experience (reduced to ~4,000 with a bachelor's degree per secondary guides). Verify with BSAS.
Required exam: IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) examination
Also accepted: The state LADC uses the IC&RC ADC exam; the separate voluntary CADC is issued by MBSACC, the Massachusetts IC&RC chapter. DOT also accepts NAADAC/NBCC credentials directly.

TRACK B

State clinical license

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

Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor I / II (LADC I, LADC II)

Issuing board: Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS), Dept. of Public Health

OTHER PATHS

Other SAP-eligible boards in Massachusetts

You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers

Psychologist Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists

Marriage & family therapist Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions

Physician Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine

THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal steps are the same in every state

Once you hold a qualifying Massachusetts 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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