BY STATE · MISSISSIPPI · 49 CFR §40.281
How to Become a DOT SAP in Mississippi
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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi that credential is:
Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC); Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CAADC)
IC&RC-affiliated: Yes- Education requirement
- CADC: reported 270 hours of approved alcohol/drug counseling education; CAADC requires a master's in a behavioral science plus 180 A&D-specific hours. See MAAP certification guidelines for current requirements.
- Supervised hours
- See MAAP (msaap.net) certification guidelines for the current supervised-experience requirement — not board-confirmed this session.
- Required exam
- IC&RC International Written (ADC) Examination
- Also accepted
- IC&RC path — MAAP is an IC&RC member board; CADC uses the IC&RC International Written (ADC) exam and grants an IC&RC International Certificate.
TRACK B
State clinical license
Addiction-counselor certification runs through MAAP, a confirmed IC&RC member board (CADC/CAADC via the IC&RC written exam). Mississippi has no separate state addiction-counselor license. Social work and MFT share one board (swmft.ms.gov). CADC 270-hr education figure is third-party-reported; supervised-hours referral-phrased to MAAP.
OTHER PATHS
Other SAP-eligible boards in Mississippi
You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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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