BY STATE · TEXAS · 49 CFR §40.281
How to Become a DOT SAP in Texas
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 Texas 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 Texas that credential is:
LCDC (Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor)
IC&RC-affiliated: Yes- Education requirement
- Associate degree or higher, plus 270 classroom hours of chemical-dependency curricula and a 300-hour supervised practicum to register as a Counselor Intern. (A qualifying bachelor’s or higher may waive the 270 hours + practicum.) (per hhs.texas.gov LCDC New License Registration, 26 TAC §562.6–562.8)
- Supervised hours
- 4,000 hours of supervised work experience in chemical-dependency counseling at a registered Clinical Training Institution (CTI) or under a Certified Clinical Supervisor. (per hhs.texas.gov, 26 TAC §562.10)
- Required exam
- IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) examination (used by HHSC for LCDC licensure)
- Also accepted
- Texas Certification Board (TCB/TCBAP, tcbap.org) also issues IC&RC ADC/AADC/CCS certifications.
TRACK B
State clinical license
Texas also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).
LCDC (Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor)
- Issuing board
- Texas Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC)
OTHER PATHS
Other SAP-eligible boards in Texas
You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Texas 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 Texas 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://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/40.281
- https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/SAP_Certification_Organizations
- https://www.hhs.texas.gov/business/licensing-credentialing-regulation/professional-licensing-certification-compliance/licensed-chemical-dependency-counselor-program/lcdc-new-license-registration
- https://www.tcbap.org/
- https://www.bhec.texas.gov/
- https://www.tmb.state.tx.us/
Last reviewed: 2026-07-06
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