Please note. Applications have been revised for 2026. Please ensure that you are using the correct form. Forms are available at accbc.org/forms
CAADE’s Addiction Counselor Certification Board of California (ACCBC) is one of three certifying organizations approved by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to register and certify Alcohol & Other Drug (AOD)/ Substance Use Disorder (SUD) counselors in the State of California. CAADE’s ACCBC also maintains accreditation with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE), to demonstrate to the profession it represents and the general public it serves that its credentialing program has been reviewed by a panel of impartial experts who have determined that the program has met the stringent standards set by the credentialing community.
ATTENTION: In observation of Winter Holidays, our office will be closed from 1 pm on 12/23/2025 through 12/28/2025 and from 5 pm on 12/30/2025 through 1/04/2025. Please do not anticipate responses to emails or phone calls from us during these times.
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ACCBC Career Ladder
RAC – Registered Addiction Counselor – Counselor is registered (not certified), is working on becoming fully certified, and has not passed the CATC Exam and has not yet met the requirements to become fully certified.
i – Registered Intern- Counselor is registered (not certified), is working on becoming fully certified, has already passed the CATC Exam, but has not yet met the requirements to become fully certified.
The honorary CATC (I, II, III, IV, V, N) tiered system is designed to signify your higher level of education to employers and clients. The CATC and all tiers exceed DHCS’s minimum requirements for AOD counselor certification.
CATC – Counselor has met the minimum ACCBC requirement: a minimum of thirty (30) semester units from a college or university, twenty-one (21) units must be specific to addiction and addiction counseling
CATC I – Counselor has a Certificate of Completion from a thirty-nine (39) semester unit (minimum) approved Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD)/Addiction Studies or Alcohol and Drug Studies (ADS) College Program.
CATC II – Counselor has an Associate Degree, in addition to meeting the minimum ACCBC requirements for AOD certification. Degree must be from a regionally accredited college/university and must be in Addiction Studies or a related behavioral health/behavioral science field.
CATC III – Counselor has a Bachelor’s Degree, in addition to meeting the minimum ACCBC requirements for AOD certification. Degree must be from a regionally accredited college/university and must be in Addiction Studies or a related behavioral health/behavioral science field.
CATC IV – Counselor has a Master’s Degree, in addition to meeting the minimum ACCBC requirements for AOD certification. Degree must be from a regionally accredited college/university and must be in Addiction Studies or a related behavioral health/behavioral science field.
CATC V – Counselor has a Doctoral Degree, in addition to meeting the minimum ACCBC requirements for AOD certification. Degree must be from a regionally accredited college/university and must be in Addiction Studies or a related behavioral health/behavioral science field.
CATC N – Counselor has a Nursing Degree, in addition to meeting the minimum ACCBC requirements for AOD certification. Degree must be from a regionally accredited college/university and must be in Addiction Studies or a related behavioral health/behavioral science field.