Methods and apparatus are provided for low cost machine communication type (LC-MTC) devices for cell selection and cell reselection. In one novel aspect, the LC-MTC UE determines whether the cell is capable of supporting LC-MTC. If the LC-MTC UE determines that LC-MTC is not supported by the cell, the LC-MTC UE considers the cell as barred. The LC-MTC support capability information is provided to the LC-MTC UE in the system information, or in the RRC Connection Release message, or by inheriting from another RAT during the inter-RAT cell (re)selection. The LC-MTC support capability information is indicated per cell or per frequency. In another novel aspect, the LC-MTC UE acquires LC-MTC support capability information of neighbor cells and performs cell reselection based on the LC-MTC support capability information. In one embodiment, the LC-MTC support capability information of neighbor cells is provided in the system information of the serving cell.