How to Become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Utah

Utah licenses counselors as Clinical Mental Health Counselors (CMHC, sometimes written LCMHC), through the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). Before full licensure, you'll hold the Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor (ACMHC) credential, or the ACMHC Extern credential if your degree is missing up to 12 credits of specific coursework.

Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Graduate Degree

You need a master's or doctoral degree in mental health counseling or an equivalent field from a regionally accredited institution. CACREP-accredited degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Counselor Education, or Rehabilitation Counseling automatically meet Utah's coursework requirements. Non-CACREP programs, accredited by a CHEA-recognized body, require submitting course descriptions or syllabi demonstrating your coursework covers Utah's required subject areas. Your program should include a supervised practicum or internship of at least 700 hours, including at least 240 hours of direct client therapy contact.

Step 2: Apply for Your ACMHC License

Apply through DOPL online or by paper with the $85 processing fee. Graduates of CACREP-accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Counselor Education programs generally face no pre-ACMHC exam requirement; graduates of rehabilitation counseling or certain other programs may need to pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or both before ACMHC issuance.

Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience

Utah requires 3,000 hours of supervised clinical counseling experience over a minimum of two years, held under the ACMHC or ACMHC Extern credential.

Step 4: Pass the NCMHCE and Complete Suicide-Prevention Training

Full CMHC licensure requires the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination, with your score sent directly from NBCC, plus 2 hours of DOPL-approved suicide-prevention training.

Step 5: Apply for Full CMHC Licensure

Submit your CMHC application with your supervised experience documentation, exam score, and suicide-prevention training certificate.

Renewing Your License

Utah requires continuing education for renewal, with at least 6 hours focused on ethics and law. Utah is a member of the Counseling Compact, which can ease multistate practice for fully licensed counselors.

Apply for Your License

Start or continue your application directly with Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL), the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.

Apply on the Board's Website

A Note on Accuracy

This post reflects information from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing and the Clinical Mental Health Counselor Licensing Act (Utah Code 58-60-405, Utah Admin. Code R156-60c). Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change, and reported supervised-hour totals varied across sources at the time of writing. Verify current requirements directly at dopl.utah.gov before making any licensure decision.

Utah's ACMHC Extern credential is a narrow fix for a specific coursework gap, not a general substitute for the ACMHC, so confirm with DOPL which track actually applies to your transcript before applying.