How to Become a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina

Becoming a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina runs through the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC). North Carolina uses a restricted-to-independent structure: Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA), then full LCMHC, with an optional LCMHCS supervisor credential beyond that.

Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Graduate Degree

You need a qualifying graduate counseling degree with supervised internship experience. For applicants applying on or after July 1, 2025, all internship experience must be completed specifically in a clinical mental health setting.

Step 2: Apply for Your LCMHCA Credential

The fully online application (NCBLCMHC does not accept paper applications) requires:

• Official graduate transcripts sent directly from your institution

• A Verification of Graduate Counseling Experience form from a faculty supervisor

• Three professional references, at least one from an LCMHC

• A national exam score (NCE, NCMHCE, or CRC)

• A jurisprudence exam certificate

• A Professional Disclosure Statement meeting Rule .0204

• A state and FBI criminal background check via fingerprints

The application fee is currently $238, including a $38 background check fee. You cannot provide any counseling services until the Board has approved a supervision contract for each supervisor and work setting.

Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience

LCMHC licensure requires 3,000 hours of supervised professional practice, plus at least 100 hours of supervision. Supervision hours do not count toward the 3,000.

Step 4: Apply for Full LCMHC Licensure

Once your hours and exam are complete, submit your LCMHC application through the same online portal with your supervised experience documentation.

Optional: LCMHC Supervisor (LCMHCS)

After 5 to 8 years of clinical experience and completing the Board's required clinical supervision coursework, LCMHCs can apply for the LCMHCS credential, which allows them to supervise LCMHCAs.

Apply for Your License

Start or continue your application directly with North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC), 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 North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly at ncblcmhc.org before making any licensure decision.

North Carolina's July 2025 rule change on clinical-setting internships is recent enough to double-check against your specific program and application date before assuming an older guide's description still applies.