How to Become a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Vermont

Vermont licenses counselors as Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHCs) through the Board of Allied Mental Health, part of the Secretary of State's Office of Professional Regulation (OPR). Vermont keeps its licensure structure simple: one clinical-level credential.

Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree

You need a master's or doctoral degree in counseling or a related field, from a regionally accredited institution, with at least 60 graduate semester credits and at least 700 hours of practicum or internship. CACREP-accredited programs offer the most straightforward path.

Step 2: Register on the Psychotherapist Roster

Before beginning post-degree supervised hours, you must register as a non-licensed psychotherapist with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation. Hours accumulated before this registration is approved don't count.

Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience

Vermont requires 3,000 hours of supervised clinical mental health counseling work over a minimum of two years, with at least 2,000 hours in direct client contact and 100 hours of face-to-face supervision (roughly one hour per 30 experience hours), from a supervisor licensed in good standing for at least three years.

Step 4: Pass Two Exams

Vermont requires passing scores on both:

• The National Counselor Examination (NCE)

• The National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)

Both exams are administered through NBCC.

Step 5: Apply for Full LCMHC Licensure

Have your supervisor(s) complete the Supervision Report Form and submit it directly to the Office by mail or email, along with your application and non-refundable fee.

Apply for Your License

Start or continue your application directly with Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Board of Allied Mental Health, 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 Vermont Office of Professional Regulation's Board of Allied Mental Health, including its January 2026 LCMHC application instructions. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly at sos.vermont.gov/allied-mental-health before making any licensure decision.

Vermont's dual-exam requirement (NCE and NCMHCE both) is one of the more demanding testing paths nationally, so schedule both early rather than assuming your first exam alone will clear you for licensure.