Washington LMHC for Out-of-State Counselors: Equivalent States, Excluded States, and the Probationary License

Washington's Department of Health licenses mental health counselors as Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC). Washington enacted the Counseling Compact in 2023 but is not yet issuing privileges, so for now a counselor licensed elsewhere who wants Washington clients needs the LMHC. The department's out-of-state applicant page sets out a route that is generous in some cases and surprisingly strict in others.

Route 1: licensed in a substantially equivalent state

You can apply for the full LMHC if you:

• hold a current license in a state Washington considers substantially equivalent;
• have been licensed in that state for at least two years; and
• have no history of disciplinary action.

Which states does Washington exclude?

The department names 11 states as not substantially equivalent: Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Carolina and Wisconsin. The page ties these determinations to criteria under RCW 18.130.077 as of July 23, 2023.

Being on that list does not shut you out of Washington. It moves you to the second route.

Why does Washington care where you were first licensed?

This is the rule that catches people. Washington evaluates where your initial license was granted. If it came from a state with lesser requirements, you may not qualify for the equivalency route even if you now hold a license in an equivalent state. The department specifically names nine universal licensure states in this context: Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Utah and Virginia.

So a counselor first licensed in one of those states, who later picked up a license in an equivalent state, cannot assume that second license carries them into Washington's equivalency route. Washington looks through to the original.

Route 2: the probationary license for reciprocity

If you do not qualify for Route 1, Washington offers a probationary license, issued to someone licensed in another state who applies for reciprocity. It lasts one year and can be renewed once, for a second year. The purpose is to let you practice while you make up whatever separates your original licensure from Washington's standard.

That standard, for comparison: 3,000 hours of postgraduate supervised mental health counseling, including at least 1,200 hours of direct client counseling and 100 hours of immediate supervision. Washington reduces the total to 2,700 hours for applicants with three years of prior licensure as a substance use disorder professional. Washington accepts either the NCE or the NCMHCE.

How do you tell which route you are on?

1. Where was your first independent counseling license? If it was in one of the nine universal licensure states, or one of the 11 excluded states, plan on the probationary route unless the department tells you otherwise.
2. How long have you held your current license? Two years is the minimum for Route 1.
3. Any discipline, anywhere? Route 1 requires none.
4. Can you document the Washington-standard hours? If your original state required fewer, find out early whether post-licensure practice can be documented to close the gap during the probationary period.

What about the compact?

Washington joined the Counseling Compact through 2023 legislation. Like most member states, it has to complete the operational steps, including FBI fingerprint authority, before it can issue or accept privileges. When it goes live, a counselor whose home state is also live could practice in Washington on a privilege instead of an LMHC. Until then, the license is the only route. Our compact page tracks go-live dates.

Washington applications fall under our License by Endorsement service. We work out which route you are on from your full license history, not just your current license, before any fee is paid. See also the Washington state page.