Hawaii licenses independent clinical counselors as the LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Mental Health Counselor Licensing Program). Hawaii is not a Counseling Compact member. Below: what Hawaii asks of a counselor already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Hawaii LMHC License Requirements
The independent clinical license in Hawaii is the LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor).
Exams named for licensure: NCE. The program requires the NCE, and the state must approve your application before you test.
3,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience for the independent license.
Those hours are completed under the associate credential, the Associate Mental Health Counselor (Licensed Associate Mental Health Counselor).
Licensed elsewhere: Hawaii has no reciprocity agreement with any state. A counselor licensed elsewhere applies like any other applicant and must show that Hawaii's requirements are met.
How Much Does a Hawaii LMHC License Cost?
We have not published a Hawaii figure yet
We have not verified Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Mental Health Counselor Licensing Program)'s current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Hawaii application end-to-end.
Eligibility screening, document prep, board follow-ups, and tracking — so you don't lose a board meeting cycle to a missing form.
View full pricingWhere Hawaii Applications Get Delayed
Hawaii has no endorsement shortcut, so a counselor licensed elsewhere documents their education, hours and exam as a new applicant would.
Act 93 (2024) created a provisional associate mental health counselor license, effective 2026-07-01, that lets associates practice under supervision and bill insurance while finishing their hours.
The 3,000 post-graduate hours include 100 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision and must be completed in two to four years.
A board FAQ dated 2021 says no continuing education is required for renewal; confirm before relying on that.
Supervisor attestations and verifications from other boards take the longest. Request them the week you decide to apply, not the week you file.
Renewing Your Hawaii LMHC License
Renewal Cycle
Every 3 years
The Counseling Compact and Hawaii
Hawaii is not a Counseling Compact member, so there is no privilege-to-practice route here. Practicing with clients located in Hawaii takes a Hawaii license, through endorsement where the state offers it or a full application where it does not.
Addiction counselors in Hawaii
Hawaii credentials addiction counselors as CSAC, CCS and CCJP, through the Hawaii Department of Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (IC&RC member board). That credential is separate from the LMHC, and the Counseling Compact does not cover it.
Keeping it current
Hawaii renews the LMHC every 3 years. All licenses renew by June 30 every three years (2026, 2029, 2032), whatever the issue date. If you hold licenses in several states, each runs its own calendar and its own CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Hawaii LMHC License FAQ
What is the counselor license called in Hawaii?
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Can I use the Counseling Compact for Hawaii?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Hawaii?
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Which exam does Hawaii accept?
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Where these facts come from
Checked against primary sources. Boards change rules between sessions, so we confirm the current process again before anything is filed.
- program, triennial renewal, exam approval — checked 2026-10-08
- NCE, 3,000 hours, no reciprocity, CE (FAQ dated 2021-01-29) — checked 2026-10-08
- Act 93 provisional licenses from 2026-07-01 — checked 2026-10-08
- protected titles under HRS 453D-5 — checked 2026-10-08
- not a compact member — checked 2026-10-08
- addiction credentials — checked 2026-10-08
What Working with Us Costs
Transparent, a la carte service fees. Board, exam and fingerprinting fees are paid directly to those organizations. Our concierge fee is separate and is the only thing you pay us.
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