New York licenses independent clinical counselors as the LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor), through the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Mental Health Practitioners). Counseling Compact legislation has been introduced in New York but not enacted. Below: what New York asks of a counselor already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
New York LMHC License Requirements
The independent clinical license in New York is the LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor).
Exams named for licensure: NCMHCE. Only the NCMHCE is accepted; the NCE is not acceptable for licensure.
3,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience for the independent license.
Those hours are completed under the associate credential, the Limited Permit (Mental Health Counselor Limited Permit).
Licensed elsewhere: Endorsement requires 5 years of licensed practice in the 10 years before applying. Applicants without that history are evaluated on education, supervised experience and exam like any other applicant.
How Much Does a New York LMHC License Cost?
We have not published a New York figure yet
We have not verified New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Mental Health Practitioners)'s current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the New York 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 New York Applications Get Delayed
New York accepts the NCMHCE only. A counselor who passed only the NCE will need to sit for the NCMHCE before New York will license them.
The endorsement route expects 5 years of licensure elsewhere. Count from the date your independent license was issued, not your associate license.
New York accepts only the NCMHCE. A passing NCE score from another state does not count.
At least 1,500 of the 3,000 post-degree hours must be direct client contact, earned under a New York limited permit.
Every applicant must complete training in identifying and reporting child abuse (Education Law 6507(3)(a)).
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 New York LMHC License
Renewal Cycle
Every 3 years
CE Requirement
36 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Counseling Compact and New York
New York is not a Counseling Compact member. A bill to join has been introduced, but nothing changes for licensure until it is enacted and the state then finishes its implementation, which in other states has taken a year or more. Plan on a full New York license.
Addiction counselors in New York
New York credentials addiction counselors as CASAC, through the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). That credential is separate from the LMHC, and the Counseling Compact does not cover it. CASAC is a credential issued by OASAS, not by the Education Department; it requires the IC&RC ADC exam.
Keeping it current
New York renews the LMHC every 3 years, with 36 hours of continuing education per cycle. Registration is triennial; no more than 12 of the 36 hours may be self-study. 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.
New York LMHC License FAQ
What is the counselor license called in New York?
+
Can I use the Counseling Compact for New York?
+
I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in New York?
+
Which exam does New York accept?
+
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.
- title, NCMHCE only (NCE not accepted), 3,000 hours with 1,500 direct, 5-of-10-years endorsement, limited permit, child abuse training; no state law exam listed — checked 2026-10-08
- renewal: 36 hours per triennial registration, 12-hour self-study cap — checked 2026-10-08
- compact: A4566 (includes Interstate Counseling Compact) introduced 2025-02-04, held for consideration in Higher Education committee — checked 2026-10-08
- New York is not a Compact member — checked 2026-10-08
- CASAC issued by OASAS, IC&RC ADC exam (site returns 403 to automated fetches; read from its search-indexed text) — 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.
View PricingBook Online
Share your details and preferred availability.