Delaware licenses Licensed Associate Counselors of Mental Health (LACMH) and Licensed Professional Counselors of Mental Health (LPCMH). Either NBCC exam is accepted, and associates show a passing score when they apply. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Check with your board. Counselor Ticket is a study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), the American Counseling Association (ACA), CACREP or any state counseling board; NCE and NCMHCE are NBCC's marks, used here only to name the exams. Laws on confidentiality, duty to warn, reporting and licensing differ by state; follow your state's law, your agency and your supervisor.
Delaware at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
LACMH (Licensed Associate Counselor of Mental Health)
NCE or NCMHCE
60 graduate credits, a passing exam score, and a planned direct supervision form signed by your approved clinical supervisor. $272.
LPCMH (Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health)
NCE or NCMHCE
3,200 post-master's counseling hours over 2 to 4 years, at least 1,600 of them under direct clinical supervision. $272 (upgrade from an active associate $55).
Delaware, step by step
Delaware Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals (Division of Professional Regulation)
Education: an official transcript showing at least 60 graduate credits; extra review applies if your program is not CACREP-accredited or your degree is not in clinical mental health counseling.
The exam: the NCE, the NCMHCE, or another exam the board accepts, with the score report sent by NBCC. Delaware asks for the score with the associate application.
Associate license (LACMH): apply in DELPROS with the background check, transcript, exam score and a Planned Direct Supervision form. A supervisor who is not an LPCMH needs a Request for Alternative Professional Supervisor form.
Hours for the LPCMH: at least 3,200 hours of post-master's mental health counseling spanning no less than two and no more than four years, including at least 1,600 hours under direct supervision verified by your approved clinical supervisor(s).
Fees: application $272 for the associate or the professional license; upgrade from an active associate $55.
The steps that hold nearly everywhere: a counseling master's degree (usually 60 semester hours, often CACREP-accredited), your board's approval, an NBCC exam, about two years of supervised experience, then the full license. The NCE has 200 questions (160 scored) in 3 hours 45 minutes; the NCMHCE is 11 clinical case studies in the same time; either can be retaken after 30 days (NBCC/CCE candidate handbooks). The full walk-through: How to get your counseling license.