Iowa licenses Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) through the Board of Behavioral Health Professionals, with a temporary license for graduates completing their supervised clinical experience. 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.
Two NBCC exams in Iowa. The temporary license accepts the NCE, the exam Counselor Ticket is written to, or the NCMHCE. The full LMHC requires the NCMHCE, a case-study exam our guide does not cover.
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.
Iowa at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
Temporary mental health counselor license
NCE or NCMHCE
A qualifying 60-semester-hour degree; valid three years for supervised practice in an agency or group practice.
LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor)
NCMHCE
At least two years and 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, 1,500 direct client contact, 110 hours of direct supervision.
Iowa, step by step
Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)
Degree: a master's of at least 60 semester hours (or a doctorate) in counseling with an emphasis in mental health counseling from a CACREP-accredited program at an accredited school.
Temporary license: lets you practice mental health counseling under a qualified supervisor, only within an agency or group practice, to complete your postgraduate experience. It requires the NCE or the NCMHCE and is valid three years. Register for the exam directly with NBCC.
Supervised clinical experience: at least two years, 3,000 hours of total practice, 1,500 hours of direct client contact and 110 hours of direct supervision (in person or by video); supervision continues until the full license is issued.
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.