New York licenses Mental Health Counselors (LMHC) through the State Education Department's Office of the Professions. New graduates usually work under a limited permit while they collect supervised hours. 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.
New York does not accept the NCE. The Office of the Professions says plainly that the licensing exam is the NCMHCE and the NCE from NBCC is not acceptable for licensure. Counselor Ticket is written to the NCE, so it helps with the shared knowledge but does not cover the NCMHCE's case-study format; use NBCC's own NCMHCE materials for that.
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.
New York at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
Limited permit
None
Apply for the license and have your education approved; practice under a qualified supervisor. $70.
LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor)
NCMHCE
A qualifying 60-semester-hour degree, 3,000 supervised clock hours (1,500 direct), the NCMHCE, child abuse training, age 21. $371.
New York, step by step
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Mental Health Practitioners)
Degree: a master's or doctorate in counseling from a 60-semester-hour clinical mental health counseling program accredited by CACREP (or another acceptable accreditor), or a program the Department finds substantially equivalent: at least 60 semester hours in the listed content areas and a supervised internship or practicum in mental health counseling of at least 600 clock hours. Your school sends Form 2 directly.
Child abuse training and age: complete coursework or training in identifying and reporting child abuse from a New York State approved provider, and be at least 21.
Apply and get a limited permit: file the Application for Licensure (Form 1) with the $371 fee for licensure and first registration. Once your education is approved you can hold a limited permit ($70, non-refundable) to practice under supervision; the supervisor provides an average of one hour of supervision a week.
Supervised experience: at least 3,000 clock hours of post-degree mental health counseling in an acceptable setting under a qualified supervisor, with at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact. The rest can be recordkeeping, case management, supervision and similar work.
The exam: the NCMHCE, administered by NBCC, after the Department approves your application and education. A passing score from another state must be sent by NBCC directly.
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.