North Carolina licenses Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHC). New graduates start as an LCMHC Associate (LCMHCA), a restricted license for supervised practice. 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.
North Carolina at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
LCMHCA (Associate)
NCE, NCMHCE or CRC
A 60-semester-hour CACREP-accredited master's, the NC jurisprudence exam, an approved supervision contract before you work. $238.
LCMHC (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor)
Already passed
3,000 hours of supervised professional practice (2,000 direct counseling) with 100 hours of clinical supervision. $238.
LCMHCS (Supervisor)
None
An LCMHC with 5 to 8 years of experience and supervision training.
North Carolina, step by step
North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC)
Degree: for applications after July 1, 2022, a master's of at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) in counseling or a related field from a CACREP-accredited program, with each listed coursework area covered. From July 1, 2025, all internship experience must be in a clinical mental health setting (21 NCAC 53 .0206).
Exams: the NCE, the NCMHCE or the CRC exam (official scores from the testing organization), plus the board's jurisprudence exam, taken online through its provider no more than six months before you apply and again each renewal.
LCMHCA: apply in the board's portal with a notarized affidavit, official transcripts, three references (at least one an LCMHC), the Verification of Graduate Counseling Experience from your school and a criminal background check. Every application costs $238 (including the $38 background check), non-refundable. An LCMHCA cannot work until an approved supervision contract is on file.
Supervised practice:3,000 hours of supervised professional practice after the degree, at least 2,000 hours of direct counseling, no more than 40 hours a week, and no practicum or internship hours. You need 100 hours of clinical supervision, at least 75 of them individual, at least one hour for every 40 hours of practice. The old 24-month minimum no longer applies.
LCMHC: apply while your LCMHCA is still active, with final supervision reports from each supervisor and a new jurisprudence certificate. North Carolina has reciprocity with South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky and endorsement for experienced counselors from other states.
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.