Vermont licenses Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHC) through the Board of Allied Mental Health Practitioners. Applicants must pass both NBCC exams, the NCE and the NCMHCE. 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.
Vermont requires both NBCC exams. Rule 3.14 asks for the NCE and the NCMHCE. Counselor Ticket is written to the NCE; the NCMHCE is a case-study exam our guide does not cover, so use NBCC's own NCMHCE materials for that half.
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.
Vermont at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
Roster of nonlicensed, noncertified psychotherapists
None
Required before any supervised practice in Vermont.
LCMHC (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor)
NCE and NCMHCE
60 graduate credits, a 700-hour internship, 3,000 supervised hours over at least two years, 100 hours of face-to-face supervision.
Vermont, step by step
Vermont Board of Allied Mental Health Practitioners (Office of Professional Regulation)
Education (Rules 3.6, 3.12): an acceptable master's or higher in counseling or a related field, at least 60 graduate credits including the required courses, and a 700-hour supervised internship (at least 600 within the degree).
Join the roster: you must be entered on the roster of nonlicensed and noncertified psychotherapists before any supervised practice in Vermont (Rule 3.16).
Supervised practice (26 V.S.A. 3265; Rules 3.15-3.17):3,000 hours over at least two years post-master's, with at least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision; 2,000 hours must be direct service in a clinical mental health setting. Only hours within five years of the licensure decision count.
The exams (Rule 3.14): both the NCE and the NCMHCE, with results within five years of the licensure decision. OPR sends registration information once your education is approved.
Changes coming: OPR has proposed new mental health licensing statutes for the 2027 session (public comment closes November 12, 2026), so check the board page before you apply.
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.