Which States Require the NCMHCE? What NBCC's State Board Directory Lists

The license decides, not just the state

NBCC's state licensure handbook says all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands use NBCC examinations as part of counselor licensure. Which NBCC exam is another matter. NBCC's State Licensure page says a state may specifically require the NCE or the NCMHCE, some states require both, and some let you choose. Each board sets the requirements under its state law, and NBCC enforces them when it registers you.

NBCC's State Board Directory lists, for most states, the licenses and the exam used for each. Passy opened all 54 entries on October 27, 2026. The tables below report what NBCC lists, grouped by pattern and using NBCC's license titles. They are a snapshot of NBCC's directory, not legal advice or board rules, and directories can lag behind a board's changes, so confirm with your board before you register.

States where NBCC lists only the NCMHCE

In these entries, every license with an exam listed uses the NCMHCE:

States that pair the NCE and NCMHCE by license level

In these entries, NBCC lists the NCE for one license and the NCMHCE for another. Judging by the license titles, the NCMHCE goes with the clinical or higher-level license in each:

If you live in one of these states, the practical question is when. You may be applying for the entry license now and the clinical license later. Ask the board which exam applies at each step, and whether a score you earn now still counts when you apply for the next license. Whatever the answer, the exam itself is the same NBCC test, so full prep planned for launch names the scored domain to study next from your own accuracy, not from your state's rules.

States that list "the NCE or NCMHCE"

For these licenses, NBCC's entry says the NCE or NCMHCE examination is used:

If your board confirms that either exam works, the choice is yours. Passy's NCE vs NCMHCE comparison sets out how the two differ in format and content.

Directory entries to confirm with your board

Some entries are worded in ways that don't settle the question on their own:

• The same license listed twice, once with each exam. Connecticut (LPC), Iowa (LMHC), Montana (LCPC), Nebraska (LMHP), North Carolina (LCMHC), South Carolina (LPC), Vermont (LCMHC), and Wisconsin (LPC). The entry doesn't say whether that means either exam or both. For North Carolina, the board's application page asks for official NCE or NCMHCE scores (or CRC scores), which reads as either exam.
• "The NCE and NCMHCE examination is used." West Virginia (LPC). On its own, this could mean both are required or either is accepted. The West Virginia board's licensing page says it accepts the NCE, the NCMHCE, the CRC, and the MFT national exam, so check with the board which one fits your application.
• Extra lines. Pennsylvania lists the LPC with the NCE and again with the EMAC. New Jersey lists the LPC with the NCE and again with no exam.

For any of these, ask the board the exact question before you register: for my license, is it the NCE, the NCMHCE, either, or both?

Where NBCC lists only the NCE

In these entries, the NCMHCE isn't listed for any license:

The Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands entries list board contacts but no licenses, so contact those boards directly.

How to confirm your state's NCMHCE requirement

1. Open NBCC's State Board Directory and select your state. Note the board's name and contact details.
2. Find your exact license title. Associate, provisional, and clinical licenses often have different requirements.
3. Ask the board four questions. Which exam applies to my license? Do I need board approval before I register? How many attempts do I get, and is the wait between attempts longer than 30 days? Will a score I earn now count for a higher license later?
4. Pick your registration route. State licensure candidates register with CCE after the board's process; NCC and CCMHC applicants register inside their NBCC application. The NCMHCE registration guide walks through both.

The handbook explains why the attempts question matters: on the state route, your board decides how many attempts you get and can require a longer wait than NBCC's 30 days. Your board also sets your approval window, which can last up to six months; access periods planned for full prep run up to 180 days, about the length of a six-month window, though checkout isn't open yet.

Moving to another state with an NCMHCE score

If you pass and later apply in a second state, the new board decides whether it accepts your score, since each board sets its own requirements. NBCC's Students FAQ makes a related point for NCC holders: if your state uses the same exam you took for the NCC, you may not have to pass another exam to be licensed, but you still apply, and the board decides. Scores aren't sent to boards automatically on that route; you order a score verification, which NBCC's score verification page says takes about four weeks.

What doesn't change from state to state is the exam: the same case studies, the same scoring, and the same 2027 switch, which the NCMHCE 2027 changes guide explains. Once your board confirms the NCMHCE, start with the NCMHCE overview and the free NCMHCE study planner, and when full prep opens, compare the planned question counts for each of the five scored domains.