California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) requires two exams for the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) licence, taken in a fixed order. The board’s own California Law and Ethics Exam comes first; the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) opens up only after you have passed it and your Application for Licensure is approved. Before either, you register as an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) to build 3,000 supervised hours.
- Is the NCMHCE required for the LPCC in California?
- Yes. The BBS calls the NCMHCE one of two exams you must pass for LPCC licensure in California; the other is the California Law and Ethics Exam. NBCC administers the NCMHCE, while the law and ethics exam is the board’s own and is delivered by Pearson VUE.
- When can I register for the NCMHCE in California?
- Only once the board has approved your Application for Licensure and you have passed the LPCC California Law and Ethics Exam. The board then relays your eligibility to NBCC and tells you that you may register. Take the NCMHCE within one year of whichever happened later — the law and ethics pass or the application approval — or your licensing file loses its approval.
- What happens if I fail the NCMHCE in California?
- You can sit it again once 30 days have passed since your last attempt, and the board requires that retake within one year of the failed attempt to keep your licensure application eligible. The law and ethics exam has a longer gap: at least 90 days between attempts, although you may apply for the re-exam straight away.
- How many supervised hours does California require?
- 3,000 hours over at least 104 weeks, all gained within the six years before the board receives your Application for Licensure. At least 1,750 must be direct clinical counseling; up to 1,250 may be nonclinical work such as supervisor contact, progress notes, testing and training. Hours in California count only while you are registered as an APCC, apart from the board’s 90-day rule for new graduates who register promptly.
- What degree does California require?
- For anyone who began graduate study on or after August 1, 2012, a single integrated master’s or doctoral program of at least 60 graduate semester units or 90 quarter units, covering 13 core content areas that run from counseling theory to psychopharmacology, addictions and crisis or trauma counseling, with at least 280 hours of face-to-face supervised clinical experience. The school must be accredited by an agency the U.S. Department of Education recognises, or approved by California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
- How much does it cost to become an LPCC in California?
- Less than usual until mid-2030. A temporary BBS fee reduction, running from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030, halves the board’s fees: APCC registration is $75, the law and ethics exam $75, the Application for Licensure $125 and the initial licence $100. The NCMHCE is not part of the reduction — you pay that fee to NBCC directly.