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LicenseReciprocity

Counseling License from California to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC) ↗

A counseling license transfers from California to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC), verify your California license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. National exam is not retaken at application: expedited licensure by credentials (16.27.24 NMAC) relies on a current license from an approved jurisdiction. New Mexico's own LPCC route requires both the NCE and the NCMHCE (16.27.4 NMAC). An expedited licensee whose home jurisdiction did not require an exam New Mexico requires must pass it before the first renewal (16.27.24.12(B) NMAC). No New Mexico jurisprudence exam is listed..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

A counseling license moves from California to New Mexico by endorsement. Neither California nor New Mexico is operational in the Counseling Compact, so it plays no part in this move. You apply to the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC), which verifies your California license and standing, matches it to New Mexico's independent tier, and applies its own rule on crediting your national exam score, plus any New Mexico jurisprudence and background requirements.

What changes, California → New Mexico

Side-by-side: California vs New Mexico (Counseling (LPC / LMHC)), verified 2026-09-27
California (current)New Mexico (destination)
Counseling Compact statusLicensure by endorsementLicensure by endorsement
Application fee$125 (LPCC License Application fee under the Board's temporary 50% fee reduction for payments made 2026-07-01 through 2030-06-30 (statutory base in BPC 4999.120 is $250; applications paid before 2026-07-01 paid $250). Separate: initial license issuance fee $100 (reduced from $200), California Law and Ethics Exam fee $75 (reduced from $150), fingerprint (Live Scan / DOJ-FBI) fees not reduced and paid separately. California has not enacted the Counseling Compact, so no privilege route exists.)$75 (nonrefundable application fee (16.27.17 NMAC); + $220 initial license fee before issuance; military service members and veterans are not charged licensing fees for the first three years of expedited licensure)
Processing timethe Board's Path A guide gives no timeframe for the licensure application itself; it states only 'allow up to 30 days' for processing the Request for Initial License Issuance after the exam is passed. Board processing-time pages could not be read (bbs.ca.gov refused connections on 2026-09-27).~4.3 weeks (16.27.24 NMAC: staff shall issue the expedited license to a qualified applicant within 30 days of receiving a complete application (30 days converted to 4.3 weeks); applications with a potential cause for denial go to the next Board meeting)
Licensing authorityCalifornia Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC)New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a current, unrestricted license in good standing of an approved type from a jurisdiction listed in 16.27.24.8 NMAC (e.g., Ohio/Minnesota/North Dakota LPCC, Illinois LCPC, Indiana LMHC).
  5. Have practiced as a licensed professional for at least two consecutive years immediately before applying.
  6. Hold a master's or doctoral degree in counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution.
  7. Have no formal disciplinary action by any licensing board within the past two years.
  8. Apply through the RLD online licensing portal (paper applications not accepted).
  9. Pay the fees ($75 (nonrefundable application fee (16.27.17 NMAC); + $220 initial license fee before issuance; military service members and veterans are not charged licensing fees for the first three years of expedited licensure)) and allow ~4.3 weeks (16.27.24 NMAC: staff shall issue the expedited license to a qualified applicant within 30 days of receiving a complete application (30 days converted to 4.3 weeks); applications with a potential cause for denial go to the next Board meeting).

Official links

New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC) ↗New Mexico application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: New Mexico → CaliforniaCounseling in CaliforniaCounseling in New MexicoAll counseling statesThe Counseling Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does New Mexico accept a California counseling license?

A counseling license transfers from California to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) (Licensed Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, LPCC), verify your California license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. National exam is not retaken at application: expedited licensure by credentials (16.27.24 NMAC) relies on a current license from an approved jurisdiction. New Mexico's own LPCC route requires both the NCE and the NCMHCE (16.27.4 NMAC). An expedited licensee whose home jurisdiction did not require an exam New Mexico requires must pass it before the first renewal (16.27.24.12(B) NMAC). No New Mexico jurisprudence exam is listed..

Do I retake the NCE or NCMHCE moving from California to New Mexico?

National exam is not retaken at application: expedited licensure by credentials (16.27.24 NMAC) relies on a current license from an approved jurisdiction. New Mexico's own LPCC route requires both the NCE and the NCMHCE (16.27.4 NMAC). An expedited licensee whose home jurisdiction did not require an exam New Mexico requires must pass it before the first renewal (16.27.24.12(B) NMAC). No New Mexico jurisprudence exam is listed.

What does the move cost?

$75 (nonrefundable application fee (16.27.17 NMAC); + $220 initial license fee before issuance; military service members and veterans are not charged licensing fees for the first three years of expedited licensure)

How long will it take?

~4.3 weeks (16.27.24 NMAC: staff shall issue the expedited license to a qualified applicant within 30 days of receiving a complete application (30 days converted to 4.3 weeks); applications with a potential cause for denial go to the next Board meeting)

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]