Transfer Your Counseling License to New York: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my counseling license transfer to New York?
New York has not enacted the Counseling Compact, so no privilege reaches it and an incoming counselor applies to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Mental Health Practitioners) (Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC) for a license by endorsement. How New York treats your NCE or NCMHCE score is in the exam question below. Fee: $371 (fee for licensure and first registration, paid with Form 1; no fingerprint requirement listed; the separate LMHC diagnostic privilege costs $175 to issue. New York has not enacted the Counseling Compact.). Processing: NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC endorsement applications.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New York has not enacted the Counseling Compact, so the planning is simple, if slower. There is no compact privilege to fall back on, including for telehealth: you cannot lawfully counsel a client located in New York until New York authorizes you, which for most counselors means a license from the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Mental Health Practitioners) (Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC) (check the notes below for any telehealth-only registration). Start the application before you need the income.
New York's counselor license is the Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC; Education Law Article 163, section 8402). Pre-license practice is under a limited permit, not an associate license. Endorsement is under 8 NYCRR 79-9.7 and requires 5 years of licensed experience within the preceding 10 years. If the initial licensing jurisdiction's requirements are not significantly comparable to New York's, full initial-licensure documentation is required. Applicants with less than 5 years apply as initial applicants: a 60-semester-hour degree, 3,000 supervised post-master's hours and the NCMHCE. Diagnosis is a separate step: an LMHC may diagnose only with the diagnostic privilege under Education Law 8401-a, which has its own application and $175 fee. New York has NOT enacted the Counseling Compact. compact_member and compact_status are assembler-provided.
New York requirements at a glance
| Exam | NCMHCE only: the endorsement applicant has NBCC send passing NCMHCE scores directly to NYSED; the NCE is not acceptable. An exam passed elsewhere under non-standard conditions may have to be retaken. No New York jurisprudence exam. |
|---|---|
| Fees | $371 (fee for licensure and first registration, paid with Form 1; no fingerprint requirement listed; the separate LMHC diagnostic privilege costs $175 to issue. New York has not enacted the Counseling Compact.) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for LMHC endorsement applications |
Step by step
- Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Mental Health Practitioners) (Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Mental Health Practitioners) (Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Show at least 5 years of licensed mental health counseling practice within the 10 years before applying, attested on Forms 4E/4F.
- Have NBCC send passing NCMHCE scores directly to the Office of the Professions.
- Have every jurisdiction where you are or were licensed submit Form 3 license verification directly to NYSED.
- Have your graduate school submit Form 2 (Certification of Professional Education).
- Complete NYSED-approved coursework or training in identifying and reporting child abuse (or document an exemption).
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Nearby states
Counseling license transfer into the states bordering New York:
New York for other professions
- Nursing in New York
- Cosmetology / Barber in New York
- Real Estate in New York
- Contractor in New York
- Teaching in New York
- CPA / Accounting in New York
- Electrician in New York
- Plumber in New York
- Engineering in New York
- Pharmacy in New York
- Physical Therapy in New York
- Psychology in New York
- Social Work in New York
- Occupational Therapy in New York
Frequently asked questions
Is New York in the Counseling Compact?
No. New York had not enacted the compact as of 2026-10-29. No privilege reaches New York, including for telehealth, so a New York license is required to counsel clients located there.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- NYSED Office of the Professions: Mental Health Counseling License Requirements (licensure by endorsement, NCMHCE only, $371 fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NYSED: Form 4E Endorsement Applicant Experience Record ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- NYSED: Commissioner's Regulations Subpart 79-9 (79-9.7 licensure by endorsement; diagnostic privilege) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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