NCMHCE in Florida: LMHC Licensure Requirements (FL)
Everything you need to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida, including the NCMHCE exam requirement, supervised hours, fees, and renewal rules — verified against the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling.
Florida key fact: Florida is one of the largest LMHC markets in the country and requires the NCMHCE specifically — not the NCE. The Laws & Rules exam is a separate requirement most candidates underestimate.
LMHC Requirements at a Glance
| Licensing board | Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling |
|---|---|
| Required exam | NCMHCE (required) and the Florida Laws & Rules exam |
| Education | 60-semester-hour master's in mental health counseling from a CACREP-accredited program or equivalent. |
| Supervised hours | 1,500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy over no less than 100 weeks, with 100 hours of supervision (at least 1 hour per 15 hours of psychotherapy). |
| Application fees | $200 application + $100 initial license + ~$130 exam fee |
| Renewal cycle | Biennial (renewed by March 31 of odd years) |
| Continuing education | 30 CE hours per renewal, including 3 hours of medical errors, 2 hours of laws & rules, and 2 hours of domestic violence (every third renewal). |
| Reciprocity / endorsement | Endorsement available if you hold an active license in another state with substantially equivalent requirements and at least 3 years of clinical practice. |
Always verify with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling before applying — requirements change.
Step-by-Step: How to Get Your LMHC in Florida
- Finish a qualifying master's program (60-semester-hour master's in mental health counseling from a cacrep-accredited program or equivalent.)
- Apply for the pre-license / associate credential and begin accruing supervised hours
- Complete 1 of supervised clinical experience under a board-approved supervisor
- Apply to sit for the NCMHCE through the NBCC, then schedule with Pearson VUE
- Pass the NCMHCE (and any Florida-specific exam noted above)
- Submit your full licensure application with transcripts, supervision verifications, and the exam score report
- Maintain your license with 30 ce hours per renewal per renewal cycle
Prep for the Florida NCMHCE
The NCMHCE is the same exam in every state — what changes is the supervised hours and paperwork around it. Our prep gives you unlimited AI-generated case simulations in the exact NBCC format, so when you sit for the exam in Florida, you've already done dozens of full-length cases across every clinical domain.