Resources · Path to Licensure

Step-by-step licensure pathways in Hawaii.

Hawaii regulates most behavioral-health professions through the DCCA’s Professional & Vocational Licensing (PVL) Division, several of them administered directly by the DCCA Director with no standing profession-specific board; psychology keeps an active Board of Psychology. Two features are current and distinctive: Act 93 (SLH 2024) created new associate/provisional license tiers for both Mental Health Counselors and Marriage & Family Therapists effective July 1, 2026, and addiction counseling is not a DCCA license at all but a state certification (CSAC) issued by the Department of Health’s ADAD. Hawaii does license behavior analysts at the state level (a single Behavior Analyst license built on BACB certification).

Want the one-line summary instead? See the Hawaii licensure overview →
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Professional CounselingAddiction & Substance Use CounselingSocial WorkMarriage & Family TherapyPsychologyBehavior Analysis

Professional Counseling

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Associate MHC

Associate Mental Health Counselor (Provisional License) — effective July 1, 2026

Required exam: None at this tier.

Scope: Lets associate-level counselors who have finished their education and practicum (but not the full post-graduate hours) practice under clinical supervision and bill insurance while accruing hours. Valid one year, renewable once.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree in counseling or an allied field (degree and transcript verified; full nine-area coursework deferred to full licensure).
  2. Supervision / experienceCompleted practicum with at least 300 client-contact hours, plus a supervisor commitment to supervise up to two years of post-graduate work.
  3. ExamNot applicable at this tier.
  4. ApplicationFile the provisional-license application (Form MHCP-01 with MHCP-02/03) through DCCA PVL.
LMHC

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Required exam: National Counselor Examination (NCE), NBCC.

Scope: Independent practice of mental health counseling — assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree in counseling or an allied field from an accredited institution — at least 48 semester / 72 quarter hours, including at least 3 semester hours in each of nine content areas.
  2. Supervision / experiencePracticum of at least 300 supervised client-contact hours, plus 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised experience including 100 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision, completed in no less than 2 and no more than 4 years.
  3. ExamPass the NCE (state approval before sitting).
  4. ApplicationSubmit Form MHC-01 with notarized practicum / post-graduate verification, coursework form, and transcripts to DCCA PVL.

Official Professional Counseling resources

Addiction & Substance Use Counseling

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CSAC

Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (state certification — not a license)

Required exam: IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) examination, administered by ADAD.

Scope: Substance-use disorder treatment counseling across the twelve core functions; state-recognized to perform DUI (OVUII) assessments. This is a State of Hawaii certification issued by the Department of Health’s ADAD, not a DCCA license.
  1. EducationHigh-school diploma/GED plus 300 clock hours of ADAD-approved SUD-specific education (including ethics, HIV/STDs, and 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality content).
  2. Supervision / experience6,000 hours (about three years) of clinically supervised SUD counseling, including a 400-hour supervised practical training with at least 20 hours in each of the twelve core functions; a bachelor’s offsets 2,000 hours and a master’s up to 4,000.
  3. ExamPass the IC&RC ADC examination.
  4. ApplicationMail the ADAD CSAC packet with transcripts and work verification, plus application and exam fees.

Official Addiction & Substance Use Counseling resources

Social Work

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LBSW

Licensed Bachelor Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Bachelors examination.

Scope: Bachelor’s-level generalist practice — case management, coordination, and non-clinical direct service. Not independent clinical practice.
  1. EducationBachelor’s degree from a CSWE-accredited social work program.
  2. Supervision / experienceNo supervised-hour requirement (HRS §467E-7 imposes none for this tier).
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Bachelors examination.
  4. ApplicationApply through DCCA PVL with transcripts and fees.
LSW

Licensed Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Masters examination.

Scope: Master’s / doctoral-level practice broader than the LBSW but not the independent clinical credential.
  1. EducationMaster’s degree from a CSWE-accredited program (or accredited DSW).
  2. Supervision / experienceNo supervised-hour requirement (HRS §467E-7).
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Masters examination.
  4. ApplicationApply through DCCA PVL with transcripts and fees.
LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Clinical examination.

Scope: Independent clinical social work — assessment, clinical diagnosis, and psychotherapy. The only tier authorizing independent clinical practice.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree in social work meeting the LSW educational standard.
  2. Supervision / experienceAt least 3,000 hours of post-master’s supervised clinical experience over no fewer than 2 and no more than 5 years, including at least 2,000 hours of assessment/diagnosis/psychotherapy and at least 100 hours of supervision (at least 60 individual).
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Clinical examination.
  4. ApplicationApply through DCCA PVL with supervised-experience verification and fees.

Official Social Work resources

Marriage & Family Therapy

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Associate MFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (Provisional License) — effective July 1, 2026

Required exam: None at this tier.

Scope: Lets MFT graduates who have not completed the post-graduate direct hours practice only under the direct supervision of a licensed MFT, and bill insurance while accruing hours (HRS §451J-7.2).
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree with the required MFT coursework (at least 33 semester / 44 quarter hours across the statutory content areas).
  2. Supervision / experiencePractice under direct LMFT supervision toward the 1,000 direct hours plus 200 supervision hours over at least 24 months.
  3. ExamNot applicable at this tier.
  4. ApplicationFile the Associate MFT application through DCCA PVL.
LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Required exam: National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination (AMFTRB).

Scope: Independent MFT practice — family-systems psychotherapy to diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and nervous disorders in individuals, couples, and families.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree in MFT or an allied field, with at least 33 semester / 44 quarter hours across Marriage & Family Studies, MFT Studies, Human Development, Ethics, and Research.
  2. Supervision / experienceA one-year practicum with 300 supervised client-contact hours, plus 1,000 hours of direct MFT and 200 hours of clinical supervision over at least 24 months.
  3. ExamPass the National MFT Examination.
  4. ApplicationSubmit the MFT application with verification, transcripts, and fees to DCCA PVL.

Official Marriage & Family Therapy resources

Psychology

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Psychologist

Licensed Psychologist

Required exam: EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology), ASPPB.

Scope: Independent practice of psychology — testing and assessment (intellectual, personality, neuropsychological), psychotherapy, behavior analysis/therapy, and diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.
  1. EducationDoctoral degree from an APA-approved clinical/counseling/school program or a professional psychology program at a regionally accredited institution, with the required substantive and methodology coursework.
  2. Supervision / experienceA pre-doctoral internship of at least one year (about 1,900 hours) plus a post-doctoral year of at least 1,900 hours of supervised health-service experience under a licensed psychologist.
  3. ExamPass the EPPP at the Board’s passing score.
  4. ApplicationSubmit Form PSY-01 with diploma and transcripts plus training, internship, and post-doctoral verification forms to the Board of Psychology.

Official Psychology resources

Behavior Analysis

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BA

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Required exam: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination, BACB.

Scope: Licensed practice of applied behavior analysis — design, implementation, and evaluation of behavior-change programs based on ABA principles. Hawaii issues a single behavior-analyst license (no separate assistant tier).
  1. EducationHold an active BCBA or BCBA-D credential; Hawaii verifies the BACB credential rather than transcripts (HRS Ch. 465D).
  2. Supervision / experienceSatisfied via BACB certification (no separate Hawaii fieldwork-hour count); the BACB standard includes supervised fieldwork.
  3. ExamPass the BACB BCBA examination and maintain active certification.
  4. ApplicationSubmit Form BA-01 with a BACB verification letter to DCCA PVL; biennial renewal.

Official Behavior Analysis resources

All licenses

Hawaii licensing portals & background checks.

How to use this page. Each card shows the education, supervised experience, exam, and application steps for one Hawaii license, plus its scope of practice. Licensing rules change — always confirm current requirements with the official board before you apply. Verified against the official state boards in June 2026.

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