Resources · Path to Licensure

Step-by-step licensure pathways in Vermont.

Vermont consolidates nearly all behavioral-health licensing under the Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), most professions run by OPR with profession-specific advisors rather than independent boards (the exceptions are the Board of Allied Mental Health Practitioners and the Board of Psychological Examiners). Two structural quirks define Vermont: anyone practicing psychotherapy — including trainees accruing supervised hours — must first register on the Roster of Non-Licensed, Non-Certified Psychotherapists or those hours will not count; and virtually every clinical license also requires passing a Vermont State Jurisprudence Examination in addition to the relevant national exam. All six professions are state-licensed through OPR, including addiction counseling and behavior analysis.

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

Professional Counseling

Prep for the NCMHCE / NCE →
LCMHC

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Required exam: National Counselor Examination (NCE) AND National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), NBCC, plus the Vermont State Jurisprudence Examination.

Scope: Independent practice of clinical mental health counseling — assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. (Pre-licensure, the counselor practices as a registered psychotherapist on the OPR Roster.)
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree in mental health counseling with 60 graduate credits and a 700-hour practicum/internship (CACREP graduates are exempt from the coursework worksheet).
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 hours of post-master’s supervised clinical experience over at least 2 years, including at least 2,000 hours of direct service and 100 hours of supervision; must remain on the Roster throughout.
  3. ExamPass the NCE and the NCMHCE; complete the Vermont Jurisprudence Examination.
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; transcripts sent directly from the school; supervisors submit the Supervision Report Form.

Official Professional Counseling resources

Addiction & Substance Use Counseling

Prep for the MAC / NCAC exam →
AAP

Apprentice Addiction Professional (state credential)

Required exam: None required at this tier (education-based credential).

Scope: Entry-level supervised practice of substance-use counseling within a Division of Substance Use Certified Provider; deemed automatically on the OPR Roster.
  1. EducationHigh-school diploma minimum; 40 hours of substance-abuse counseling education within 5 years of initial certification (enrolled in a degree program or holding an associate’s to renew).
  2. Supervision / experienceAffiliated with and supervised at a DSU Certified Provider; renewable while qualified.
  3. ExamNone.
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; affiliation with a DSU Certified Provider required.
ADC

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (state credential)

Required exam: IC&RC Alcohol & Drug Counselor (ADC-level) examination.

Scope: Substance-use counseling within DSU Certified Providers at a higher level than the AAP.
  1. EducationBachelor’s degree plus 270 hours of substance-abuse counseling education.
  2. Supervision / experienceApproximately 4,000 hours of work experience under direct supervision.
  3. ExamPass the applicable IC&RC examination.
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; affiliation with a DSU Certified Provider required.
LADC

Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (state license)

Required exam: IC&RC Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (AADC) examination, or another exam acceptable to the Director.

Scope: Independent clinical practice of alcohol & drug abuse counseling, including in private practice.
  1. EducationMaster’s degree or higher in a human-services field, including a roughly 600-hour clinical internship during the master’s program.
  2. Supervision / experienceApproximately 2,000 hours of post-degree supervised work experience (engaged in supervised practice = deemed on the Roster).
  3. ExamPass the IC&RC AADC examination (or a Director-approved equivalent).
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; the supervisor reviews the application and submits a Supervisor Report.

Official Addiction & Substance Use Counseling resources

Social Work

Prep for the ASWB exam →
LMSW

Licensed Master’s Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Masters examination plus the Vermont Jurisprudence Examination.

Scope: Advanced master’s-level practice — assessment, treatment planning, case management, supportive counseling, supervision, and community organization. May NOT practice psychotherapy in Vermont.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree from a CSWE-accredited social work program (official transcripts sent directly from the school).
  2. Supervision / experienceNo post-degree supervised psychotherapy hours required (the LMSW is a non-clinical license).
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Masters examination; complete the Vermont Jurisprudence Examination.
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services with the fee and any out-of-state license verification.
LICSW

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Required exam: ASWB Clinical examination plus the Vermont State Jurisprudence Examination.

Scope: Independent clinical social work practice including diagnosis and psychotherapy.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree from a CSWE-accredited program (transcripts sent directly from the school).
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised practice (at least 2,000 direct), with one hour of supervision per 30 hours of practice; must remain on the Roster throughout.
  3. ExamPass the ASWB Clinical examination; complete the Vermont Jurisprudence Examination.
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; supervisors submit the Supervision Report.

Official Social Work resources

Marriage & Family Therapy

Prep for the National MFT Exam →
LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Required exam: National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination (AMFTRB) plus the Vermont State Jurisprudence Examination.

Scope: Independent practice of marriage and family therapy — diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders within relationships, couples, and family systems. (Pre-licensure, the therapist practices as a registered psychotherapist on the OPR Roster.)
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree in MFT or a related mental-health field; COAMFTE-accredited programs are deemed to meet the requirement (others must meet the rule’s coursework).
  2. Supervision / experience3,000 hours of post-degree supervised MFT practice including substantial direct client contact with couples/families and about 100 hours of supervision; must remain on the Roster throughout.
  3. ExamPass the AMFTRB National MFT Examination (Board approval first); complete the Vermont Jurisprudence Examination.
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; transcripts sent directly from the school; supervisors submit the Supervision Report Form.

Official Marriage & Family Therapy resources

Psychology

Prep for the EPPP →
Psychologist (Master’s)

Licensed Psychologist — Master’s level

Required exam: EPPP plus Vermont Jurisprudence requirements.

Scope: Practice of psychology at the master’s level under the Board of Psychological Examiners; upgradeable to the doctoral level.
  1. EducationMaster’s degree judged equivalent to Board standards — a program that is a member of the Council of Applied Master’s Programs in Psychology (CAMPP) or substantially equivalent; at least 60 semester hours.
  2. Supervision / experienceSupervised experience under a licensed psychologist (master’s or doctoral) with at least 3 years’ experience.
  3. ExamPass the EPPP.
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; the Board reviews education before exam eligibility; must be on the Roster if practicing psychotherapy during supervision.
Psychologist (Doctoral)

Licensed Psychologist — Doctoral

Required exam: EPPP (passing scaled score 500) plus Vermont Jurisprudence requirements.

Scope: Independent practice of psychology — psychological assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
  1. EducationDoctoral degree in psychology from an appropriately accredited program.
  2. Supervision / experience4,000 hours of supervised experience total; up to 2,000 may be internship hours, but at least 2,000 must be post-doctoral, supervised by two different licensed psychologists each providing at least 500 hours.
  3. ExamPass the EPPP (scaled score 500).
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services; the Board reviews the application and education before exam eligibility.

Official Psychology resources

Behavior Analysis

Prep for the BCBA exam →
AABA

Associate Applied Behavior Analyst

Required exam: BACB Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) examination.

Scope: Practice of applied behavior analysis under the supervision of a licensed Applied Behavior Analyst.
  1. EducationBachelor’s degree with BACB-required behavior-analytic coursework (BCaBA standard).
  2. Supervision / experienceSupervised fieldwork per BACB BCaBA requirements; practice must be supervised by a licensed ABA.
  3. ExamPass the BCaBA examination (an active BCaBA credential satisfies this).
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services with the fee.
ABA

Applied Behavior Analyst

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

Scope: Independent practice of applied behavior analysis — behavioral assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation of behavior-change programs.
  1. EducationMaster’s or doctoral degree from an ABAI-accredited program (or OPR-approved equivalent) with required behavior-analytic coursework.
  2. Supervision / experienceMinimum 1,500 hours of approved supervised fieldwork over at least one year, including 75 hours of direct one-on-one contact with a BCBA supervisor.
  3. ExamPass the BCBA examination (an active BCBA credential satisfies this).
  4. ApplicationApply via OPR Online Services with the fee; biennial renewal.

Official Behavior Analysis resources

All licenses

Vermont licensing portals & background checks.

How to use this page. Each card shows the education, supervised experience, exam, and application steps for one Vermont 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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