New Hampshire School Counselor Certification
New Hampshire school counselor certification requires a master’s degree, competencies from an approved pathway such as a state-approved program, a passing score on the Pearson School Counselor (510) test or a comparable test, and a criminal history records check. You apply through the myNHDOE portal, and the license renews every three years.
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New Hampshire licenses public school counselors through the Department of Education under the School Counselor endorsement, code 0040. That’s a separate credential from the Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) license, which the Board of Mental Health Practice issues through the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. If you’re reading older guides, one change matters most: since July 1, 2025, school counselor applicants need a content test. This page covers that, plus the myNHDOE application, renewal, and reciprocity.
Initial New Hampshire School Counselor Certification
New Hampshire’s school counselor rule, Ed 508.01, requires at least a master’s degree plus the school counseling competencies the rule lists, gained through one of the state’s licensure pathways. If you’re still choosing a program, the New Hampshire school counseling programs and internship requirements page covers program selection and fieldwork in more detail.
Step 1: Meet the Education Requirements
Most applicants qualify by completing a New Hampshire-approved school counseling program. Plymouth State University’s M.S.C. in school counseling is the state’s only CACREP-accredited school counseling program, with accreditation running through October 31, 2031. It isn’t the only state-approved option, so if you’re considering a different New Hampshire program, confirm it’s approved by the State Board of Education before you enroll.
The main alternatives cover people who trained elsewhere or are already working in a school:
- Out-of-state program or license: You completed an approved program in another state or hold a full license there. See the reciprocity section below.
- Site-Based Licensing Plan: A New Hampshire school hires you before you’re fully licensed, and you finish the requirements on the job over up to three years. First you’ll need a Statement of Eligibility. That takes at least a bachelor’s degree plus either 15 college credits in school counseling or, through the critical shortage route, two college-level counseling courses or a passing Pearson 510 score. Either way, you must earn a master’s in school counseling, counseling, mental health, psychology, or social work by the end of the plan.
- Portfolio and Oral Board: You’ve worked at least four months full time as a school counselor and meet the degree and testing requirements. You submit a written portfolio, then answer questions from a four-member review board in a half-day oral exam. Applications are accepted only from October 1 through March 30, and the board meets in person.
The Bureau of Credentialing decides which pathway fits your record, so if your situation isn’t a clean match, ask before you apply.
Step 2: Complete Your Program’s Internship
New Hampshire’s approval standards for school counselor preparation programs call for at least 600 supervised internship hours, practicum included, with at least 300 of those in direct service. That’s a requirement your approved program builds in. You won’t log hours on your certification application, since your program’s completion verification covers them.
Step 3: Pass the Pearson School Counselor (510) Test
Older guides, including earlier versions of this page, say New Hampshire has no school counselor exam. That changed on July 1, 2025. The State Board added the Pearson School Counselor (510) test as a licensure requirement for completed applications received on or after that date, according to NHED’s testing requirements. The passing score is 220, and there’s no Praxis option for this endorsement.
You’ll see “or a comparable test” in NHED’s rules, but it’s narrower than it sounds. NHED doesn’t publish a list of accepted substitutes. The Bureau of Credentialing decides comparability case by case. If you’re enrolled in a New Hampshire-approved program and aren’t yet eligible to apply, you can submit a Test Evaluation Request in EIS and get a decision by email. Everyone else uploads the score report with the license application and learns the result during review. So don’t assume another state’s school counselor exam will count. If you haven’t tested yet, the Pearson 510 is the safe choice.
A few details will save you headaches. The New Hampshire test is the Pearson 510, not the Praxis School Counselor (5422) that many other states use. You won’t need the Basic Academic Skills Assessment (BASA), which doesn’t apply to school counselors. And when you register with Pearson, make sure your name, date of birth, and Social Security number match your EIS profile exactly. Pearson sends scores to the Bureau electronically, and a single mismatched digit can leave your score unattached to your file. Scores can take up to six to eight weeks to appear in EIS.
Step 4: Complete the Criminal History Records Check
This is the step that trips people up. First-time applicants complete their criminal history records check (CHRC) clearance at the same time they apply for the credential, not afterward. You’ll book fingerprinting through the New Hampshire Department of Safety and pay its fee, then pay NHED a $100 clearance fee with your application. The check covers criminal history and central registry records. Your application isn’t considered complete until NHED receives those records, and review starts only after clearance is approved, so book fingerprinting as soon as you start. Portfolio and oral board candidates follow a different schedule, which the Bureau explains when it schedules the board. NHED’s first-time applicant instructions walk through each step.
Step 5: Apply and Pay Through myNHDOE
The license application fee is currently $150 under NHED’s fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025, subject to change). If you’re applying after an approved program, that means about $250 paid to NHED with the $100 clearance fee, plus fingerprinting and your Pearson registration. Other pathways cost more. The portfolio route adds $620 in materials and review fees, and a Site-Based plan charges $120 for the Statement of Eligibility and $500 for the Intern Authorization.
What you upload depends on your pathway. Approved-program completers typically need:
- Official transcripts
- Verification that you completed an approved program, which often appears on the transcript itself
- A front-and-back PDF of a government-issued ID, required of first-time applicants for the CHRC
Out-of-state and experience-based applicants add items such as out-of-state licenses and employer experience letters.
Applying Through the myNHDOE Portal
myNHDOE is the Department’s sign-in portal, and the credential application runs through the Educator Information System (EIS) inside it. If you’ve never used it, the process looks like this:
- Create or log into your myNHDOE account.
- From your EIS profile, choose Online Applications and Test Evaluation Requests, then select your credential application. Don’t choose the separate criminal history clearance application, since clearance is built into your credential application.
- Verify your personal information and answer the application questions.
- Upload your documents in EIS. NHED doesn’t accept transcripts, licenses, or test reports by mail or email.
- Pay online by Visa or MasterCard.
- Watch for an on-screen confirmation and a confirmation email.
If an upload fails, email [email protected] with a screenshot of the error. For questions about your application, use NHED’s online Credentialing Help Desk or call the Bureau of Credentialing at (603) 271-2409.
New Hampshire School Counselor Certification Renewal
New Hampshire school counselor licenses renew every three years. Each cycle, you’ll need 45 hours of professional development aligned with the state’s professional education standards, plus 30 hours for each endorsement area. If School Counselor is your only endorsement, that’s 75 hours. Add another endorsement and the total goes up.
How you renew depends on where you work. If your employer has an NHED-approved Professional Development Master Plan that covers your position, you go through a Recommended Renewal, and your employer submits the recommendation. You’ll use a DOE Renewal, submitted directly to NHED, if you’re not employed in a New Hampshire school, your school doesn’t have an approved plan, your position isn’t covered by it, or your license has expired. NHED’s renewal instructions cover both routes.
The renewal fee is currently $150, and one fee covers the endorsements you renew together. Reinstating a lapsed license adds a $100 fee (both subject to change).
New Hampshire School Counselor Certification Through Reciprocity
New Hampshire participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, but reciprocity isn’t an automatic swap. Only full licenses qualify, and temporary licenses issued during the pandemic don’t count. NHED’s out-of-state applicant guidance offers two routes:
- Approved out-of-state program: You completed an approved school counseling program in another state within the last three years. If you finished more than three years ago, you’ll also need a school counselor license from the state where you completed the program, and it can’t have been expired for more than three years.
- Experience: You’ve worked full time for at least three of the last seven years under a full, valid out-of-state license for the endorsement you’re seeking. Substitute, paraeducator, and volunteer work doesn’t count.
Your out-of-state endorsement also has to match. Here’s how that plays out. Dana holds a full Massachusetts school counselor license and has spent four of the past five years at a middle school in Lowell. She’s moving to Manchester, and her license plus experience fits the experience route. Her colleague Marcus holds a Massachusetts School Adjustment Counselor license instead. NHED’s endorsement comparability list treats that license as comparable only to New Hampshire’s School Social Worker endorsement, not School Counselor, so he’d need a different path to work as a school counselor here.
Reciprocity doesn’t waive New Hampshire’s testing rule, and an out-of-state license alone doesn’t prove you passed a test. If you took a school counselor exam in another state, upload the score report with your application, and the Bureau will decide whether it’s comparable. If it isn’t, you’ll need the Pearson 510. First-time New Hampshire applicants also complete the CHRC. Apply through myNHDOE, and call (603) 271-2409 if your situation doesn’t fit neatly.
New Hampshire School Counseling Certification Resources
These organizations support New Hampshire school counselors with professional development, advocacy, and career resources:
Frequently Asked Questions
Does New Hampshire require an exam to become a school counselor?
Yes, as of July 1, 2025. Completed applications received on or after that date need a passing score of 220 on the Pearson School Counselor (510) test, or a test the Bureau of Credentialing evaluates and accepts as comparable. NHED doesn’t publish a list of accepted substitutes, so if you haven’t tested yet, take the Pearson 510. It isn’t the Praxis, and school counselors don’t need the BASA.
When does the background check happen in New Hampshire?
At the same time you apply. First-time applicants complete the criminal history records check clearance alongside the credential application, including fingerprinting through the Department of Safety. NHED won’t start reviewing your application until clearance is approved, so schedule fingerprints right away.
Can I transfer my school counselor certification from another state to New Hampshire?
Often, yes, but it isn’t automatic. You’ll need a full license plus either a recently completed approved program or at least three of the last seven years of full-time experience under that license. Your endorsement also has to be comparable to New Hampshire’s School Counselor endorsement. The state’s testing requirement still applies, though the Bureau may accept a comparable out-of-state exam after reviewing your score report.
How often do I need to renew my New Hampshire school counselor certification?
Every three years. You’ll need 45 hours of professional development in professional education plus 30 hours for each endorsement area, which comes to 75 hours if School Counselor is your only endorsement. If your employer’s Professional Development Master Plan covers your position, your employer submits the renewal recommendation. Otherwise, you renew directly with NHED.
How much does New Hampshire school counselor certification cost?
After an approved program, plan on about $250 paid to NHED: a $150 license fee and a $100 criminal history clearance fee. Department of Safety fingerprinting and Pearson test registration are extra. The portfolio and Site-Based routes carry additional fees, and renewal currently costs $150 every three years. Fees are subject to change, so check NHED’s fee schedule before you pay.
- A content test is required: Applications completed on or after July 1, 2025 need Pearson 510 (score 220) or a comparable test accepted by NHED.
- Most people qualify through an approved program: Site-Based and Portfolio/Oral Board pathways exist for people already working in schools.
- The background check runs alongside your application: Start fingerprinting when you apply, because NHED won’t review your file until clearance comes through.
- Renewal hours depend on your endorsements: It’s 45 hours plus 30 per endorsement area every three years, or 75 hours with School Counselor alone.
- Reciprocity needs a full, matching license: You’ll also need a recent approved program or three of the last seven years of experience.
Still finishing your degree, or not sure your program will qualify? Start with a master’s program that lines up with New Hampshire’s requirements before you apply.
