What Is In the DOH 670-100 Packet
The Mental Health Counselor Associate License Application Packet is DOH 670-100 (March 2025). Its contents list names five pieces: the packet cover and mailing information (670-100), an application instructions checklist (670-101), the application form itself (DOH 670-102), the Approved Supervisor Declaration (DOH 670-130), and a Practicum Exemption Verification (DOH 670-247) for applicants who need it. It can be filed online or on paper.
The application form asks for demographic information, a set of personal data questions about fitness to practice, education and transcript information, any other license or credential held in another state, and two closing items: a declaration of working toward licensure as a mental health counselor as defined in RCW 18.225.145, and the applicant's signed attestation.
Official Transcripts, Sent by the School
The packet instructs the applicant to have the graduate school send official transcripts directly to Mental Health Counselor Associate Credentialing, not the applicant, showing completion of a qualifying master's or doctoral degree (DOH 670-101). The DOH FAQ on the 120-day rule confirms the same requirement in its own words: "Official Transcripts: Sent directly from your school showing completion of a qualifying master's or doctoral degree from an accredited program," noting that a Parchment notification arrives when transcripts are delivered and should be kept for the applicant's records.
An applicant with a behavioral science degree relating to mental health counseling, rather than a counseling degree itself, has an added step: the program must meet course-content equivalency requirements under WAC 246-809-221, addressed on the application's own worksheet for content areas and the counseling practicum or internship requirement.
The Approved Supervisor Declaration, Filed by the Supervisor
DOH 670-130 (March 2025) is filled out by the supervisor, not the applicant. The supervisor must hold a license without restrictions in good standing for at least two years (WAC 246-809-234(1)). On the form, the supervisor attests to at least 15 clock hours of clinical supervision training and 25 hours of experience supervising clinical practice (WAC 246-809-234(4)), and to gaining full knowledge of the supervisee's practice setting, recordkeeping, financial management, ethics of clinical practice, and a backup coverage plan (WAC 246-809-234(5)), then signs that they have "read and met all the requirements in connection with WAC 246-809-234." The DOH FAQ on the pending practice rule calls this out as its own item: an "Approved Supervisor Form: Submitted directly by your supervisor who meets WAC 246-809 requirements."
Read Washington LMHCA supervision requirements for who qualifies as an approved supervisor and what counts as immediate supervision on this track.
The Fee, and What the Application Does Not Ask For
The application fee is $35 plus the $16 HEAL-WA fee, for a total of $51 (WAC 246-809-990). The application form itself carries a section headed "Declaration Working Toward Licensure," where the applicant declares they are "working toward licensure as a Mental Health Counselor as defined in RCW 18.225.145."
The associate application asks for none of the numbers that come later. Associate applicants are not required to have supervised postgraduate experience before becoming an associate (WAC 246-809-230(5)), and the LMHCA credential itself requires no exam. Both the 100 hours of immediate supervision and the National Certification Examination or National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination belong to the later LMHC application, not this one.
Practice With a Pending License in Washington: the 120-Day Rule
Effective October 1, 2025, an individual may practice under a pending associate license for up to 120 days if they submit a completed associate license application to DOH (WAC 246-809-097(1)). The window is not tied to the date the applicant clicks submit. The DOH FAQ states it directly: "The 120 day window begins on the date the Department receives all required application materials."
A complete application, for purposes of that window, means four things arriving at DOH: the application form, fully completed online or on paper; official transcripts sent directly from the school; the Approved Supervisor Form, submitted directly by the supervisor; and the application fee. The FAQ is explicit that partial filing does not start the clock: "You cannot practice under the pending license rule until all items are submitted."
Practicing during the 120 days still means practicing under an approved supervisor per WAC 246-809-020, including the same supervision rate that applies to every licensure candidate: at least one hour of supervision for every 80 hours of clinical practice time (WAC 246-809-020(2)(b)). One rule applies only to the pending period specifically: the supervisor must review and agree with any assessment or diagnosis before it goes to the patient (WAC 246-809-020(2)(c)).
The window ends at 120 days or on denial, whichever comes first, and it does not reset. "The 120-day period shall not be extended or renewed" (WAC 246-809-097(4)). DOH does not publish a processing time for the underlying application on any profession page, packet, or FAQ, and no rule or FAQ says whether hours worked during the 120 days count toward the LMHC's eventual 3,000-hour total. Keep a record of that time regardless.
The clock is not the mailbox. Mailing the application does not start the 120 days. DOH has to have received the form, the transcripts, the supervisor form, and the fee, all four, before the pending practice window opens (DOH MHC FAQ).
Common Mistakes on the LMHCA Application
Starting to practice before the supervisor form is in
The Approved Supervisor Form has to be submitted directly by the supervisor. An applicant whose own paperwork is complete but whose supervisor has not yet filed still has no 120-day window open (DOH MHC FAQ; WAC 246-809-097(1)).
Assuming the clock starts at the postmark or the online submit button
The 120 days begin on the date DOH receives every required item, not the date the applicant sends the application (DOH MHC FAQ).
Assuming the 120-day window can be extended
It cannot. The rule states the period shall not be extended or renewed, regardless of how close the applicant is to a decision (WAC 246-809-097(4)).
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More on Washington licensure
The associate application process is nearly identical across all three Washington tracks: the LSWAIC and LMFTA applications follow the same 120-day rule, the same DOH-received-everything standard, and the same non-extendable window, just with their own packets and supervisor declaration forms. See what an LSWAIC is in Washington and Washington LMFT requirements. For the full picture across every Washington track, see how to become a therapist in Washington State.
Related Washington Counseling Guides
What an LMHCA Is in Washington
The associate credential itself, before the application paperwork.
Washington LMHC Requirements
The 3,000-hour total and 100 supervision hours the LMHCA leads to.
Washington LMHCA Supervision Requirements
Who qualifies as an approved supervisor and what immediate supervision means.
The Washington Supervised Experience Verification Forms
The forms that verify hours once the LMHCA is working toward the LMHC.
FAQ: The LMHCA Application in Washington
What does the LMHCA application in Washington include?▾
The DOH 670-100 packet (March 2025): the application form itself (DOH 670-102), official transcripts sent directly from the school, an Approved Supervisor Declaration (DOH 670-130) submitted by the supervisor, a Practicum Exemption Verification if that applies, and the application fee. It can be filed online or on paper. The applicant also signs a declaration of working toward full licensure as defined in RCW 18.225.145.
How much does the LMHCA application cost in Washington?▾
$35 plus the $16 HEAL-WA fee, for a total of $51 (WAC 246-809-990). The renewal fee is $25 plus $16, or $41. Fees are nonrefundable (WAC 246-809-990(3); WAC 246-12-340).
Do I need supervised hours or an exam to become an LMHCA?▾
No. Associate applicants are not required to have supervised postgraduate experience before becoming an associate (WAC 246-809-230(5)), and the associate credential itself requires no exam. The 100 hours of immediate supervision and the 3,000 postgraduate hours come after the LMHCA issues, on the path to the full LMHC.
When does the 120-day pending practice period start for an LMHCA?▾
On the date DOH receives every required item, not the date the applicant hits submit (DOH MHC FAQ). A complete application means the application form, official transcripts sent directly from the school, the Approved Supervisor Form submitted directly by the supervisor, and the application fee (DOH MHC FAQ; WAC 246-809-097(1)). Effective October 1, 2025, an individual may practice under a pending associate license for up to 120 days once all of that is in (WAC 246-809-097(1)).
Can the 120-day pending period be extended?▾
No. "The 120 day period shall not be extended or renewed" (WAC 246-809-097(4)). Practice under the pending license must stop once the 120 days end or the application is denied, whichever comes first (WAC 246-809-097(3)).
Do hours earned during the 120-day pending period count toward the 3,000-hour requirement?▾
Not published. No DOH rule or FAQ addresses whether pending-period hours count toward the 3,000-hour LMHC total, so this page does not state one way or the other. Keep records of any hours worked during that window regardless.
How long does Washington take to process an LMHCA application?▾
DOH does not publish a processing time on any mental health counselor profession page, packet, or FAQ. There is no stated turnaround to plan against.
Requirements verified against chapter 246-809 WAC (current through WSR 26-01-042), chapter 18.225 RCW, and the DOH 670-100 Mental Health Counselor Associate License Application Packet (March 2025), current as of September 23, 2026. Statutes, rules and fees can change. Confirm current requirements at the Washington DOH mental health counselor page before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.