18VAC115-80 Regulations Governing the Registration of Qualified Mental Health Professionals (Fast-Track)

The Virginia Board of Counseling published a fast-track amendment to 18VAC115-80-110, the regulation governing late renewal and reinstatement for Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) registrants, in the Virginia Register on October 19, 2026. The amendment takes effect December 3, 2026, with a public comment deadline of November 18, 2026. Statutory authority is § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia. Prior to a May 7, 2025 exempt action (Action 6549), QMHP-trainee registration expired after five years and was non-renewable. Action 6549 converted QMHP-trainee registration to a one-year renewable term but did not establish any late-renewal or reinstatement pathway. The current amendment fills that gap by adding new subsections B and D to 18VAC115-80-110. New subsection B provides that a person whose QMHP-trainee registration has expired may renew it within one year by paying the late renewal fee ($20) and the renewal fee ($10) as prescribed in 18VAC115-80-20, with no continuing education requirement for trainees at that stage. New subsection D provides that a person whose QMHP-trainee registration has been expired for more than one year must apply for reinstatement, pay the $75 reinstatement fee, and submit evidence of enrollment in or completion of a bachelor's degree program from an institution accredited as required under 18VAC115-80-65. The existing QMHP (non-trainee) reinstatement requirements in subsection C are retained and re-lettered; they continue to require a National Practitioner Data Bank report where applicable and up to 32 hours of continuing education for lapsed years. As of December 31, 2025, there were 8,288 QMHP-trainees registered in Virginia.