Related Topics
Quick Hits
Right Column
LMFT License Requirements
Update
- As a result of legislation signed last year, beginning January 1, 2012, all trainees gaining counseling hours of experience must be enrolled in a practicum course, unless the period of lapsed enrollment in practicum is less than 90 calendar days and that period is immediately preceeded and immediately followed by enrollment in a practicum course. This is an unintended consequence of Senate Bill 363 and the Board is working to resolve this issue with urgency legislation to require only those trainees subject to the new curriculum requirements (Senate Bill 33 , Statutes of 2009) to meet this practicum requirement. New curriculum requirements apply to the following applicants: students beginning graduate study on or after August 1, 2012; students that begin graduate study before August 1, 2012 but fail to complete that study before December 31, 2018; and, students that begin graduate study before August 1, 2012 and graduate from a program that meets the new curriculum requirements. The Board will continue to provide updates on legislation to address this issue, however, until corrective legislation is signed into law and becomes effective no trainee will be permitted to gain counseling hours of experience unless he or she meets the requirements in Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 4980.42.
- SB 363 (Chapter 384, Statutes of 2011) made a number of changes to experience requirements for LMFTs effective January 1, 2012.
Click Here for Application Processing Times
Prior to mailing any application to the Board, we strongly encourage all applicants to review their application and verify the application is complete and includes all required forms and appropriate fees. A completed application provides the applicant the best opportunity to avoid delays in approving the applicant for the licensure examination.
LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS
This information is a brief outline of the license requirements for someone who wants to pursue licensure as an LMFT in the State of California. For more detailed information, please refer to Navigating the MFT Licensing Process.
Education Requirements
The Board requires applicants to possess a qualifying Doctor's or Master's degree. Please see BPC sections 4980.36, 4980.37, and 4980.41 of the Board's Statutes and Regulations for more information on degree qualifications.
Additional coursework required prior to licensing examination for applicants beginning graduate study before August 1, 2012 and completing graduate study before December 31, 2018 ONLY:
- Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting (7 hours)
- Human Sexuality (10 hours)
- Alcoholism and Chemical Substance Abuse Dependency (15 hours must be taken in qualifying degree program)
- Spousal/Partner Abuse Detection and Intervention (15 hours for those who entered degree program on or after 1/1/2004; Course can be any length for those who entered a qualifying degree program between 1/1/1995 to 12/31/2003 Must be taken in qualifying degree program).
- Psychological Testing (2 semester units or 3 quarter units only for those who entered a qualifying degree program on or after 1/1/2001)
- Psychopharmacology (2 semester units or 3 quarter units only for those who entered a qualifying degree program on or after 1/1/2001)
- California Law and Professional Ethics (2 semester units or 3 quarter units)
- Aging and Long Term Care (10 hours only for those who entered a degree program on or after 1/1/2004; For all others this is not a pre-licensure requirement)
Experience Requirements
- 104 weeks of supervision
- 3,000 hours of supervised work experience.
Please refer to the documents below for a breakdown of supervised experience requirements for the relevant timeframe.
- LMFT Breakdown of Required Experience for Hours Gained On or After January 1, 2012.
- LMFT Breakdown of Required Experience for Hours Gained On or After January 1, 2010, and before January 1, 2012.
For Hours Gained on or After January 1, 2010, and before January 1, 2012:
- LMFT Experience Categories – Summary of Hours Permitted/Required
- Frequently Asked Questions – LMFT Supervised Experience Changes
All Applicants
While enrolled in a qualifying degree granting institution, an LMFT student gains hours as an MFT Trainee at school approved sites. MFT Trainees do not register with the Board.
Upon graduation, the pre-licensee must register with the Board as an MFT Intern in order to accrue post-degree hours of supervised experience towards the licensing requirements.
If the pre-licensee applies for an MFT Intern registration number within 90 days from his or her qualifying degree’s conferral date, the pre-licensee can count the hours accrued in-between thedegree conferral date and the issue date of the Intern registration number. The Board honors the postmark date when checking whether or not an applicant met the 90 day window.
Examination Information
Once an applicant meets all requirements, and the Board reviews and approves the application for examination eligibility, the applicant will receive an eligibility notice to take the LMFT Standard Written Examination. The eligibility notice indicates that the examination candidate must take the examination within one year of becoming eligible. Upon passing the Standard Written Examination, the applicant must pass a LMFT Written Clinical Vignette Examination.
When in the exam cycle, the applicant must take an examination within one year of failing an examination or within one year of passing the Standard Written Examination. The applicant must take the Clinical Vignette Examination within one year of passing the Standard Written Examination. Once an applicant passes both examinations, he or she must apply for an Initial License Issuance within one year of passing the Clinical Vignette Examination in order to receive a license number.
Updated: January 23, 2012