Continuing Education (CE)

Licensees must complete mandatory CE courses, from providers who meet requirements in §1887.4 of the California Code of Regulations.

• First-time Renewals
  • Licensees renewing for the first time, only require a minimum of 18 CE hours, by the license expiration date
  • See Continuing Education Chart for more details
• Subsequent Renewals
  • Licensees must complete 36-hours of continuing education within the preceding two years of license renewal date
  • See Continuing Education Chart for more details
• Exceptions from CE Requirements
  • The Board may grant exceptions to CE requirements for certain licensees, who during the previous renewal period:
    • Resided in a foreign country, for at least one year; OR
    • Served in the military, outside of California, for at least one year; OR
    • Had a physical or mental disability or medical condition as defined in Section 12926 of the Government Code, for at least one year; OR
    • Are the primary caregiver for an immediate family member (including domestic partners) with a physical or mental disability or medical condition as defined in Section 12926 of the Government Code, for at least one year
  • Request for CE Exception (please read all information carefully):
    • Must be submitted at least 60 days prior to license expiration
  • Verification of Disability or Medical Condition (if needed):
    • Must be submitted at least 60 days prior to license expiration

The Board performs audits of licensees for CE hours, as part of its consumer protection duties. Licensees who do not comply with the Board’s CE requirements may be subject to disciplinary action from the Board’s Enforcement Unit.

• Notification to Licensees
  • Licensee are notified of CE audits, by letter from the Board
  • Upon receipt, the licensee must provide the Board with the information requested in the letter, by the due date.
• Non-compliance
  • Non-compliant files will be forwarded to the Board’s Enforcement Unit for further analysis following the audit.
  • Licensees who are aware, or discover non-compliance with CE requirements are advised to:
    • Complete all required hours immediately; AND
    • Provide the Board with completed course information, along with a letter of explanation.

As of 7/1/17, the Board no longer keeps a list of valid CE Providers (See New Continuing Education (CE) Regulation FAQ's for Licensees for details). Licensees are responsible for finding and verifying a CE Provider is approved by an approval agency accepted by the BBS. The Board does not have the ability to verify if a provider’s approval is in good standing or not. Please refer to the sections below for places to find CE courses.

• CE Approval Agencies

  The following organizations are recognized by the Board as approval agencies for CE Providers:

  • American Psychological Association (APA)
  • Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
  • California Psychological Association (CPA)
  • National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
  • National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
  • National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)
• Board-Recognized Providers

  The following organizations are recognized by the Board as CE Providers:

  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy-California Division (AAMFT-CA)
  • California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC)
  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
  • National Association of Social Workers-California Chapter (NASW-CA)
  • California Society for Clinical Social Work (CSCSW)
  • California Association of School Psychologists (CASP)
  • California Psychological Association (CPA)
  • California Counseling Association (CCA)
  • American Counseling Association (ACA)
• Postsecondary Institutions

  CE hours may be earned from regionally accredited or State-approved postsecondary institutions, which meet the requirements set forth in Business and Professions Code §4980.54, 4989.34, 4996.22, or 4999.76. Credit from postsecondary institutions is earned as follows:

  • 1 semester unit = 15 CE hours
  • 1 quarter unit = 10 CE hours
• Teaching Experience

  CE credit may be earned by teaching courses for acceptable CE Providers or postsecondary institutions, as follows:

  • Course content must be related to the licensee’s scope of practice
  • Licensees may not claim the same course more than once, during a single renewal period
  • Teaching receives the same amount of CE credit as attending the course
• Other Ways CE may be Gained
  • Attendance at Board Enforcement Case Review Training
    A licensee who attends a Board enforcement case review training may be awarded up to six (6) hours of CE in the renewal cycle during which the case review training was attended. The hours earned may only be used to satisfy the Law and Ethics CE requirement.
  • Serving as a Subject Matter Expert for Enforcement Case Review.
    A licensee who acts as a Board subject matter expert (SME) for an enforcement case review may be awarded six (6) hours of CE in the renewal cycle during which the enforcement case review was performed. The hours earned may only be used to satisfy the law and ethics CE requirement.
  • Participation in Examination Development Workshops.
    A licensee who participates in a Board examination development workshop may be awarded six (6) hours of CE in the renewal cycle during which the examination development workshop was attended. The hours earned may only be used to satisfy the Law and Ethics CE requirement.
  • Participation in a Professional Organization’s Law and Ethics Committee.
    A licensee who participates in a professional organization’s law and ethics review committee may be awarded up to six (6) hours of CE in the renewal cycle during which the participation occurred. The CE earned may only be used to satisfy the law and ethics CE requirement.