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Continuing Education (CE)

Important Information for Licensees About Completing Continuing Education for a Past Renewal Period

The COVID-19 law waiver waiving the requirement for licensees to complete 36 hours of continuing education in order to renew has now ended. This waiver of required continuing education to renew a license was available to all licensees whose license expired between March 31, 2020 and October 31, 2021. Although the waiver allowed licensees to renew without completing required continuing education, licensees remain responsible for completing continuing education required for past renewal periods. The Board would like to remind all licensees that they must complete all continuing education for past renewal periods by April 1, 2022. Failure to do so will result in a citation and/or a fine if you are audited.

Please also keep in mind that continuing education courses taken for your past renewal cycle will not count toward your required continuing education for your current renewal cycle

Information about where to find acceptable CE courses can be found below under "Where to find CE courses"

Mandatory Coursework

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, must complete 18 hours of continuing education within the two years prior to first license renewal. This includes specific coursework required by law.
- See Continuing Education Chart and Continuing Education Information Brochure for more details
Subsequent Renewals
- Licensees must complete 36 hours of continuing education within the two years prior to each license renewal date, including 6 hours of Law and Ethics.
- See Continuing Education Chart and Continuing Education Information Brochure 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

CE Audits

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.

Where to Find CE Courses

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.