How to Complete Your MFT Licensure Requirements in California

California sets itself apart with the nation’s most unique MFT licensure requirements. The state licenses Marriage and Family Therapists differently from all others by skipping the National MFT Exam and using its own state-specific examination process instead.

The path to becoming an LMFT in California offers two distinct routes to licensure. You can choose Path A (Licensure by Credential) or Path B (Licensure via Education and Experience). Both paths require your degree program to include at least 60 semester or 90 quarter units of instruction. The process also requires you to complete supervised practice hours and pass two mandatory exams: the California Law and Ethics Exam and the California Clinical LMFT Exam.

This complete guide simplifies California’s MFT license requirements into clear steps that will help you approach the application process confidently. Let’s take a closer look at everything you should know to earn your LMFT license in the Golden State.

Understand the Two Paths to Licensure

The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) gives you two ways to become a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. These options work well for experienced professionals from other states and those who need to meet California’s specific educational and experience requirements.

Path A: Licensure by Credential

Path A is a quick route for experienced therapists from other U.S. states. You’ll need to meet all four of these criteria:

1. You have held a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist in another U.S. jurisdiction for at least two years
2. Your current license is at the highest level for independent clinical practice in that jurisdiction
3. Your license is active and you’ve kept it unrestricted for at least two years right before applying to the BBS
4. You got your qualifying master’s or doctorate degree from a school with regional or national institutional accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or from a school approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education

Meeting all these requirements makes Path A your fastest route to licensure. All the same, you’ll need to complete some California-specific requirements, like passing the California Law and Ethics Exam.

Path B: Licensure via Education and Experience

Path B is for applicants who can’t meet all four criteria for Path A. This includes new graduates, those with licenses from other states that don’t qualify for Path A, and international applicants. Path B has several detailed requirements:

Your degree must meet California’s educational standards. The program needs at least 60 semester or 90 quarter units of instruction. You might need extra coursework if your degree falls short of California’s specific requirements.

California wants 3,000 hours of supervised experience over at least 104 weeks (two years). If you’re from another state with some experience, the BBS might credit your licensed MFT time at 100 hours per month, up to 1,200 hours, if you did a practicum during your graduate training.

You’ll also need to pass both the California Law and Ethics Exam and the California Clinical LMFT Exam.

While working on these requirements, you can apply to be an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT). This lets you work under supervision as you complete your licensure requirements. You’ll need to renew your AMFT registration yearly, and it’s good for up to six years.

California lets out-of-state therapists on Path B complete certain educational requirements after getting their degree. But if you haven’t held your license for two or more years, you must complete 250 hours of supervised experience in California as an AMFT, even if you met the supervised experience requirements in another state.

Whatever path fits your situation, knowing these requirements will help you get through the licensure process smoothly. Each path has its own form, so pick the right one based on your background.

Meeting the Educational Requirements

Your trip toward MFT licensure in California starts with educational qualifications. The Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) sets specific degree requirements that vary based on your graduate studies’ start date and your chosen licensure path.

Minimum degree standards for LMFT in California

Your degree needs to meet several basic requirements to qualify for LMFT licensure in California. You must have a master’s or doctoral degree from a school with regional or national institutional accreditation. The U.S. Department of Education must recognize this accreditation. Schools approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) also qualify.

Your degree program needs 48 semester units or 72 quarter units at minimum. Students who started their program after August 1, 2012, or graduated after December 31, 2018, need 60 semester units or 90 quarter units.

The curriculum should blend marriage and family therapy principles with mental health recovery-oriented care. It must also incorporate cultural understanding and socioeconomic factors. The program should encourage personal qualities that lead to effective practice and allow specialization in complex problems Californians face.

Required coursework for Path A and Path B

Whatever licensure path you choose, your degree must have 12 semester units or 18 quarter units in marriage, family, and child counseling, along with systems approaches to treatment.

The practical experience requirement includes 6 semester units or 9 quarter units of supervised clinical practicum with 225 hours of face-to-face counseling experience. Client-centered advocacy can make up 75 of these hours. The BBS waives this practicum requirement if you have a current LMFT license in good standing from another state or country at the highest level.

Path B applicants need extra coursework beyond core requirements. This extra work covers:

• Diagnosis, assessment, prognosis, and treatment of mental disorders
• Developmental issues from infancy to old age
• Marriage and family relationships within various California cultures
• Cultural competency and sensitivity
• Multicultural development and cross-cultural interaction
• Effects of socioeconomic status on treatment and available resources
• Resilience factors
• Human sexuality
• Substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders
• California law and professional ethics

The coursework must also cover case management, systems of care for the severely mentally ill, community resources, disaster response, advocacy, and collaborative treatment.

Remediating missing coursework

Your degree program might not meet all California’s requirements. Path B applicants who started their program after August 1, 2012, or graduated after December 31, 2018, with fewer than 60 semester or 90 quarter units, must take additional graduate-level courses.

You can make up 12 semester units or 18 quarter units. The BBS needs these extra units before approving your Application for Licensure and Examination. You can complete these units while registered as an Associate MFT.

A 12-hour California Law and Ethics course from an approved continuing education provider becomes necessary if your law and ethics course lacks California content. If your course was shorter than 2 semester units or 3 quarter units, you’ll need a graduate-level California law and ethics course.

One course can fulfill multiple requirements. A multicultural counseling course that covers California cultures counts toward both overall unit requirements and specific content requirements.

All make-up coursework must be graduate-level from an accredited school. The U.S. Department of Education must recognize the accrediting agency, or the California BPPE must approve the school.

Fulfilling Supervised Experience Requirements

Clinical experience under supervision is an important part of California’s MFT licensure process. You’ll need to plan carefully and document your professional growth to become skilled at meeting these requirements.

Required hours and supervision structure

Getting your LMFT license in California means completing 3,000 hours of supervised experience over at least 104 weeks (two years). These hours must follow a specific pattern:

• You must complete at least 1,750 hours of direct counseling with individuals, groups, couples, or families. This includes a minimum of 500 hours specifically treating couples, families, and children
• Your remaining hours (up to 1,250) can include non-counseling activities like writing clinical reports, giving psychological tests, attending workshops, and meeting with supervisors

Your supervision needs a well-laid-out format. Trainees need one unit of supervision for every five hours of client contact. Associate MFTs need one unit of supervision for their first 10 hours of counseling each week in each setting. They need another unit for hours beyond 10. Your 104 weeks must include at least 52 weeks with one hour of individual or triadic supervision.

Pre-degree vs post-degree hours

Pre-degree experience comes with major limits. Trainees can collect up to 1,300 hours before graduation. No more than 750 of these hours can be counseling and supervisor contact combined. So you must earn at least 1,700 hours after graduation.

The “90-Day Rule” gives you some flexibility. You can count experience from your graduation date if you register as an AMFT within 90 days. You must also get fingerprinted by your agency (not a private practice) and keep your Live Scan fingerprint form. It’s worth mentioning that hours earned with an expired AMFT registration won’t count toward licensure.

Special rules for out-of-state experience

Out-of-state practice has its own verification rules. You must document this experience on separate forms for pre-degree and post-degree work. Each supervisor and employer needs different forms.

Licensed MFTs from other states might get credit for their active practice time. The BBS can accept up to 100 hours per month, maxing out at 1,200 hours. This applies only if you completed a practicum during graduate training.

The BBS must get your Application for Licensure within six years of your work experience. There’s one exception: up to 500 practicum hours from your degree program can be older than six years.

Passing the Required Exams

You must pass two mandatory examinations to complete a critical phase in your California MFT licensure trip. These exams will test your knowledge of clinical practice, ethics, and California-specific legal requirements.

California Law and Ethics Exam

The California Law and Ethics Exam will be your first testing milestone. This computer-based examination has 75 multiple-choice questions (only 50 are scored) that you need to complete within 90 minutes. The content splits into two main areas: Law (40%) and Ethics (60%).

The Law portion covers:

• Confidentiality, Privilege and Consent (14%)
• Limits of Confidentiality/Mandated Reporting (16%)
• Legal Standards for Professional Practice (10%)

The Ethics section addresses:

• Professional Competence and Preventing Harm (18%)
• Therapeutic Relationships (27%)
• Business Practices and Policies (15%)

Associate MFTs must take this exam at least once per renewal period until they pass. The board won’t issue a subsequent AMFT registration without passing this exam first.

California Clinical LMFT Exam

The LMFT Clinical Exam is your final licensure challenge. California gives its own state-specific clinical examination, unlike most states that require the national MFT exam. This detailed test has 170 multiple-choice questions that you’ll complete over 4 hours.

You must meet these requirements before taking this exam:

• Pass the California Law and Ethics Exam
• Get approval of your Application for Licensure

Exam eligibility and timelines

Timing affects the examination process by a lot. You’ll need to wait 90 days to retake any exam after failing it. This waiting period will ensure you get a new version of the exam.

The Clinical Exam has strict deadlines after your original exam approval. You must take it within one year of:

• The date you passed the Law and Ethics Exam, or
• The date your Application for Licensure was approved

Your application will be abandoned if you miss these deadlines. This could lead to lost experience hours and you might need to reapply.

Submitting Your Application and Final Steps

The California LMFT licensure experience reaches its final stage when you complete your application. You need to take care of some administrative steps after finishing your education and supervised hours.

Fingerprinting and background check

The California Board of Behavioral Sciences needs complete background checks from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). California residents must use the Live Scan method to submit fingerprints electronically to the DOJ. You should complete your Live Scan within 30 days before submitting your application. Live Scan results usually reach the Board in 1-3 days. The process might take longer if you have a conviction history.

Applicants outside California must use fingerprint hard cards. The Board will mail these cards to you after you request it via email. Hard card fingerprints take about 6-8 weeks to process. Your fingerprint information stays confidential and the Board cannot share it with third parties.

Application fees and forms

You’ll need to pay several fees during the application process. The examination application costs $200, which covers both the application fee and written test. You’ll pay an extra $100 for the Clinical Vignettes Examination after passing the written exam. The AMFT registration fee has increased from $75 to $150.

Make sure to fill out all application sections in ink with your legal name and original signature. You must answer all background questions honestly. A Background Statement becomes mandatory if you answer “yes” to any background questions. The BBS speeds up the review process for honorably discharged veterans and spouses/partners of active military personnel.

Requesting initial license issuance

You have one year to apply for your initial license after passing both exams. Your experience hours might be lost if you miss this deadline, as your application will be considered abandoned. The initial license fee costs $200. You should pay by check or money order to the “Behavioral Sciences Fund”.

Send your completed application with payment to the Board of Behavioral Sciences in Sacramento. The Board usually takes 30 working days to process applications. Remember to include the right form and documentation if you’ve changed your name.

Meet Your California MFT Licensure Requirements with Education

California’s licensure process for Marriage and Family Therapists needs careful planning and attention to detail. This piece explains the unique aspects of California’s licensure process. The state uses its own examination system instead of the National MFT Exam, which sets it apart from other states.

Your first step is to determine if you qualify for Path A (Licensure by Credential) or Path B (Licensure via Education and Experience). This decision will shape your entire path to licensure. Path A creates an efficient route for experienced therapists from other states. Path B gives a clear pathway for recent graduates and those who don’t meet Path A criteria.

California’s educational standards are the foundations of your licensure process. Your degree must have at least 60 semester or 90 quarter units. You need specific coursework in marriage and family therapy principles, diagnosis, treatment, and California-specific content. You must complete any missing coursework before final licensure approval.

The supervised experience requirement of 3,000 hours over at least 104 weeks is another key component. These hours must follow specific distribution guidelines, with at least 1,750 hours focused on direct counseling. Pre-degree experience has limitations, and hours earned under expired registrations won’t count toward licensure.

Passing both required exams is a major milestone. You must clear the California Law and Ethics Exam and the California Clinical LMFT Exam. Each exam tests different aspects – from legal and ethical considerations to clinical competence.

The final application process needs attention to administrative details like fingerprinting, background checks, and fee payments. Missing application deadlines can lead to abandoned applications and lost experience hours.

Becoming an LMFT in California might seem daunting, but understanding each step makes the process manageable. California’s requirements ensure therapists are well-prepared to serve the state’s diverse population effectively. With proper planning and dedication, you’ll achieve your goal of becoming a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the Golden State.