Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Information for Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) and
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Applicants

  • 6-year Life Span
    • Registrations issued by the Board are valid for a 6–year period (five renewals)
    • Registrants who have not completed all hours of supervised experience within the 6–year life span must apply for a subsequent registration number to continue the path toward licensure
    • Many registrants apply for a second (or third, etc.) registration number to gain additional supervised work experience or for employment purposes
  • Private Practice and Professional Corporation Settings
    • Registrants with a subsequent registration number cannot work in a private practice or a professional corporation setting. There are no exceptions.
  • Examination Requirements
    • Applicants must PASS the LMFT California Law and Ethics Exam before a subsequent registration can be issued.
  • AMFT Subsequent Registration Application

The schools below offer MFT programs with California–specific content and have been evaluated by the Board. At the time of the evaluation, these programs were determined to meet the LMFT licensure requirements pursuant to California Business and Professions Code (BPC) § 4980.36 for students who began their graduate studies on or after August 1, 2012.

Please note that schools may update their program curriculum and course descriptions over time. Therefore, the list may not reflect the most recent changes. We recommend contacting the school directly to confirm that the degree program continues to meet current educational requirements for licensure.

It is ultimately the applicant's responsibility to ensure compliance with all licensure requirements including verification of the school's accreditation.