HAN D BO O K FOR FU TUR E

LMFTs
LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS

B O A R D O F B E H A V I O R A L S C I E N C E S
We congratulate you on your decision to become a
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist! The path to
licensure as a mental health professional will require
your attention to many details. This handbook
from the Board of Behavioral Sciences provides a
summary of requirements for licensure as well as tips
that will help guide you through the process.
All licensure-related requirements you must meet
during this journey are set in law. The laws that
govern the licensure process are within the California
Business and Professions Code, and Title 16 of the
California Code of Regulations. These codes are
available in the Statutes and Regulations document
on the Board’s website: Visit www.bbs.ca.gov, then
click on “Statutes & Regulations” on the left side of
the blue bar at the bottom of the page.
ABOUT THE BOARD OF
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
The Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) is the state entity that
regulates Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) in
California, as well as individuals gaining hours of supervised
experience toward LMFT licensure. BBS also regulates Licensed
Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Professional Clinical
Counselors (LPCCs), and Licensed Educational Psychologists
(LEPs). The Board also regulates certain aspects of degree
programs that are designed to lead to licensure.

The Board’s mission is to protect and serve Californians

by setting, communicating, and enforcing standards for
safe and competent mental health practice. The Board’s
vision is to ensure that Californians are able to access the
highest-quality mental health services. To this end, the
Board develops and administers licensure examinations,
investigates consumer complaints and criminal convictions,
responds to emerging changes and trends in the mental
health profession legislatively or through regulations, and
creates informative publications for consumers, applicants,
and licensees.

In addition to establishing the requirements to obtain a license

or registration, the Board’s statutes and regulations provide the
Board the authority to discipline licensees and registrants.

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 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING
CONNECTED WITH BBS
Throughout your path to licensure, it is critical that you remain
up to date on various requirements, as law and process changes
occur from time to time. The best way to remain informed is to
sign up on our email subscriber list (search “BBS email alerts”
at www.dca.ca.gov), follow us on social media (Facebook and
Twitter), and periodically check our website for updates at
www.bbs.ca.gov.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR

OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS
This handbook is based on the requirements that must be met by
individuals obtaining a degree from a California school. If you are
obtaining a degree that is not designed for California licensure
but would like to become licensed in California, we recommend
that you read the Board’s Guide to Out-of-State LMFT Applicant
Requirements: Visit www.bbs.ca.gov, click on the “LMFT” button
in the middle of the homepage, choose “Get a License,” click on
“Out-of-State Applicants,” then scroll to the document.

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OVERVIEW OF THE
PATH TO LICENSURE
Below is an overview of the steps to LMFT licensure. The remainder
of this handbook will go into more detail about each of these steps.

AS A STUDENT
You will not register with the Board as a
student, even though you are allowed to gain
some hours of supervised experience toward
licensure as an MFT Trainee once you have
completed 12 semester units or 18 quarter units
in your degree program. California law sets
forth the requirements for licensure related to
your degree, practicum, and supervised work
experience, so it’s important that you pay
careful attention to meeting those requirements.
For more information, see Parts 1 and 2.

ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK
Prior to submitting an application to the Board,
you may need to complete some additional
coursework. For more information, see Part 1.

UPON GRADUATION—GAINING
POST-DEGREE EXPERIENCE HOURS
You will need to submit an application for
registration as an Associate Marriage and
Family Therapist (Associate or AMFT), along
with a fee and supporting documents in order
to earn post-degree supervised experience
toward licensure. You must be supervised by a
qualified supervisor, receive weekly supervision,
and meet other legal requirements. For more
information, see Parts 3 and 4.
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 SPECIAL RULE ON GAINING POST-DEGREE
HOURS PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF YOUR
AMFT NUMBER
To continue gaining hours after you graduate,
you need to be registered as an AMFT.
However, there is a special rule that may allow
you to gain experience hours during the period
between graduation and the issue date of your
AMFT number. To gain hours during that period,
you must submit an AMFT application and fee
within 90 days of graduation, and you must
provide proof that you have been fingerprinted
by the agency where you are gaining hours.
For more information, see Part 3.

CALIFORNIA LAW AND ETHICS

EXAM AND AMFT RENEWAL
Once you are issued an AMFT number, it will
be valid for six years, though you must renew
your number each year. In order to renew, you
must pay a renewal fee, complete continuing
education, and take a Law and Ethics Exam.
For more information, see Part 3.

APPLYING FOR LICENSURE

AND THE CLINICAL EXAM
Once you have gained your 3,000 hours of
supervised work experience, completed any
required additional coursework, and passed the
Law and Ethics Exam, your next step is to submit
an Application for Licensure, along with a fee
and supporting documents. Once BBS approves
your Application for Licensure, you may apply
to take the LMFT Clinical Exam. Once you pass
this exam, you may apply for your initial LMFT
license to be issued. For more information,
see Part 5.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1: Educational Requirements (page 6)
PART 2: Marriage and Family Therapist
Trainees and Practicum and
Pre-Degree Experience
Requirements (page 9)
PART 3: Associate Marriage and Family
Therapist Registration and the
California Law and Ethics Exam (page 13)
PART 4: Supervised Work Experience
Requirements (page 16)
PART 5: Applying for Licensure and the Clinical
Exam (page 22)
PART 6: Resources (page 24)

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 PART 1: EDUCATIONAL
REQUIREMENTS
QUALIFYING DEGREE
Your first step toward becoming a LMFT in California is earning a
qualifying master’s or doctoral degree from one of the following
types of schools:

An educational institution
accredited by a regional or national An educational institution approved
institutional accrediting agency that by the California Bureau for Private
is recognized by the United States Postsecondary Education.
Department of Education.

An educational institution accredited by the Commission on

Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).

Your degree program must meet the qualifications specified in

law in order to qualify for licensure. Each educational institution
preparing applicants to qualify for registration or licensure must
notify each of its students by means of its public documents or
otherwise in writing that its degree program is designed to meet
the requirements of section 4980.36 of the California Business and
Professions Code (BPC).
The requirements set forth in the BPC include acceptable degree
titles, specific content that must be covered, the number of units,
and practicum requirements. The basic requirements are:
• The degree must contain an overall 60 semester units or 72
quarter units.
• The degree title must be one of the following:
- Marriage, family, and child counseling.
- Marriage and family therapy.
- Couple and family therapy.
- Psychology.
- Clinical psychology.
- Counseling psychology.
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 - Counseling or clinical mental health counseling with an
emphasis in either marriage, family, and child counseling or
marriage and family therapy.
• The degree must contain no less than 12 semester or 18 quarter
units of coursework in theories, principles, and methods of a
variety of psychotherapeutic orientations directly related to
marriage and family therapy and marital and family systems
approaches to treatment and how these theories can be applied
therapeutically with individuals, couples, families, adults
(including elder adults), children, adolescents, and groups to
improve, restore, or maintain healthy relationships.
• The degree must contain all of the course content specified in
BPC section 4980.36.
• The degree must meet certain practicum requirements.

PRACTICUM
Qualifying degree programs must include a minimum of six
semester or nine quarter units of practicum in a supervised clinical
placement that provides supervised fieldwork experience. The
practicum must include:
• A minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face experience counseling
individuals, couples, families, or groups.
• AND an additional 75 hours of either of the following (or a
combination thereof):
- Client-centered advocacy (includes, but is not limited
to, researching, identifying, and accessing resources, or
other activities related to obtaining or providing services
and supports for clients or groups of clients receiving
psychotherapy or counseling services).
- Additional face-to-face counseling experience.
For more information about practicum requirements, see Part 2.

ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK REQUIRED PRIOR

TO APPLYING FOR LICENSURE
Before you can be approved to take the clinical licensure exam,
you must complete both of the following:
• Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention Training: Six hours
of coursework or applied experience will be required. You
won’t need to submit proof of completion until you submit an
Application for Licensure.

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 If six hours of suicide risk assessment and intervention training
was included within your qualifying degree program, you will
need to obtain a written certification from the registrar or training
director of your school or program. The certification must state
that this coursework was included within the curriculum required
for graduation, or within the coursework that was completed by
you.
If the six hours is obtained as part of your applied experience, it
can be met during practicum or while registered as an AMFT. To
satisfy this requirement, you must obtain a written certification
from the director of training for the program or your primary
supervisor where the qualifying experience occurred stating that
the training was included within your applied experience.
• Provision of Mental Health Services via Telehealth: If you are
applying on or after July 1, 2023, three hours of coursework is
required, and must include law and ethics related to telehealth.
If three hours of telehealth training was included within your
qualifying degree program, you will need to obtain a written
certification from the registrar or training director of your school
or program. The certification must state that this coursework was
included within the curriculum required for graduation, or within
the coursework that was completed by you. If you apply prior
to July 1, 2023, the content will be required for renewal of your
license.
If you need to take a course to meet either of the above
requirements, it must be from one of the following providers:

An educational institution An educational A continuing

accredited by a regional institution approved education
or national institutional by the California provider
accrediting agency that Bureau for Private accepted by
is recognized by the Postsecondary the Board.
United States Department Education,
of Education, including including extension
extension courses. courses.

Keep the syllabus for any course you

took that you believe fulfilled the above
requirements. This may be needed to
verify course content.

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PART 2: MARRIAGE AND
FAMILY THERAPIST TRAINEES
PRACTICUM AND PRE-DEGREE
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
An MFT Trainee is an individual who is enrolled in a degree
program that is designed to qualify the person for LMFT licensure
who has completed no less than 12 semester units or 18 quarter
units of coursework in that degree program. An MFT Trainee can
begin earning hours of supervised experience toward licensure
within certain parameters.

SUPERVISED EXPERIENCE AS A TRAINEE

As a Trainee, you are permitted to earn a maximum of 1,300 hours
of supervised work experience toward licensure before your
degree is awarded. Of the 1,300 hours, you are limited to claiming
up to 750 hours of counseling and direct supervisor contact
(combined). The remaining 550 hours may only consist
of nonclinical experience.

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 TRAINEE EXPERIENCE TYPE MINIMUM MAXIMUM
1. Face-to-Face/Direct Counseling 150 hours of practicum
Experience
• Individuals, Groups
• Couples, Families COMBINED
MAXIMUM
2. Supervision Each Week: One unit of OF 750 HOURS
• Individual supervision is required in Note: No more
each work setting than six hours of
• Triadic
• Group Weekly Ratio: One unit supervision
of supervision is required may be credited
One unit of supervision equals for every five hours of in a single week
one hour of individual or triadic direct clinical counseling
supervision or two hours of group provided in a single week
supervision in each setting*
3. Nonclinical Practice None 1,300 Hours Minus
• Administering and evaluating All Face-to-Face
psychological tests Counseling and
Supervision Hours
• Writing clinical reports, progress
notes or process notes
• Client-centered advocacy
• Workshops, seminars, training
sessions or conferences

*Trainees can calculate ratios based on the average number of

hours gained over the entire period of time a Trainee works in a
particular setting.

EXAMPLE TRAINEE EXAMPLE TRAINEE

SUPERVISION RATIO No. 1 SUPERVISION RATIO No. 2
A Trainee works one job and A Trainee works two jobs and
provides 16 hours of direct provides four hours of direct
clinical counseling during clinical counseling at Job A, and
a single week. This Trainee seven hours at Job B during a
must receive four units of single week. This Trainee must
supervision during that receive three units of supervision
week (three of those units during that week (one unit at Job A
may be averaged over and two units at Job B; one of the
other weeks). units at Job B may be averaged
over other weeks).
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF YOUR SCHOOL AND WORK SITE
All hours of experience gained as a Trainee shall be coordinated
between the school and the site where the hours are being
accrued. The school shall approve each site and shall have
a written agreement with each site that details each party’s
responsibilities, including the methods by which supervision shall
be provided. The agreement shall provide for regular progress
reports and evaluations of the student’s performance at the site.
Trainees must work as a W-2 employee or as a volunteer. Trainees
are prohibited from working in a private practice or professional
corporation setting. All other settings are acceptable if they
comply with all of the following:

The school in The setting The setting must

which the Trainee must lawfully provide oversight
is enrolled must and regularly to ensure that the
approve the site provide Trainee’s work
and have a written mental health at the setting
agreement with counseling or meets experience
the site that details psychotherapy. and supervision
each party’s requirements and
responsibilities. is within the scope
of practice for the
profession.

PRACTICUM REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINEES

PROVIDING COUNSELING SERVICES
All counseling services provided by you as a Trainee must
constitute part of your supervised course of study while enrolled
in practicum. However, a Trainee may provide counseling services
while not enrolled in practicum if both of the following are met:

The 90-day (or shorter) period

is immediately preceded
The period of
by enrollment in practicum
lapsed enrollment
and immediately followed
is less than 90
by enrollment in practicum
calendar days.
(or completion of the degree
program).

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 For example, if your practicum course ended May 29 and you are
not taking a summer practicum course, you may see clients for
the next 90 days provided you are enrolled in another practicum
course that starts by August 27, or you graduate by August 27.
If a Trainee’s practicum break is 90 days or greater, the Trainee
cannot count any hours gained during that time period toward
licensure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about supervised experience requirements,
including how to log your hours, the licensees who are qualified to
supervise your hours toward licensure, and more, see Part 4.

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PART 3: ASSOCIATE
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
THERAPIST REGISTRATION
AND THE CALIFORNIA LAW
AND ETHICS EXAM
REGISTERING AS AN AMFT AND THE 90-DAY RULE
Upon graduation, you may apply to become an Associate
Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT). You won’t be able to begin
accruing post-degree hours toward licensure until your AMFT
number has been issued unless you are able to meet the terms of
the 90-Day Rule. As previously mentioned, you do not need to be
registered with the Board to count pre-degree hours.
The 90-Day Rule allows an applicant to count experience from the
date of graduation if all of the following requirements are met:
• You must apply for your AMFT registration within 90 days
of graduation (as determined by the date posted on your
transcript).
• You must have been fingerprinted by the agency where you
would be gaining hours.
• That agency may not be a private practice or professional
corporation.
• You must retain a copy of your completed Live Scan fingerprint
form completed for that agency and submit it when you apply
for licensure.
For full details, see the 90-Day Rule FAQ on the Board’s website:
Visit www.bbs.ca.gov, then click on “Applicant” on the top bar,
then click “LMFT,” then “Register as an AMFT,” and scroll down to
“90-Day Rule/Fingerprinting.”
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 Once issued, your AMFT number will be posted to the BreEZe
system online at www.breeze.ca.gov. Soon after, you will receive
your AMFT registration certificate in the mail.

Tip: Before you graduate, take a look at the

Application for AMFT Registration available on the
Board’s website so you will have an idea of what you
will need to submit to the Board upon graduation.

WORKING AS AN AMFT
AMFTs must comply with all of the following:
• AMFTs must work under a qualified supervisor;
• AMFTs must work as a W-2 employee or as a volunteer;
• AMFTs may not practice independently; and
• AMFTs may not work in a private practice or professional
corporation setting until an AMFT registration number has been
issued by the Board.
Other requirements pertaining to working as an AMFT can be
found in Part 4 of this handbook, in the FAQs for AMFTs and
Trainees—visit www.bbs.ca.gov, click on “Applicant” in the top
bar, then choose “LMFT,” then “Forms/Pubs,” scroll down to
“Publications” and then to the “Supervision” heading—and in the
Board’s Statutes and Regulations: Visit www.bbs.ca.gov, then
click on “Statutes & Regulations” on the left side of the blue bar at
the bottom of the page.

MAINTAINING YOUR AMFT REGISTRATION

AMFT registrations expire annually and have a total six-year
time limit. Your registration’s expiration date will be printed on
your registration certificate. The Board will mail you a courtesy
renewal notice 90 days prior to your expiration date, but it is
your responsibility to renew regardless of whether the notice is
received, just like a driver’s license.
Once your registration’s six-year time limit runs out, you may
apply for a subsequent AMFT registration number, but you will no
longer be permitted to work in a private practice or professional
corporation setting. In order to qualify for a subsequent AMFT
number, you must have passed the California Law and Ethics
Exam.
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To renew each year, you must do all of the following:
• Pay a renewal fee.
• Meet the California Law and Ethics Exam requirement.
• Complete three hours of continuing education in California Law
and Ethics.

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA LAW

AND ETHICS EXAM REQUIREMENT
To meet the exam requirement, you must take the exam prior to
your registration’s expiration date. The Board recommends that
you apply to take the exam as soon as your AMFT registration has
been issued and take the exam well in advance of your expiration
date to ensure your ability to renew on time.
If you wait until the last minute to take the exam, you risk delaying
your ability to renew. Your employer is unlikely to allow you to
work with an expired registration, and you won’t be able to count
any experience hours toward licensure during the time your
registration lapsed.

Tip: Take the Law and Ethics Exam well in advance of your AMFT
registration’s expiration date to ensure your ability to renew on time.

If you don’t pass the exam during your first renewal period (you
may take it once every 90 days), you will need to take it again
during the next renewal period before you renew again. At
minimum, you must take the Law and Ethics Exam once per year
until you have passed it.
See the “Exams” tab on the Board’s website—visit
www.bbs.ca.gov, click on the “Exams” tab at the top of the
page, then choose “LMFT”—for more information about the Law
and Ethics Exam, including a link to the Law and Ethics Exam
Candidate Handbook, which contains the exam’s content outline.

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA LAW AND ETHICS

CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
Three hours of continuing education (CE) in California Law and
Ethics is required once every renewal cycle in order to renew
your registration. For more information on this requirement and
acceptable course providers, see the Registrant CE Brochure.
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 PART 4: SUPERVISED WORK
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
You will need 104 weeks of supervision and 3,000 hours of
supervised work experience that meets all requirements as
specified in law before applying for licensure. Below are some
important tips to help ensure the hours you gain will count toward
licensure:
• Always renew your AMFT registration on time. Take your Law
and Ethics Exam early and submit your renewal fee on time to
ensure your registration does not expire. Hours earned under an
expired AMFT registration will not count and your employer may
not allow you to work.
• Keep track of important documents. This includes supervision-
related forms such as Experience Verification forms, which you
will need to submit with original signatures when you apply for
licensure, or your hours will not count. If you are claiming post-
degree hours under the 90-Day Rule, you must retain a copy of
your agency’s Live Scan fingerprint form. You should also retain
your signed Weekly Logs, but they are not submitted to the
Board except upon request.
• Gain a thorough understanding of supervision-related
requirements. It’s critical that you gain a thorough understanding
of all requirements pertaining to supervision. Your supervisor
must meet certain requirements and your supervised experience
must meet certain requirements for your hours to count toward
licensure. There are many details to these requirements, all of
which are set in law and cannot be waived. The resources at the
end of this handbook will help you in this endeavor.
• Meet with your supervisor every week. You must have a
minimum of one hour of individual or triadic supervision, or two
hours of group supervision in order to count work experience
during that week. Be sure that you are also meeting the required
ratios for supervision of direct clinical counseling hours.

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• Understand the categories of acceptable experience. Review
the LMFT Breakdown of Required Experience on the next page,
including the different category minimums and maximums.
• Understand pertinent employment laws. For example, make
sure that you are working as a W-2 employee or volunteer and
not as an independent contractor, and, if your supervisor is not
employed by your employer, a written oversight agreement
must be in place.
• Understand the Six-Year Rule. All work experience must
be accrued no more than six years before the date the BBS
receives your Application for Licensure. For example, if your
application was received on April 3, 2022, only the experience
gained between April 3, 2016, and April 3, 2022, would count.

These are just some of the rules that pertain to supervised

experience. It’s important that you gain a full understanding
of all requirements to ensure a smooth path to licensure.
The resources in Part 6 of this handbook will assist you in
doing so.

SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATIONS
Only licensed mental health professionals who meet certain
requirements can supervise experience that will count toward
licensure. Licensed mental health professionals include any of the
following:

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs)

• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs)
• Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCCs) (must have
met education and experience requirements that allow the LPCC
to treat couples and families)
• Licensed Clinical Psychologists
• Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEPs) (Note: LEPs
may only supervise up to 1,200 hours, which must consist of
educationally related mental health services that are consistent
with the LEP scope of practice described in BPC section 4989.14)
• Licensed Physicians Certified in Psychiatry by the American
Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

17
 Your supervisor must be licensed and practicing for at least
two of the past five years, complete supervision training,
maintain a current and active California license that is not under
suspension or probation, and meet additional requirements.
You can check your supervisor’s license status any time at
https://search.dca.ca.gov.

REQUIRED FORMS
While gaining your hours of experience you must use the following
forms, available under the “Applicant” tab at the top of the Board’s
website. These forms may change in the future, so be sure to stay
up to date on current requirements.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA – BUSINESS, CONSUMER SERVICES AND HOUSING AGENCY

Board of Behavioral Sciences

1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S200, Sacramento, CA 95834
Gavin Newsom, Governor

Supervision Agreement: You and your supervisor

must sign this form within 60 days of commencing
Telephone: (916) 574-7830
www.bbs.ca.gov

SUPERVISION AGREEMENT

supervision. It includes a supervisory plan to

Between the Supervisor and Supervisee
Required for NEW supervisory relationships entered into on or after January 1, 2022

A licensed mental health professional who provides supervision to any person gaining hours of
experience toward LMFT, LCSW or LPCC licensure is required by law to complete and sign this

be collaboratively developed by you and your

agreement within 60 days of the commencement of supervision. The supervisee shall retain the signed
form and provide the original agreement when applying for licensure.

Note: This agreement does not contain an exhaustive list of all legal requirements pertaining to
supervision. Full legal text is available in the Statutes and Regulations. Legal citations are provided in

supervisor. Retain for future submission with your

the accompanying Supervision Agreement – Index of Legal Citations.

Supervisee’s Name: Last First Middle

Application for Licensure. Note: This requirement

Date Supervisory Relationship Established:

SUPERVISEE’S CURRENT STATUS (as of the date this agreement is signed):

MFT Trainee AMFT ASW APCC

applies to new supervisory relationships that

Associate Applicant: Date applied: ___________ BBS File No. (if known): __________________
Registered Associate Number: _______________ Date Issued: _____________

PART I – TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPERVISOR

Supervisor’s Name: Last

A. SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATIONS
First Middle formed on or after January 1, 2022. For prior
License Type: LMFT LCSW LPCC
Physician Board-Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

California License Number: Date Issued:

LEP Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Expiration Date:
supervisory relationships, you must have
If licensed for less than two (2) years in California, provide your equivalent out-of-state license
information:
a completed Responsibility Statement for
State: License Type: License Number: Date Issued:

37M-300 (New 01/2022) 1

Supervisors, which you will retain for submission
with your Application for Licensure.
The Index of Legal Citations provides a code
reference for each item in the Supervision
Agreement.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA – BUSINESS, CONSUMER SERVICES AND HOUSING AGENCY

Board of Behavioral Sciences

1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S200, Sacramento, CA 95834
Telephone: (916) 574-7830
Gavin Newsom, Governor

Weekly Log of Experience Hours: Log

your hours on this form on a weekly basis
www.bbs.ca.gov

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST TRAINEE / ASSOCIATE

WEEKLY LOG OF EXPERIENCE HOURS

and have your supervisor sign weekly. You

Name of Trainee/Associate: Last First Middle

Supervisor Name Date enrolled in graduate degree program

will retain the original logs. Do not submit

Name of Work Setting (use a separate log for each) Address of Work Setting

Indicate your status when the hours below are logged: Trainee
Post-Degree / Associate Application Pending - BBS File No (if known): ________________
Registered Associate - AMFT Number: _______________

Weekly Logs to the Board except upon

C. Total Hours Per Week
B1. Supervision, Individual
Treatment of Couples,
Groups, Couples or

B2. Supervision, Group**

Families, Children**
A. Direct Counseling
with Individuals,

request.
Supervisor Signature
(A + B = C)****
Experience***
A1. Diagnosis and

B. Non-Clinical

or Triadic**

YEAR __________
Families*

Week of:

Week of:
Week of:
Week of:
Week of:
Total Hours

* Includes telehealth counseling.

** Line A1 is a sub-category of “A” and Lines B1 and B2 are subcategories of “B.” When totaling weekly hours do
NOT include the subcategories - use the formula found in box “C.”
*** Non-Clinical Experience includes: Supervision, psychological testing, writing clinical reports, writing progress
or process notes, client-centered advocacy, and workshops, seminars, training sessions or conferences.
**** A + B + C = Maximum 40 hours / week

37A-525 (Revised 01/2022)

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 STATE OF CALIFORNIA – BUSINESS, CONSUMER SERVICES AND HOUSING AGENCY

Board of Behavioral Sciences

1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S200, Sacramento, CA 95834
Telephone: (916) 574-7830
Gavin Newsom, Governor

Experience Verification: This form is

completed upon the termination of your
www.bbs.ca.gov

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL COUNSELOR

IN-STATE EXPERIENCE VERIFICATION

This form is to be completed by the applicant’s California supervisor and submitted by the applicant

•
•
with their Application for Licensure. All information on this form is subject to verification.
Use separate forms for each supervisor and each employment setting.
Ensure that your form is complete and correct prior to signing. Have your supervisor initial any
changes.
supervised experience with your supervisor
• Do not submit your Weekly Log forms unless specifically requested by the Board.

APPLICANT NAME:
Last First Middle Associate Number
and must indicate the total hours completed
in each category under your supervisor,
APC

Dates of experience being claimed: From: __________________ To: ____________________

mm/dd/yyyy mm/dd/yyyy

SUPERVISOR INFORMATION:

License Type
Supervisor’s Name

License Number State

Telephone (confidential)

Date First Licensed*

your supervisor’s license information, and
Email Address (confidential):
information about your employer. Your
supervisor will sign the form and provide
• Physicians: Were you certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
during the entire period of supervision?
No Yes: Date Board Certified: ____________ Certification Number: _________________
*If licensed in California for less than two years on the first date of experience claimed, attach out-of-state
license information

APPLICANT’S EMPLOYER INFORMATION:

Name of Applicant’s Employer Business Phone you with the original for submission with
your Application for Licensure.
Address: Number and Street City State Zip Code

37A-675 (Revised 01/2022) 1 of 2

STATE OF CALIFORNIA - BUSINESS, CONSUMER SERVICES, AND HOUSING AGENCY

Board of Behavioral Sciences

1625 North Market Blvd., Suite S200, Sacramento, CA 95834
Telephone: (916) 574-7830
Gavin Newsom, Governor

Written Oversight Agreement: When

your supervisor is not employed by your
www.bbs.ca.gov

SAMPLE WRITTEN OVERSIGHT AGREEMENT FOR SUPERVISION

Required when the supervisor is not employed by the supervisee’s employer or
is a volunteer. Note: The specific wording of this sample applies to supervisory
relationships that began January 1, 2022 or later.

Date: ______________
Supervisee name: __________________________ Supervisor name: ______________________
employer or is a volunteer, your employer
and supervisor must sign an agreement
Employer name: __________________________________________________________________

This letter serves as an oversight agreement between (Employer name) and (Supervisor name).
(Employer name) agrees to allow (Supervisor name), who (pick one: “is not employed by” or “is a
volunteer for” (Employer name) to provide clinical supervision to (Associate or Trainee name).

(Supervisor name) agrees to take supervisory responsibility for the services provided by
(Associate or Trainee name). (Supervisor name) shall ensure that the extent, kind and quality of
services performed is consistent with (Associate or Trainee name)’s training, education, and
experience and is appropriate in extent, kind and quality.
that specifies certain responsibilities of
(Employer name) is aware of the licensing requirements that must be met by (Associate or
Trainee name) and agrees not to interfere with (Supervisor name)’s legal and ethical obligations
to ensure compliance with those requirements; agrees to provide (Supervisor name) access to
clinical records of the clients counseled by (Associate or Trainee name); and is aware that the
supervisor will be providing clinical guidance and direction to the supervisee in order to ensure
each party. An example agreement is
available under the “Applicant” tab of the
compliance with the standards of practice of the profession, which include legal requirements and
professional codes of ethics, and agrees not to interfere with this process.

_______________________________ ________________________ ________

Supervisor Printed Name Supervisor Signature Date

Board’s website. Be sure to retain a copy

__________________________________________________________________________
Employer’s Authorized Representative - Printed Name and Title

___________________________________________ __________
Employer’s Authorized Representative Signature Date

NOTE:
This is a SAMPLE letter. It should be written on the letterhead of the employer and must be
signed and dated PRIOR to gaining hours of experience under the supervisor.
for future submission with your Application
for Licensure.
The supervisee shall submit this letter with the application for licensure.

Revised 01/2022

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUPERVISED

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
All of the requirements in this section are explained in
greater detail within the FAQs for AMFTs and Trainees—visit
www.bbs.ca.gov, then click on “Applicant” in the top bar, then
click “LMFT,” then “Forms/Pubs,” choose “Publications,” then click
on the document under “Supervision”—and in the Board’s Statutes
and Regulations (visit www.bbs.ca.gov, then click on “Statutes
& Regulations” on the left side of the blue bar at the bottom of
the page.)

19
 BREAKDOWN OF REQUIRED EXPERIENCE FOR LICENSURE
EXPERIENCE TYPE MINIMUM MAXIMUM NOTES
Direct Clinical 1,750 hours None See Part 2 for
Counseling Experience A minimum of 500 information on
• Individuals of those hours maximum hours
must be gained allowed as a
• Groups Trainee.
• Couples diagnosing and
• Families treating couples,
families, and
children

Nonclinical Practice None 1,250 hours See Part 2 for

• Direct supervisor contact information on
• Administering and maximum hours
evaluating psychological allowed as a
tests Trainee.
• Writing clinical reports,
progress notes, or
process notes
• Client-centered
advocacy
• Workshops, seminars,
training sessions or
conferences

Supervision, Individual 52 weeks that A maximum Supervision

and/or Triadic contain one hour of six Ratios:
of individual/triadic hours of Trainees: An
direct supervisor supervision average of one unit*
contact each week may be of supervision is
credited in a required for every
single week five hours of direct
clinical counseling
provided each week
in each setting.
Associates: Two
units* of supervision
are required for
any week in which
more than 10 hours
of face-to-face
psychotherapy is
performed in each
setting.

20
 EXPERIENCE TYPE MINIMUM MAXIMUM NOTES
Supervision, Group None Same as Same as above
(Maximum of eight in the above
group)

TOTAL WEEKS of 104 supervised None Each week must

Supervised Experience weeks contain a minimum
Required of one unit* of
supervision

TOTAL HOURS of 3,000 hours Pre-degree: A maximum of 40

Supervised Experience Maximum hours credited in
Required 1,300 hours any week

* One unit of supervision equals one hour of individual or triadic

supervision or two hours of group supervision.

21
 PART 5: APPLYING FOR
LICENSURE AND THE
CLINICAL EXAM
QUALIFYING FOR LICENSURE: THE PROCESS
After you have completed your supervised experience, any
additional coursework (if required), and have passed the
California Law and Ethics Exam, you may submit an Application
for Licensure. The Board will notify you once your application has
been evaluated and will provide instructions on how to proceed if
approved, or how to clear up any deficiencies if not approved.

THE CLINICAL EXAM

Once your Application for Licensure has been approved, you
may sign up to take the LMFT California Clinical Exam. You must
take the exam within one year from the date your Application for
Licensure is approved. The “Exams” tab of the Board’s website
includes a link to the Candidate Handbook, which contains the
exam’s content outline.

IF YOU FAIL THE CLINICAL EXAM

You can retake the exam after the waiting period specified in the
Candidate Handbook. You will have a one-year deadline to retake
the exam from the date of your last attempt. If you don’t meet this
one-year deadline your application is considered abandoned and
you will be required to submit a new Application for Licensure.

22
 Tip: Keep track of your one-year deadline for
taking or retaking the clinical exam. If you miss
your deadline, you will have to reapply for
licensure and pay another application fee!

ONCE YOU PASS THE CLINICAL EXAM

Upon passing the clinical exam, you may apply to have your LMFT
license issued by submitting an Application for Initial License
Issuance. Allow up to 30 days for processing. Once issued, your
LMFT license number will be posted to the BreEZe system online
at www.breeze.ca.gov and you will receive the actual wall license
and certificate in the mail. You may not practice independently
until your license has been issued.

MAINTAINING YOUR LICENSE

Your LMFT license will expire every two years. Each two-year
renewal cycle, you will need to complete 36 hours of continuing
education (CE), including six hours specific to law and ethics, and
pay a renewal fee.

Tip: Once you are licensed, pay close attention to

your specific continuing education requirements,
and make sure your courses are taken from an
acceptable provider. The Board audits for CE
periodically, and you can be fined if your courses
do not meet the requirements.

23
 PART 6: RESOURCES
BBS WEBSITE
www.bbs.ca.gov

BBS EMAIL SUBSCRIBER LIST

www.dca.ca.gov/webapps/bbs/subscribe.php
(search “BBS email alerts” at www.dca.ca.gov)

BBS FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/BehavioralSciencesBoardCA

BBS TWITTER
https://twitter.com/BBS_California

BBS NEWSLETTER
www.bbs.ca.gov/resources/general.html

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF MARRIAGE

AND FAMILY THERAPISTS
www.camft.org

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR MARRIAGE

AND FAMILY THERAPY
www.aamft.org

FINANCIAL AID AND LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS

www.bbs.ca.gov/resources/general.html

24
NOTES
Rev: 1/23 PDE_21-288