Alabama LMFT, LMFT-A & MFT-INTERN Continuing Education Requirements
What a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT / LMFT-A / MFT-INTERN) must complete to renew in Alabama.
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Alabama LMFT, LMFT-A & MFT-INTERN requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | See the board source for the total-hour requirement. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, local professional association, accredited university, governmental agency, and nbcc approved provider and recognized associations in mft, counseling, psychology, social work, nursing, and medicine. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 2 years after each renewal. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a late fee. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the hours can come from.
- independent studymax 10 hrs
- supervision receivedmax 10 hrs
Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
Full board policy details
- AAMFT- or NBCC-preapproved distance learning is accepted and may include web lectures, internet bulletin-board discussions, email interaction, television, or video. The rule does not require all distance education to be synchronous and imposes no separate live or in-person minimum.
- No more than 10 hours per cycle may be earned through independent study activities, which include teaching MFT courses, presenting professional material (first presentation only), supervising a licensure candidate, service on professional boards or committees, and authoring/editing professional publications. No more than 10 hours per cycle may be counted from receiving supervision by an Approved MFT Supervisor under a board-approved contract.
- Academic coursework conversion: one graduate semester hour = 15 CE hours; one graduate quarter hour = 10 CE hours.
- Course repeat restrictions: An instructor/presenter may claim CE credit only for the FIRST time a given piece of MFT material is presented in a recognized professional forum; teaching the same course again in a cycle yields no additional credit. For attendees, the rules do not explicitly prohibit taking the same course twice for credit within a cycle.
- License status rules: Alabama's MFT board does not offer a formal inactive or retired/emeritus status that pauses CE — a license is either renewed (with full CE) or allowed to lapse. There is no CE requirement during a lapse (no active license). To reactivate an expired license, the licensee must pay the renewal fee plus a late fee AND show completion of the standard required CE hours for the preceding 24 months; no additional makeup hours beyond the standard requirement are mandated. The board publishes no hardship, illness, or military CE waiver/extension; insufficient CE results in refusal to renew.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Alabama LMFT / LMFT-A / MFT-INTERN record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Alabama LMFT / LMFT-A / MFT-INTERN CE free →Alabama LMFT, LMFT-A & MFT-INTERN CE: frequently asked questions
How often do Alabama LMFT / LMFT-A / MFT-INTERN licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Alabama board rule
- Last verified
- July 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Alabama board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it →
Track your Alabama LMFT / LMFT-A / MFT-INTERN CE without the spreadsheet.
Log your hours, watch every category pace toward your biennial renewal, and keep your certificates in one record. Free to start, no credit card required.
Create your free recordAlabamaguides & data
What to keep for a CE audit
What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.
Alabama mental health workforce data
9,968 active providers, or 191.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 51 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.