Updated for 2026

Arkansas LMFT & LAMFT Continuing Education Requirements

Arkansas marriage and family therapists must complete 24 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT / LAMFT license, including 3 hours of ethics.

24hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 24
3ethics

The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

What the board saysArkansas board rule
No license will be renewed without evidence of satisfactory completion of a minimum of twenty-four (24) clock hours1 of continued professional education (CE) and/or training in the twenty-four (24) months prior to renewal1. … Evidence must also be submitted of a minimum of three (3) clock hours obtained in ethics2 relevant to the license being renewed. … Documentation of teaching a new course or publishing a journal article or book3 in an area of counseling or marriage and family therapy. … Ten (10) hours of CE credit may be counted3; … Relevant professional service in leadership positions4 such as officers of the state, regional, or national professional associations or members of the board. … Ten (10) hours of CE credit may be counted4
What it means
  1. 24 hours every two years
  2. 3 hours of ethics
  3. Up to 10 hours for teaching a new course or publishing
  4. Up to 10 hours for professional leadership service
17 CAR § 75-702Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.4How we verify
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Requirements

Arkansas LMFT & LAMFT requirements

Total

24 hoursYou need 24 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Topic minimums, counted within the 24

The remaining 21 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Teaching new course or publication
max 10 hrs
Professional leadership service
max 10 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before your renewal.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LMFT CE hours calculator

Also hold a Arkansas LPC or LCSW license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Arkansas LPC and Arkansas LCSW requirements.

Full board policy details
  • Arkansas does not impose a live/self-study ratio or in-person minimum. Acceptable CE activities include workshops, presenting, academic coursework, publishing, and professional service. Workshops by qualified professionals from state/nationally recognized programs or NBCC-approved providers are accepted.
  • Credit conversion formulas: Presenters earn 2 CE hours per 1 hour of initial presentation. Academic coursework earns 15 CE hours per 1 course credit hour. Teaching a new course or publishing a journal article/book earns 10 CE hours. Leadership/professional service earns 10 CE hours. Volunteer services under the Arkansas Volunteer Health Care Act earn 1 CE hour per 8 volunteer hours.
  • Course repeat restrictions: Presenter credit (2 hours per hour of presentation) is awarded only for the initial presentation of a workshop. The rule does not cap the initial presentation at 10 hours and does not otherwise forbid retaking the same CE course.
  • License status rules: Non-practicing (inactive) status is available for counselors out of work due to health, retirement, military service, or other extenuating circumstances. Non-practicing licensees are NOT exempt from CE, they must still submit proof of the 24 required CE hours at renewal. Non-practicing status may be renewed up to TWICE without additional Board approval, requiring only the normal renewal fee and CE; renewals beyond two consecutive cycles in non-practicing status require additional Board approval. If a license has been lapsed/expired for over 12 months, the licensee must reapply as a new applicant; within 12 months of expiration, late renewal is possible with fees and full CE compliance. No formal CE waivers or extensions are offered.
  • Renewal deadline and enforcement: Arkansas licenses expire biennially on May 31 of the licensee's renewal year, and CE evidence must be satisfactory by that date. The expiration-date anchor preserves the licensee-specific renewal-year parity while the 24-month lookback supplies the CE window.
  • Specialization: If a licensee has a specialization listed on their Statement of Intent, they must complete CE hours specific to that specialization. The rule does not specify a minimum number of hours.
  • Dual counseling/MFT licensees still owe 24 total hours and 3 ethics hours. The remaining 21 hours must show a balance between counseling and MFT content; because the rule gives no numerical floor for either discipline, the balance is a manual review rather than a structured 7-hour proxy.
  • Supervisors: 3 of the 6 required supervision CE hours must be from Board-recognized state associations or an Arkansas university-sponsored program.
  • A licensee short on CE hours may take the NCE, NCMHCE, or AMFTRB examination and meet the national passing score as a substitute for CE clock hours. This is separate from the conditional/extension process.

Arkansas LMFT & LAMFT CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Arkansas LMFT / LAMFT licensees need?

Arkansas requires 24 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT / LAMFT license. The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

How many ethics hours are required for Arkansas LMFT / LAMFT licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Arkansas LMFT / LAMFT licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Sources and verification

State source
Arkansas board rule
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

We reviewed this page against the Arkansas board source, and we refresh it 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

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Arkansas guides & data

What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.Arkansas mental health workforce data →11,122 active providers, or 357.1 per 100,000 residents, ranked 35 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Arkansas CE requirement pages

Arkansas LPCArkansas LCSWArkansas PsychologistArkansas Addiction CounselorArkansas PMHNP

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