Illinois LMFT Continuing Education Requirements
Illinois marriage and family therapists must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license, including 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention.
30
total hours / 2 years
1
sexual harassment prevention hours
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Illinois LMFT requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Sexual Harassment Prevention | 1 hour required each cycle. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, accredited university, governmental agency, state licensing board, and board approved sponsor and recognized associations in mft. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a late fee. |
| Other mandates | DCFS-approved mandated reporter training (Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse). Required of all Illinois LMFTs as designated mandated reporters. Non-medical personnel must complete the training at least once every three years. Required at renewal regardless of any CE exemption — including at the FIRST renewal, when the 30-hour CE requirement is otherwise waived — because it is a condition of licensure under a separate statute (325 ILCS 5/4), not a CE rule. The hour may be counted toward the 30-hour CE requirement if taken through an acceptable provider. |
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.
Illinois LMFTrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 30-hour CE total, Illinois requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 2 years cycle
- DCFS-approved mandated reporter training (Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse). Required of all Illinois LMFTs as designated mandated reporters. Non-medical personnel must complete the training at least once every three years. Required at renewal regardless of any CE exemption — including at the FIRST renewal, when the 30-hour CE requirement is otherwise waived — because it is a condition of licensure under a separate statute (325 ILCS 5/4), not a CE rule. The hour may be counted toward the 30-hour CE requirement if taken through an acceptable provider.
Full board policy details
- No live/self-study ratio. 100% of the 30 hours may be earned via approved distance learning (pre-recorded online, live online, mail, or computer courses). Non-live courses must include an examination to verify participation. No in-person minimum and no daily maximum.
- Teaching credit is granted at 1.5 CE hours per hour taught and ONLY for the first presentation of a course or program — no credit for repetitious presentations. Academic MFT program coursework counts as 15 CE hours per semester hour. Authoring a professional publication or delivering a first-time conference presentation earns 5 CE hours, only the first time the information is published or presented. Attendees may not receive credit for repeating an identical CE course within the same renewal period.
- CE sponsor approval: AAMFT is named in the rule as a pre-approved CE sponsor, and entities other than AAMFT may apply to the Division for authorization as approved CE sponsors under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1283.110(c). CE must come from an approved sponsor unless the activity is one of the by-rule credit categories (teaching, publication, academic coursework). 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1283.110(b)(1) and 1283.110(c).
- Out-of-state / individual course approval: IDFPR provides an approval process for courses not automatically approved for credit. A licensee may submit materials for an out-of-state or otherwise non-approved course to the Division to obtain CE credit for it. Not enforced structurally — a course approved through this pathway should be entered with its provider marked approved at credit-entry time.
- Inactive status: no CE is required while a license is on inactive status. Reactivation/restoration after a lapse or inactive period of 5 years or less requires proof of 30 CE hours earned within the two years prior to restoration. For a lapse/inactive period over 5 years, the applicant must also submit proof of active practice in another jurisdiction, an affidavit of military service, or re-passing the national MFT exam. There is no age or length-of-practice CE waiver; hardship relief is via a Section 1283.120 variance request only. No retired-license category exists — a license is either active (with CE) or inactive (no CE until reactivation). 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1283.90 (restoration) and 1283.120 (variances).
- Multi-license credit reuse: a licensee holding multiple IDFPR licenses (e.g. LMFT and LCPC) may apply the same CE hour toward each license's requirement if the content is relevant to each and the provider is approved for each profession. The engine evaluates one license at a time; this is informational only.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Illinois LMFT record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Illinois LMFT CE free →Illinois LMFT CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Illinois LMFT licensees need?
Illinois requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How often do Illinois LMFT licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Illinois LMFT licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Illinois requires 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention.
Is the first renewal different for new Illinois LMFT licensees?
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Illinois board rule
- Last verified
- July 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Illinois 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 Illinois LMFT 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 recordIllinoisguides & 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.
Illinois mental health workforce data
56,193 active providers, or 441.8 per 100,000 residents, ranked 25 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.