Updated for 2026

Indiana LMFT & LMFTA Continuing Education Requirements

Indiana marriage and family therapists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT / LMFTA license.

40hours every 2 years

Next deadline: March 31, 2028The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

What the board saysIndiana board rule

Category II is defined as continuing education that is self-directed … Research and publication¹ of research results … earns ten (10) CEUs¹, but may only be claimed for the initial publication of the information. … A renewal period is defined as the two (2) year period beginning with April 1 of even-numbered years². … A licensee who renews a license as a social worker, clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist associate, mental health counselor, mental health counselor associate, addiction counselor, or clinical addiction counselor shall complete not less than twenty (20) CEUs per year³, in compliance with section 1(b) of this rule, for a total of forty (40) CEUs for the two (2) year renewal period³.

What it means

A publication counts for no more than 10 hours
A 2-year period from April 1 of an even year, so CE is due by March 31 of the next even year
At least 20 hours a year, 40 hours per 2-year renewal

839 IAC 1-6-1, 1-6-3Last verified July 2026Ruleset 2026.5How we verify

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Requirements

Indiana LMFT & LMFTA requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Publication: max 10 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal: The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.
New licensees: The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.
Approved providers: Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, and governmental agency and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, and psychology.
Recordkeeping: Keep CE documentation for 4 years after the end of each cycle.
Board audit: The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal: A late renewal adds a late fee.
Provisional renewal: The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 6 months before full compliance is required. Under IC 25-1-4-5, a licensee who is short on CE at renewal may be issued a conditional license while completing the deficient hours. The licensee must complete the missing CE within 6 months of the board's notice of noncompliance and pay a civil penalty (up to $1,000, set by the board). The conditional license is not renewable or extendable; failure to complete the hours within 6 months results in immediate suspension. A second consecutive cycle of noncompliance may result in outright denial of renewal under IC 25-1-4-6.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before March 31, 2028.

Total hours completedof 40

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LMFT CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details

Indiana requires at least 10 of each licensure year's 20 CEUs to be Category I formal programming and permits no more than 10 Category II self-directed CEUs. Category I expressly includes approved computer, audio, and video home-study programs, while Category II includes some in-person activities such as office in-services and case conferences. The Category I minimum is enforced as a subject/activity category, not through a false live/self-study delivery-format proxy. The Category II counting limit is stated here rather than modeled as a delivery cap.
At least 1 hour of ethics and professional conduct training must be earned in each licensure year (April 1 – March 31) from Category I formal programming. Ethics hours count toward the 20-hour annual and 40-hour biennial totals.
Instructor, presenter, or supervisor credit is available only for the initial delivery of a seminar, workshop, or training. Academic faculty credit is limited to the first time a course is taught within the same semester, and publication credit is available only for the initial publication. The rule does not impose a general duplicate-course ban on attendees.
License status / reactivation: CE is not required during periods the license is inactive/lapsed (Indiana has no formal inactive or retired status, the license simply expires if not renewed). To reinstate, the licensee must complete the CE requirements that would have been due for the missed cycle(s) (40 hours per missed cycle), pay applicable penalties, and meet board reinstatement criteria. For lapses over 3 years, formal reinstatement application under IC 25-1-8-6 is required.
Hardship waiver: a licensee may request a waiver of CE for the current renewal cycle only by applying in writing to the board at least 45 days before license expiration, demonstrating extreme hardship (e.g. active full-time U.S. armed services duty for at least one year of the period, or serious illness/disability of the licensee or an immediate family member under their care, documented by a physician or psychologist). If granted, the waiver applies only to the current renewal period; if denied, full CE must be completed before renewal.
Multi-license credit reuse: a licensee holding multiple licenses under IC 25-23.6 (e.g. dual LMHC and LMFT) may apply the same CE hours toward the renewal requirements of each license held, separate sets of hours are not required.
No carry-forward: excess CE hours earned in one cycle cannot be carried over to the next renewal period.
Supervisor eligibility (one-time, not recurring CE): LMFTs who wish to supervise LMFT Associates must complete a one-time 30-hour supervisor training per 839 IAC 1-4-5 before serving as a supervisor. There is no recurring supervision-specific CE requirement at renewal.

Indiana LMFT & LMFTA CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Indiana LMFT / LMFTA licensees need?

Indiana requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT / LMFTA license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

How often do Indiana LMFT / LMFTA licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

Is the first renewal different for new Indiana LMFT / LMFTA licensees?

The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.

Sources and verification

State source: Indiana board rule
Last verified: July 2026
Ruleset version: 2026.5

We reviewed this page against the Indiana 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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Indiana 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.Indiana mental health workforce data →19,727 active providers, or 282.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 46 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Indiana CE requirement pages

Indiana LPC Indiana LCSW Indiana Psychologist Indiana Addiction Counselor Indiana PMHNP