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.
40
total hours / 2 years
Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline
Indiana LMFT & LMFTA requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: CE due by March 31 of even years. |
| 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, 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 allows 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. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- publicationmax 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
- 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.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Indiana LMFT / LMFTA record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Indiana LMFT / LMFTA CE free →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. Biennial cycle: CE due by March 31 of even years.
How often do Indiana LMFT / LMFTA licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: CE due by March 31 of even years.
Is the first renewal different for new Indiana LMFT / LMFTA 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
- Indiana board rule
- Last verified
- July 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.3
Reviewed against the Indiana 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 Indiana LMFT / LMFTA 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 recordIndianaguides & 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.
Indiana mental health workforce data
19,727 active providers, or 282.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 46 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.