Updated for 2026

Louisiana LMFT Continuing Education Requirements

Louisiana marriage and family therapists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license, including 3 hours of ethics and 6 hours of diagnosis.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
6diagnosis
3ethics

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

What the board saysLouisiana board rule
A licensee must accrue 40 clock hours of continuing education by every renewal period every two years1. … A licensee must accrue three clock hours of training in ethics2 that specifically addresses ethics for licensed marriage and family therapy as defined in Subparagraph C.2.e every renewal period. A generic ethics class will not be acceptable. 9. A licensee must accrue six clock hours of training in diagnosis every renewal period3 … Effective January 1, 2017, a maximum of 20 CEHs may be obtained through an online format4, with the exception of coursework obtained through a regionally accredited institution of higher education. … Original presentations at workshops, seminars, symposia, and meetings in an area of marriage and family therapy … may count for up to 10 hours maximum5 at a rate of three clock hours per one-hour presentation.
What it means
  1. 40 hours every 2 years
  2. 3 hours of ethics specific to marriage and family therapy
  3. 6 hours of diagnosis
  4. No more than 20 hours online, except coursework at regionally accredited institutions
  5. No more than 10 hours from original presentations
LAC Title 46, Part LX, §3503Last verified July 2026Ruleset 2026.2How we verify
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Requirements

Louisiana LMFT requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 31 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Diagnosis
6
You need 6 hours each cycle.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Home study / self-study
max 20 hrs
Live
min 20 hrs
First time presentation
max 10 hrs
Publication
max 10 hrs
Teaching
max 10 hrs
Professional service
max 10 hrs

Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

At least 20 hours must be earned live.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
The board allows a 730-day grace period after expiration. A late renewal adds a late fee.

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 your renewal.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LMFT CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • No more than 20 of the 40 hours may be completed through asynchronous online/distance learning each renewal period. Synchronous, real-time interactive webinars count as live attendance toward the 20-hour live minimum. Academic coursework from a regionally accredited institution is exempt from the online cap and may count in full even if delivered online.
  • Non-allowable activities: the Board gives no CE credit for business meetings, marketing or practice-building seminars, supervision sessions (outside the supervisor CE content area), personal therapy, or any content contrary to the LMFT code of ethics. Activities not based on sound educational principles (e.g., agency procedural training or self-help) do not count.
  • Up to 20 of the 40 hours may come from "optional" activities: teaching a graduate MFT course (1 hour per hour taught, max 10, first-time-only), authoring/editing/ reviewing MFT publications (max 10), original professional presentations (3 CE hours per 1 hour presented, max 10), and structured peer consultation including at least one LMFT (1 hour per hour, max 10). The combined optional total cannot exceed 20 hours. The individual 10-hour caps are enforced here; the combined optional-activity pool requires manual review because credits do not carry a shared regulatory-pool field.
  • Course repeat restrictions: CE credit for teaching a course is earned only for the first time the individual teaches that course during a renewal period; repeat offerings of the same course in the same cycle earn no additional credit. Presentation credit applies to original presentations only; re-runs of the same presentation in the same cycle do not earn additional credit. Repeating the same course as a participant within a cycle is not intended to earn additional credit.
  • License status rules: Louisiana offers no inactive or retired LMFT status; a license is either active (with the 40-hour biennial CE met) or lapses/expires. There is no CE exemption for inactivity. A lapsed license may be reinstated within 2 years by paying a late fee and submitting documentation of the required 40 CE hours for the missed period; all late renewals are automatically audited. After 2 years lapsed the license expires and the licensee must reapply. No hardship, military, or illness CE waiver is provided in the rules.
  • Dual-license credit reuse: An LMFT who also holds another Louisiana mental-health license with CE requirements may apply those CE hours toward the LMFT requirement, but at least 20 of the 40 hours must be specific to marriage and family therapy (including the MFT-specific ethics and diagnosis hours).
  • CE approved by AAMFT, its Louisiana division (LAMFT), or the Louisiana Counseling Association (LCA) is automatically accepted. The Board does not pre-approve courses or providers, and CE is not required to come from pre-approved providers: activities from any other organization or individual may still count if they fall within an approved content area and are taught by a qualified presenter, subject to review by the advisory committee at renewal.

Louisiana LMFT CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Louisiana LMFT licensees need?

Louisiana requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. The renewal cycle is biennial and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

How many ethics hours are required for Louisiana LMFT licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Louisiana LMFT licensees renew?

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

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Louisiana LMFT licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Louisiana requires 6 hours of diagnosis.

Can Louisiana LMFT licensees complete CE online or by home study?

Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. At least 20 hours must be earned live.

Sources and verification

State source
Louisiana board rule
Last verified
July 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

We reviewed this page against the Louisiana 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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Louisiana 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.Louisiana mental health workforce data →21,407 active providers, or 463.5 per 100,000 residents, ranked 22 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Louisiana CE requirement pages

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LMFT CE requirements in other states