Updated for 2026

Massachusetts LMFT Continuing Education Requirements

Massachusetts marriage and family therapists must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license.

30hours every 2 years

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31.

What the board saysMassachusetts board rule
All licensees are required, as a condition of license renewal, to complete a minimum of 30 Contact Hours1 of continuing education activities per licensure/renewal period (every two years)2. These Contact Hours must be obtained from Board-recognized Entities.
What it means
  1. At least 30 contact hours each renewal
  2. The renewal period is every two years
262 CMR 7.03Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
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Requirements

Massachusetts LMFT requirements

Total

30 hoursYou need 30 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31.
New licensees
If your first license was issued between January 1 and June 30 of the first (even-numbered) year of the two-year cycle, you must complete 22.5 total CE hours for that first cycle. The one-time 2-hour domestic and sexual violence training, if taken in this cycle, counts toward the 22.5 hours — it is included in that total, not added on top of it.
Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by regional professional association, national professional association, and accredited university.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 4 years after each renewal.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Provisional renewal
The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 3 months before full compliance is required. Massachusetts has no formal conditional/provisional renewal. The only accommodation is a Board-granted extension of time to complete CE, requested before renewal, for demonstrated extenuating circumstances. Extensions are at Board discretion, limited in duration, and not renewable long-term. No exam-in-lieu-of-CE substitution pathway exists.

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 Massachusetts LPC or LCSW license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Massachusetts LPC and Massachusetts LCSW requirements.

Massachusetts LMFT required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 30-hour CE total, Massachusetts requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.

Recurring mandates outside the 2-year cycle

  • Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 264 and 262 CMR 7.03(2), applicants and licensees must complete Board-approved domestic violence and sexual violence training as a condition for licensure, renewal, revival, or reinstatement. This is a one-time lifetime requirement; once completed it need not be repeated. Completing the approved training also counts for 2 hours of CE credit in the cycle it is taken.
Full board policy details
  • Massachusetts imposes no format ratios or caps in the CE rule. All 30 hours may be completed via live, in-person, online, or asynchronous self-study formats, provided the content is approved by a Board-recognized entity. There is no minimum live/in-person requirement and no self-study cap.
  • All CE must be approved by a Board-recognized entity. For LMFTs the primary recognized entity is the New England Association for Family and Systemic Therapy (NEAFAST), coordinating with AAMFT. Courses approved only by another profession's association or another state's MFT association are not accepted. The Board does not pre-approve individual courses; unapproved courses must be submitted to the recognized entity for individual approval. NEAFAST / AAMFT approval is required for LMFT CE. Each license type has its own recognized entity. Alternative activities (teaching a course, presenting, journal or book publication, academic coursework) are NOT exempt from this requirement: they earn credit only if a recognized entity grants credit for them.
  • COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS, 262 CMR 7.00 does not impose a general duplicate-course prohibition. Credit remains subject to the rules of the Board-recognized entity that approved the program, but the state rule does not authorize a corpus-wide automatic rejection of repeated course titles.
  • LICENSE STATUS RULES, Massachusetts offers no inactive or retired status that exempts a licensee from CE. If you renew an active license, the full CE is required even if not practicing; the only way to avoid CE is to let the license lapse. Reactivating a license lapsed up to one cycle (<= 2 years) requires proof of completing all required CE (30 hours) under 262 CMR 7.00 plus fees. Licenses lapsed more than one cycle require CE completion and may require re-examination or letters of good standing. The Board may grant CE waivers or extensions only for demonstrated extenuating circumstances or undue hardship, requested in writing before renewal; the burden of proof is on the licensee.

Massachusetts LMFT CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Massachusetts LMFT licensees need?

Massachusetts requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31.

How often do Massachusetts LMFT licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31.

Is the first renewal different for new Massachusetts LMFT licensees?

If your first license was issued between January 1 and June 30 of the first (even-numbered) year of the two-year cycle, you must complete 22.5 total CE hours for that first cycle. The one-time 2-hour domestic and sexual violence training, if taken in this cycle, counts toward the 22.5 hours — it is included in that total, not added on top of it.

Sources and verification

State source
Massachusetts board rule
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the Massachusetts 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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Massachusetts 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.Massachusetts mental health workforce data →67,140 active providers, or 938.5 per 100,000 residents, ranked 3 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Massachusetts CE requirement pages

Massachusetts LPCMassachusetts LCSWMassachusetts PsychologistMassachusetts Addiction CounselorMassachusetts PMHNP

LMFT CE requirements in other states