Minnesota LMFT Continuing Education Requirements
Minnesota marriage and family therapists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license, including 3 hours of ethics and 4 hours of cultural competency.
40
total hours / 2 years
3
ethics hours
4
cultural competency hours
Biennial · Biennial cycle: CE due by December 31.
Minnesota LMFT requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: CE due by December 31. |
| Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Cultural Competency | 4 hours 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 board approved sponsor and individual approved provider. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 5 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 31-day grace period after expiration and a $100 late fee. |
| Provisional renewal | The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 3 months before full compliance is required. A 90-day CE extension (through March 31 of the even-numbered year following a Dec 31 odd-year cycle end) may be granted upon submitting a CE Extension Attestation form. The licensee may renew and continue practicing contingent on completing remaining hours by the extension deadline. One-time per cycle, not renewable beyond 90 days. |
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
- No cap on self-study or distance learning hours. Licensees may complete all 40 hours via approved home-study or online courses. The Board recognizes both structured educational programs with an instructor (live workshops, seminars, interactive webinars — treated as equivalent to in-person/live) and home-study courses. Asynchronous / on-demand courses are acceptable as home study provided they include an independently graded test component. No live-hour minimum, no per-day cap, and no ratio of live vs. independent study is imposed. All activities must be Board-approved.
- Course/activity repeat restrictions. Teaching an academic MFT course earns CE only the single first time the licensee teaches it (10 CE hours per semester credit hour). Presentations/workshops earn credit only for a single first presentation of developed material (up to 3 hours prep per hour of presentation, plus presentation time). Publications earn one-time credit in the year of publication (up to 40 hours authoring/editing a book, 20 hours for a journal article or book chapter, 3 hours per reviewed manuscript). Original research must be pre-approved and is credited once. Attending identical course content twice in one cycle is not counted twice.
- License status rules. An LMFT who stops practicing entirely may be exempt from CE by filing an affidavit each renewal cycle stating they are retired from practice and perform no MFT services on a volunteer or paid basis. A permanently disabled licensee may be exempt by filing an affidavit plus a physician's statement. Emeritus status (age 62+, retired, not practicing) is exempt from CE. No formal "inactive" license class exists; the retired/no-practice affidavit serves that role, and any practice (even pro bono) voids the exemption.
- Reactivation. A licensee returning to active practice from a CE exemption (retirement, disability, or emeritus) must complete CE equivalent to what would have been required for up to the five years immediately preceding resumption (capped at 100 hours = two full 40-hour cycles plus one prorated year), and must notify the Board in writing before resuming practice.
- No exam substitution for CE. Minnesota has no provision to substitute a national exam or supervised experience in lieu of continuing education hours for renewal.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Minnesota LMFT record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Minnesota LMFT CE free →Minnesota LMFT CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Minnesota LMFT licensees need?
Minnesota requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. Biennial cycle: CE due by December 31.
How many ethics hours are required for Minnesota LMFT licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Minnesota LMFT licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: CE due by December 31.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Minnesota LMFT licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Minnesota requires 4 hours of cultural competency.
Is the first renewal different for new Minnesota 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
- Minnesota board rule
- Last verified
- July 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Minnesota 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 →
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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.
Minnesota mental health workforce data
25,965 active providers, or 445.3 per 100,000 residents, ranked 24 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.