Updated for 2026

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.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
4cultural competency
3ethics

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

What the board saysMinnesota board rule
Licensees must complete a minimum of 40 hours1 of board-approved continuing education every two years1. Three hours in ethical and professional studies2 education covering professional ethics, family law, professional socialization, professional organizations, legal issues, or interprofessional cooperation must be included in the required 40 hours … authoring, editing, or reviewing in an area of marriage and family therapy … The maximum hours earned3 are as follows: … author of a professional book, 40 hours3; … author of a professional book chapter or journal article, 20 hours4; … journal article review, three hours per manuscript5;
What it means
  1. 40 hours every two years
  2. 3 hours of ethics and professional studies
  3. Up to 40 hours for writing a professional book
  4. Up to 20 hours for a book chapter or journal article
  5. Up to 3 hours for each manuscript you review
Minn. R. 5300.0320Last verified July 2026Ruleset 2026.2How we verify
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Requirements

Minnesota LMFT requirements

Total

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

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 33 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Cultural Competency
4
You need 4 hours each cycle.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Book authorship
max 40 hrs per activity
Journal article
max 20 hrs per activity
Publication editing
max 40 hrs per activity
Manuscript review
max 3 hrs per activity

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by December 31.
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 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
The board allows a 31-day grace period after expiration. A late renewal adds 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.

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

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.

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. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is 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?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is 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?

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
Minnesota board rule
Last verified
July 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

We reviewed this page against the Minnesota 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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Minnesota 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.Minnesota mental health workforce data →25,965 active providers, or 445.3 per 100,000 residents, ranked 24 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Minnesota CE requirement pages

Minnesota LPCMinnesota LCSWMinnesota PsychologistMinnesota Addiction CounselorMinnesota PMHNP

LMFT CE requirements in other states