Ohio LMFT, IMFT & IMFT-S Continuing Education Requirements
Ohio marriage and family therapists must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT / IMFT / IMFT-S license, including 3 hours of ethics.
30
total hours / 2 years
3
ethics hours
Biennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's issue date.
Ohio LMFT, IMFT & IMFT-S requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary. |
| Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, governmental agency, and board approved sponsor and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, art therapy, and music therapy. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 30 hours can come from.
- journal articlemax 10 hrs
- book publicationmax 30 hrs
- publicationmax 10 hrs
- first time presentationmax 10 hrs
- academic teachingmax 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
- Distance learning may make up 100% of the 30-hour requirement; there is no self-study or home-study cap and no minimum live/in-person hours. Real-time video conferencing is classified as interactive/live and is distinct from text-based "distance learning" (self-study), but neither classification caps the total because 100% distance learning is permitted.
- Academic coursework conversion: 15 clock hours per academic semester hour; 10 clock hours per academic quarter hour.
- Volunteer-service credit: IMFTs (and IMFT-with-supervision-endorsement) may claim up to 6 hours of volunteer service toward the 30-hour total at a rate of 1 credit hour per 60 minutes. Volunteer service does NOT count toward the 3-hour ethics requirement. Dependent MFTs may not claim volunteer-service credit.
- First-time presentation/teaching: credit for first-time presentation of a CE program, in-service workshop, seminar, or conference is awarded at 1.5 hours per hour of board-approved presentation, up to 10 hours per renewal period; teaching a college course is credited at 1.5 hours per course hour, up to 10 hours per renewal period, only for first-time preparation and presentation.
- COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS — Licensees may not attend the same program twice within a two-year renewal period (narrow exception for programs required annually by national accreditation, state certification, or evidence-based models). Teaching credit is limited to first-time presentation/preparation; re-teaching identical material earns no additional credit. College coursework must not be previously taken unless updated due to passage of five or more years. Distance-learning/home-study course content must be refreshed at least every five years to remain creditable.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES — A licensee renewing into inactive-escrow status is exempt from the CE requirement while inactive. Ohio offers no formal "retired" license status. Restoration from inactive-escrow requires 30 clock hours of CE (including 6 ethics hours rather than the usual 3) earned within the two years immediately preceding the restoration application; those hours may not be reused to renew the restored license. Applicants who have not practiced for more than five years must complete 45 hours (6 in ethics); those who have not practiced more than ten years must propose a professional development plan. A lapsed (non-inactive) license lapsed two years or less is restored upon showing the renewal CE requirement has been met. The board may fully or partially waive CE for disability, residence abroad, military service, or other reasonable cause; military active-duty members may receive a CE response-time extension equal to their months on active duty.
- Effective July 1, 2026, CE "banking" is eliminated — licensees may no longer apply up to 12 excess hours from the prior renewal period to the current renewal. Until July 1, 2026, up to 12 hours from the immediately prior renewal period may be carried forward only if the licensee had an excess over 30 hours in that prior period.
- A CE program approved for one license type is considered approved for all license types (cross-license portability). Ohio has no exam-substitution pathway allowing a passing exam score to substitute for CE clock hours.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Ohio LMFT / IMFT / IMFT-S record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Ohio LMFT / IMFT / IMFT-S CE free →Ohio LMFT, IMFT & IMFT-S CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Ohio LMFT / IMFT / IMFT-S licensees need?
Ohio requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT / IMFT / IMFT-S license. Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
How many ethics hours are required for Ohio LMFT / IMFT / IMFT-S licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Ohio LMFT / IMFT / IMFT-S licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Ohio board rule
- Last verified
- July 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Ohio 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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