Updated for 2026

South Dakota LMFT Continuing Education Requirements

South Dakota marriage and family therapists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license, including 4 hours of ethics.

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

Next deadline: November 30, 2026The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

What the board saysSouth Dakota board rule
A licensee shall complete 40 hours of qualified continuing education in each continuing education cycle1. At least four of the continuing education hours must be on the subject of marriage and family ethics2. … A licensee may not receive more than eight contact hours3 during a continuing education compliance period from qualified in-house programs3.
What it means
  1. 40 hours each two-year CE cycle
  2. 4 hours of marriage and family ethics
  3. No more than 8 hours from in-house programs
ARSD 20:71:06:21, 20:71:06:24Last verified July 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
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Requirements

South Dakota LMFT requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 36 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
4
You need 4 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

In-house program
max 8 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.
New licensees
Licensed before or during the first six months of the biennium: 40 hours, including 4 ethics hours.
Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, governmental agency, and state licensing board and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, psychology, and psychiatry.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 2 years after the end of each cycle.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal adds a $50 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 November 30, 2026.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LMFT CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • The CE cycle is a fixed 24-month period running December 1 of an even year through November 30 of the next even year (e.g. the 2024–2026 cycle runs Dec 1, 2024 – Nov 30, 2026). Renewal opens October 1 and is due November 30 of each even-numbered year. The cycle is calendar-fixed for all licensees, not anchored to the individual license issue or expiration date.
  • First-cycle requirements use the Board's six-month tiers, not linear proration. Licensure before or during months 1–6 requires 40 hours and 4 ethics hours; months 7–12 require 30 and 3; months 13–18 require 20 and 2. A license issued in the final six months remains valid through the next biennium and does not renew at the current cycle end.
  • All 40 hours may be obtained through electronic/online means; South Dakota imposes no minimum in-person or live-interactive requirement. Asynchronous recorded courses from approved providers qualify.
  • Academic credit conversions: 1 semester credit = 15 CE hours; 1 quarter credit = 10 CE hours. Coursework must be relevant to counseling/MFT practice.
  • Pre-approved CE sponsors per ARSD 20:68:07:24 include AAMFT, American Counseling Association (and SD Counseling Association), NBCC, APA, American Medical Association, related SD licensing boards (Social Work, Addiction, Psychology), and state agencies (Dept. of Health, Dept. of Social Services). Programs from other sources require Board approval via the Continuing Education Approval Form. Publications and presentations require submission of the Publication Approval Form.
  • Qualified continuing education may not be repeated in consecutive continuing-education cycles. The engine's same-cycle duplicate flag is intentionally disabled because it cannot represent that cross-cycle rule. Presentation credit remains limited to the first presentation.
  • No more than 8 hours may come from an in-house continuing-education program. This is a sponsor/activity cap, not an in-person delivery cap.
  • License status rules, Inactive status: A licensee may place their license on inactive status; an inactive license expires four years after issuance and does NOT require biennial CE while inactive. To reactivate, the licensee must show proof of 40 hours of CE completed in the two years immediately preceding the reactivation request, plus payment of the renewal fee. If not reactivated within 4 years, the license expires and the person must reapply as a new applicant. South Dakota does not offer a separate retired/emeritus status; non-practicing licensees use inactive status.
  • Hardship extensions / waivers: The Board may extend or waive CE requirements for good cause (e.g., serious illness, military deployment, family emergency) only if the request is made BEFORE the license expiration date. No retroactive waivers and no conditional renewal pathway for CE shortfalls, licensees who cannot meet CE and do not obtain an advance extension must either inactivate the license or allow it to lapse.
  • Multi-license credit reuse: Licensees holding more than one credential under this Board (e.g., LPC-MH plus LMFT) may use a single set of 40 CE hours to satisfy renewal for both licenses; the Board does not require a content split between counseling and MFT topics for dual-license holders.

South Dakota LMFT CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do South Dakota LMFT licensees need?

South Dakota requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

How many ethics hours are required for South Dakota LMFT licensees?

Of the total, 4 hours must be in ethics.

How often do South Dakota LMFT licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of even years.

Is the first renewal different for new South Dakota LMFT licensees?

Licensed before or during the first six months of the biennium: 40 hours, including 4 ethics hours.

Sources and verification

State source
South Dakota board rule
Last verified
July 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the South Dakota 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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South Dakota 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.South Dakota mental health workforce data →2,928 active providers, or 313.1 per 100,000 residents, ranked 41 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other South Dakota CE requirement pages

South Dakota LPCSouth Dakota LCSWSouth Dakota PsychologistSouth Dakota Addiction CounselorSouth Dakota PMHNP

LMFT CE requirements in other states