Texas LMFT Continuing Education Requirements
Texas marriage and family therapists must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license, including 6 hours of ethics and 3 hours of cultural diversity.
30
total hours / 2 years
6
ethics hours
3
cultural diversity hours
Biennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's birth month.
Texas LMFT requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month. |
| Ethics | 6 hours required each cycle. |
| Cultural Diversity | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Format limits | Up to 1 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. |
| Carryover | Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next cycle. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by international professional association, national professional association, state professional association, local professional association, public school district, education service center, governmental agency, accredited university, hospital, nonprofit religious or charitable organization, and board approved supervisor and recognized associations in mft. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 3 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 365-day grace period after expiration and a late fee. |
| Other mandates | Approved human trafficking prevention training (Tex. Occ. Code Ch. 116) required as a condition of each license renewal. Course must be approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission; completion certificate required for renewal. Completing the training may be claimed for 1 hour of CE credit toward the 30-hour total. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 30 hours can come from.
- home study / self-studymax 1 hrs
- first time presentationmax 5 hrs
- publicationmax 5 hrs
- academic courseworkmax 5 hrs
- carryovermax 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.
Texas LMFTrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 30-hour CE total, Texas requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 2 years cycle
- Approved human trafficking prevention training (Tex. Occ. Code Ch. 116) required as a condition of each license renewal. Course must be approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission; completion certificate required for renewal. Completing the training may be claimed for 1 hour of CE credit toward the 30-hour total.
Full board policy details
- As of January 1, 2024, at least 50% of CE hours (at least 15 of 30) must come from approved provider categories: international/national/state/local mental health professional associations, public school districts or education service centers, governmental agencies, accredited colleges/universities, hospitals or hospital systems, recognized religious or charitable organizations, or a graduate-level LMFT with supervisor status acting as a CE provider. A provider endorsed by any of those entities also qualifies. The Council does not pre-approve providers or courses.
- Self-study (educational activity done alone, not part of an organized course, e.g. reading articles/books) is capped at 1 hour per cycle. Individually viewing or listening to recorded material as part of an organized course from a third-party provider is NOT self-study and is not subject to the 1-hour cap.
- Per-category caps of 5 hours each per renewal period apply to: preparing and delivering a CE presentation; authoring a published book or peer-reviewed article; and teaching or attending a graduate-level course in a relevant subject.
- COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: Multiple instances or occurrences of the same CE activity may not be claimed within the same renewal period. This applies to both attending and presenting/teaching — an instructor may claim credit for teaching the identical course only once per cycle. Repeating the same course in a LATER renewal period is permitted (a new instance in a new period).
- LICENSE STATUS RULES: Licensees with inactive status are not required to complete CE while inactive, but may not practice. Upon reactivation, the CE that would have been due during the inactive period must be completed (30 hours per deferred cycle including ethics and cultural diversity). Retired and expired (lapsed) licenses have no CE obligation because they are not active; restoring them requires reinstatement and meeting current requirements. Active-duty military service members are entitled to two additional years to complete CE and other renewal requirements per Tex. Occ. Code Sec. 55.003.
- The same CE hour may be applied to multiple licenses (e.g. LMFT and LPC) if it meets each board's criteria; Texas provides no automatic cross-credit and each license's requirements must be satisfied independently. Informational only.
- No exam-in-lieu-of-CE pathway exists for LMFT renewal in Texas. An LMFT supervisor must take and pass the jurisprudence examination each renewal period; passing it yields 1 hour of ethics CE. Non-supervisors may voluntarily take it for 1 ethics hour but are not required to.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Texas LMFT record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Texas LMFT CE free →Texas LMFT CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Texas LMFT licensees need?
Texas requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
How many ethics hours are required for Texas LMFT licensees?
Of the total, 6 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Texas LMFT licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Texas LMFT licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Texas requires 3 hours of cultural diversity.
Can Texas LMFT licensees complete CE online or by home study?
Up to 1 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Texas board rule
- Last verified
- July 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Texas 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.
Texas mental health workforce data
68,626 active providers, or 216.4 per 100,000 residents, ranked 50 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.