Updated for 2026

Wisconsin LMFT Continuing Education Requirements

Wisconsin marriage and family therapists must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license, including 4 hours of ethics and boundaries.

30hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 30
4ethics and boundaries

Next deadline: February 28, 2027The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by February 28 of odd years.

What the board saysWisconsin board rule
every marriage and family therapist, professional counselor, social worker, advanced practice social worker, independent social worker, and clinical social worker shall complete at least 30 continuing education credit hours1 in approved continuing education programs during each 2 year credential period1 … A minimum of 4 continuing education credit hours2, of the required 30 continuing education credit hours, shall be in the area of professional ethics and boundaries2 … Only 15 of the required 30 continuing education credit hours3 shall be met through in-house training and development programs which are not approved by an organization identified in pars. (a) to (e). … No more than 16 continuing education hours4 may be obtained for authorship of chapters or articles. … No more than 16 continuing education hours5 may be obtained for authorship of alternative or electronic media or computer software.
What it means
  1. 30 hours every 2 years
  2. 4 hours of professional ethics and boundaries
  3. No more than 15 hours from unapproved in-house agency training
  4. No more than 16 hours for authoring chapters or articles
  5. No more than 16 hours for authoring media or software
Wis. Admin. Code MPSW 19.02, 19.03Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.1How we verify
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Requirements

Wisconsin LMFT requirements

Total

30 hoursYou need 30 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by February 28 of odd years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 30

The remaining 26 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics and Boundaries
4
You need 4 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

In-house training (not otherwise approved)
max 15 hrs
Chapter or article authorship
max 16 hrs
Alternative media authorship
max 16 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by February 28 of odd years.
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 includes programs from the named professional organizations in MPSW 19.03(1)(a), COAMFTE-accredited training programs, APA-approved sponsors, AMA or AOA Category I continuing medical education, accredited colleges and universities, and qualifying in-house agency training.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 4 years after each course's completion date.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.

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 February 28, 2027.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LMFT CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • Fixed universal expiration: Wisconsin LMFT licenses expire on February 28 of each odd-numbered year. The CE biennium runs from March 1 of an odd-numbered year through February 28 of the next odd-numbered year.
  • Approved CE providers and programs under MPSW 19.03(1) include the named professional organizations in paragraph (a), including the Wisconsin School Social Workers Association (WSSWA), which was added effective July 1, 2025; programs or courses offered by a training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE); programs from APA-approved sponsors; programs recognized at attendance as Category I continuing medical education by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association or the American Osteopathic Association; accredited colleges and universities; and qualifying public or private agency in-house programs. The Department does not pre-approve individual courses. WSSWA is expressly listed in MPSW 19.03(1)(a)16. COAMFTE-accredited training programs and AMA/AOA Category I CME are distinct approval pathways under MPSW 19.03(1)(b) and (d).
  • There is no general self-study, recorded, distance-learning, live, or in-person limit for LMFTs. The only 15-hour limit applies to public or private agency in-house training and development programs that are not approved by an organization identified in MPSW 19.03(1)(a)-(e). The structured cap therefore uses the in-house training (not otherwise approved) activity category, not the self study delivery format.
  • LMFT ethics hours do not have to use the interactive learning format required for social work credential holders.
  • Authorship awards and caps: authorship of a published textbook or professional resource book earns 20 hours per book and is not a general publication cap; a published chapter or professional journal article earns 8 hours, with no more than 16 hours per cycle from chapters and articles; alternative or electronic media or computer software earns 8 hours, with a separate 16-hour cycle cap.
  • Course-repeat restriction for presenters: a presenter or developer earns credit for the professional material, but no additional credit is granted for subsequent presentations of the same material. The rule does not impose a blanket repeat-course ban on attendees.
  • Retired/non-practicing exemption and return to practice: a credential holder granted a retirement exemption may not return to active practice or use the title until submitting satisfactory evidence of at least 30 CE hours for each biennium during which the exemption applied. This duration-dependent makeup obligation is manual because the engine cannot multiply the requirement by the number of exempt biennia; it is not a fixed 30-hour add-on to the ordinary active-license renewal total.
  • A credential holder who fails to meet the CE requirements by the renewal deadline must discontinue use of the professional title unless granted a postponement or waiver. The section may grant a postponement, partial waiver, or total waiver for prolonged illness, disability, or other extreme hardship after individual review.
  • Legacy SUD specialty: the six-hour biennial substance-use-disorder requirement applies only to a credential holder who still holds the legacy specialty authority. It counts toward the 30-hour total and is not a universal LMFT requirement.

Wisconsin LMFT CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Wisconsin LMFT licensees need?

Wisconsin requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by February 28 of odd years.

How many ethics hours are required for Wisconsin LMFT licensees?

Of the total, 4 hours must be in ethics and boundaries.

How often do Wisconsin LMFT licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by February 28 of odd years.

Is the first renewal different for new Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin board rule
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.1

We reviewed this page against the Wisconsin 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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Wisconsin 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.Wisconsin mental health workforce data →20,848 active providers, or 349 per 100,000 residents, ranked 37 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Wisconsin CE requirement pages

Wisconsin LPCWisconsin LCSWWisconsin PsychologistWisconsin Addiction CounselorWisconsin PMHNP

LMFT CE requirements in other states