Updated for 2026

West Virginia LMFT Continuing Education Requirements

West Virginia marriage and family therapists must complete 35 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMFT license.

35hours every 2 years

Next deadline: June 30, 2028The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by June 30 of even years.

What the board saysWest Virginia board rule
A licensee shall obtain 35 continuing education contact hours1 of approved continuing professional education every biennium1. 4.1.a. At least three (3) of the 35 contact hours shall be in marriage and family therapists’ related ethics2 … 4.1.b. At least two (2) of the 35 contact hours shall be in mental health conditions specific to veterans and family members of veterans3 … The Board shall grant a maximum of 15 contact hours4, no more than half of the hours for any reporting period for continuing education presented by the licensee’s employing agency personnel4 … The Board shall grant a maximum of 20 contact hours within each biennium period for home study programs5 … 4.11. At least 20 contact hours shall be obtained from attendance in offerings other than those taught, conducted, produced, or presented by the licensee6.
What it means
  1. 35 hours every 2 years
  2. 3 hours of ethics
  3. 2 hours on veterans' mental health
  4. No more than 15 hours of in-house employer training
  5. No more than 20 hours of home study
  6. No more than 15 hours from activities the licensee produces or presents
27CSR10 27-10-4Last verified October 2026Ruleset 2026.4How we verify
Start free trialExplore the demo →

It's free for 30 days, and you don't need a card.

Requirements

West Virginia LMFT requirements

Total

35 hoursYou need 35 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by June 30 of even years.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Home study / self-study
max 20 hrs
Licensee produced activity
max 15 hrs
In-house employer training
max 15 hrs
Publication journal
max 10 hrs per activity
Publication book
max 30 hrs per activity
Teaching new course
max 10 hrs
First time presentation
max 10 hrs

Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by June 30 of even years.
New licensees
For the first renewal cycle, the three ethics hours must be earned in a formal, in-person program with an approved presenter.
Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by board approved sponsor, board approved individual activity, accredited university, and aamft approved provider and recognized associations in mft.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
The board allows a 60-day grace period after expiration. A late renewal adds a 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 June 30, 2028.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LMFT CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • Home study is capped at 20 contact hours per biennium, and only AAMFT-pre-approved home-study programs qualify (27-10-4.9). Materials generally must be no more than six years old; older materials require a statement explaining their continuing relevance (27-10-6.2.d.1.B).
  • At least 20 contact hours must come from attendance at offerings taught, conducted, produced, or presented by someone other than the licensee (27-10-4.11). This is an activity-source restriction, not a live-attendance requirement; credits produced or presented by the licensee must carry the licensee produced activity category for the structured cap to apply.
  • A formal program is attended in person with a presenter (27-10-2.7). On the first renewal cycle, all three ethics hours must be earned through such a formal in-person program; on later renewals, AAMFT home study, AAMFT online programs, or a formal program may be used (27-10-4.1.a). Interactive webinars and teleconferences are approved programs rather than home study, but they do not satisfy the first-cycle in-person ethics rule.
  • The Board automatically grants approval for academic graduate courses offered by accredited educational institutions through marriage and family degree programs. Academic graduate coursework uses a conversion ratio, not a biennial cap: one graduate semester credit earns 15 contact hours and one graduate quarter credit earns 10 contact hours (27-10-4.2).
  • Qualifying veterans-focused training may include asking whether clients are veterans or family members of veterans; screening for PTSD; readjustment issues; suicide risk and prevention; military sexual assault; and depression and grief (27-10-4.1.b).
  • A qualifying journal article earns up to 10 contact hours per article, and a qualifying book earns up to 30 contact hours per book; joint authors divide the credit equally, and a book chapter is treated as a journal article (27-10-4.3 through 4.4).
  • Training presented by personnel of the licensee's own employing agency is capped at 15 hours. A program delivered at the employing agency by an out-of-agency presenter is excluded from this cap (27-10-4.5). This is a source classification, not an in-person delivery cap.
  • Teaching an approved three-hour graduate course may earn up to 10 hours per renewal period only when outside regular employment duties or when newly developed and presented for the first time (27-10-4.6). First-time preparation and presentation of a workshop, seminar, or conference may earn up to 10 hours per renewal and may be counted only once per biennium (27-10-4.7). These limits do not create a blanket prohibition on attendees repeating courses.
  • AAMFT-pre-approved out-of-state MFT continuing-education programs and conferences are automatically granted Board approval and require no additional Board approval application (27-10-4.10). Automatic approval applies specifically to qualifying out-of-state programs or conferences pre-approved by AAMFT.
  • A licensee may apply for post-program approval of an otherwise-unapproved qualifying program, relevant out-of-state continuing education, or relevant graduate coursework within 90 days after completing it, using the Board's designated form and supporting presenter, program, and completion documentation (27-10-6.2.c). Once the Board grants individual approval, classify the credit as board approved individual activity.
  • An approved provider offering a marriage and family therapy ethics program must incorporate the AAMFT Code of Ethics as a substantial part of the program (27-10-6.2.b.6).
  • Inactive-status LMFTs are not required to earn CE while inactive and may not practice. Reactivation within five years requires 35 hours completed during the two years preceding the application, including three ethics hours and two veterans' mental-health hours; the engine does not impose these as an additional 35 hours on top of the ordinary total. After more than five inactive years, the Board may require additional CE, supervision, or coursework (27-8-16.2). Retired-status LMFTs must complete 20 hours per renewal cycle, including three ethics hours, and may earn all 20 through home study (27-8-15.2).

West Virginia LMFT CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do West Virginia LMFT licensees need?

West Virginia requires 35 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMFT license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by June 30 of even years.

How often do West Virginia LMFT licensees renew?

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

Can West Virginia LMFT licensees complete CE online or by home study?

Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Is the first renewal different for new West Virginia LMFT licensees?

For the first renewal cycle, the three ethics hours must be earned in a formal, in-person program with an approved presenter.

Sources and verification

State source
West Virginia board rule
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

We reviewed this page against the West Virginia 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

Make your next renewal easier.

Add your West Virginia LMFT license and every requirement on this page becomes a checklist on your record.

Start free trialExplore the demo

30 days free, no credit card.

West Virginia 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.West Virginia mental health workforce data →5,546 active providers, or 314 per 100,000 residents, ranked 40 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other West Virginia CE requirement pages

West Virginia LPCWest Virginia LCSWWest Virginia PsychologistWest Virginia PMHNP

LMFT CE requirements in other states