Arizona LPC & LAC Continuing Education Requirements
Arizona counselors must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPC / LAC license, including 3 hours of ethics or mental health law, 3 hours of cultural competency and diversity, and 3 hours of arizona statutes regulations tutorial.
30
total hours / 2 years
3
ethics or mental health law hours
3
cultural competency and diversity hours
3
arizona statutes regulations tutorial hours
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Arizona LPC & LAC requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Ethics or Mental Health Law | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Cultural Competency and Diversity | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Arizona Statutes Regulations Tutorial | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, regional professional association, state professional association, accredited university, governmental agency, and licensed health facility and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, and pastoral counseling. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 2 years after each renewal. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a 90-day grace period after expiration and a late fee. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 30 hours can come from.
- first time presentationmax 10 hrs
- board meeting attendancemax 6 hrs
- board servicemax 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
- Arizona does not impose live-vs-online format ratios. All 30 hours may be completed via approved online, self-study, or in-person formats, provided the program is sponsored by an approved category of provider under R4-6-802(D).
- Academic coursework in a behavioral health subject earns 15 CE hours per semester credit hour. Publications earn credit equal to hours spent preparing, with no specific cap aside from the 30-hour total.
- Instructor credit is limited to first-time presentations by the licensee, with no general attendee repeat-course prohibition in R4-6-802. Presentation is an activity category, not a delivery format.
- License status — inactive: Licensees may request inactive status (up to 24 months, extendable once for an additional 24 months for good cause). CE is not required during inactive status, but practice is prohibited. To return to active status, the licensee must complete the 30 CE hours that would have been required for the missed cycle; if the 24-month extension was used, an additional 30 hours of CE must be completed during the extension period (total 60 hours for a 4-year inactive span). The Board may reduce CE for inactive licensees who demonstrate good cause (serious illness, disability, military deployment, etc.).
- License status — retired: Arizona does not offer a formal retired license status. Practitioners who stop practicing must either go inactive or allow the license to expire. After 90 days past expiration, no late renewal is possible — the individual must reapply as a new applicant.
- License status — late renewal grace period: Within 90 days after expiration, a licensee may submit a late renewal with all CE and a penalty fee to reinstate the license with no lapse. After 90 days, the license cannot be renewed.
- Military extension: Under A.R.S. § 32-4301, licensees on federal active duty when their license expires receive an automatic 180-day extension after discharge to complete CE and renew.
- Substance abuse counselor licensees (LISAC, LASAC, LSAT) must ensure at least 20 of their 30 CE hours are in designated substance use disorder topics. This file applies to LPC/LAC and does not encode that distribution.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Arizona LPC / LAC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Arizona LPC / LAC CE free →Arizona LPC & LAC CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Arizona LPC / LAC licensees need?
Arizona requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPC / LAC license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How many ethics hours are required for Arizona LPC / LAC licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics or mental health law.
How often do Arizona LPC / LAC licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Arizona LPC / LAC licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Arizona requires 3 hours of cultural competency and diversity, 3 hours of arizona statutes regulations tutorial.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Arizona board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Arizona 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.
Arizona mental health workforce data
20,199 active providers, or 264.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 48 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.