Florida LMHC Continuing Education Requirements
Florida counselors must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMHC license, including 3 hours of ethics or telehealth and 2 hours of medical errors.
30
total hours / 2 years
2
medical errors hours
3
ethics or telehealth hours
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Florida LMHC requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Ethics OR Telehealth | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Medical Errors | 2 hours required each cycle. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, and governmental agency and recognized associations in counseling, mft, and social work. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a late fee. |
| One-time requirements | One-time 3-hour HIV/AIDS education course required by first renewal (Fla. Stat. §491.0065). New licensees may either complete the course as part of the licensure application, or sign an affidavit at application and complete the course within 6 months of initial licensure. The affidavit path is a deferral, not a waiver — the course must still be completed. Functions as a standalone prerequisite that precedes the first CE-required cycle. (3 hours, one time). |
| One-time requirements | One-time 2-hour domestic violence course from a board-approved provider, required within 6 months of initial licensure. No waiver or exemption applies based on submission timing with the licensure application — the 6-month post-licensure deadline is firm. (2 hours, one time). |
| One-time requirements | One-time 8-hour Florida laws and rules course required before initial licensure issuance. (8 hours, one time). |
Total hours
30 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Ethics OR Telehealth
3 hours required each cycle.
Medical Errors
2 hours required each cycle.
New licensees
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, and governmental agency and recognized associations in counseling, mft, and social work.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal allows a late fee.
One-time requirements
One-time 3-hour HIV/AIDS education course required by first renewal (Fla. Stat. §491.0065). New licensees may either complete the course as part of the licensure application, or sign an affidavit at application and complete the course within 6 months of initial licensure. The affidavit path is a deferral, not a waiver — the course must still be completed. Functions as a standalone prerequisite that precedes the first CE-required cycle. (3 hours, one time).
One-time 2-hour domestic violence course from a board-approved provider, required within 6 months of initial licensure. No waiver or exemption applies based on submission timing with the licensure application — the 6-month post-licensure deadline is firm. (2 hours, one time).
One-time 8-hour Florida laws and rules course required before initial licensure issuance. (8 hours, one time).
Full board policy details
- No limit on home-study or online CE hours; all 30 hours may be completed via self-paced or distance learning from approved providers. No minimum in-person or live-classroom requirement.
- Maximum 10 hours per biennium may be claimed for serving as a presenter or moderator at CE programs.
- Maximum 5 hours per biennium may be claimed for teaching a graduate-level course in the field.
- Up to 3 hours of general CE may be earned per biennium for attending a Board meeting.
- Course repeat restrictions: The same Ethics or Telehealth course topic may not be taken in consecutive renewal periods — licensees must alternate. Identical courses may not be claimed twice within the same renewal period. Teaching/presenter credit is capped per biennium regardless of how many times the same material is delivered.
- Approved providers — named credentialing and CE-sponsor bodies: In addition to the generic provider-type categories above, the Florida Board explicitly recognizes named credentialing bodies as approved CE sources. These include the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC, including NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Providers / ACEP) and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB, including ASWB- Approved Continuing Education Providers / ACE). Courses sponsored or approved by these organizations are accepted toward the 30-hour requirement. Accepted named sponsors include but are not limited to NBCC and ASWB, alongside AAMFT, APA, and other national/state professional associations, accredited universities, and governmental agencies in the mental health field. CE Broker is the system of record for approved-provider verification.
- License status — inactive: Inactive licensees are not required to complete CE while in that status. To reactivate within 4 years of inactivity, the licensee must complete the 30 CE hours required for the immediately preceding biennium (see reactivation_ce conditional requirement above).
- License status — retired: Retired licensees are not required to complete CE while in that status. Reactivating a retired license requires completion of the CE hours that would have been required during the most recent biennium of active practice, and may require additional coursework or an examination if the license has been retired for an extended duration. If the license has been in retired status for more than two consecutive biennia (i.e., 4+ years), the Board may require proof of continued competency before authorizing a return to active status — competency may be demonstrated through additional coursework, a re-examination, supervised practice, or other Board-specified evidence in addition to the standard CE catch-up.
- Military servicemembers on active duty and their spouses assigned out-of-state are exempt from CE during the qualifying period. The Board may grant case-by-case hardship extensions. Florida does not offer a conditional active license to complete CE after the deadline; failure to complete CE results in delinquent status.
- Dual licensees (e.g., LMHC + LMFT or LMHC + LCSW) under Chapter 491 may generally apply the same approved CE credits to both licenses since cycles and requirements coincide.
- Approved sex therapy or hypnosis certification program completion satisfies all 25 general hours of CE for that renewal period.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Florida LMHC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Florida LMHC CE free →Florida LMHC CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Florida LMHC licensees need?
Florida requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMHC license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How many ethics hours are required for Florida LMHC licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics or telehealth.
How often do Florida LMHC licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Florida LMHC licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Florida requires 2 hours of medical errors.
Is the first renewal different for new Florida LMHC licensees?
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Florida board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Florida board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is informational only and not legal or board advice. Always verify requirements with your licensing board before you renew. See something wrong? Report it →
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