Hawaii LMHC Continuing Education Requirements
What a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) must complete to renew in Hawaii.
Triennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Hawaii LMHC requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | See the board source for the total-hour requirement. |
| Renewal | Triennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a late fee. |
| Provisional renewal | The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 36 months before full compliance is required. Per HRS § 451J-10(e), an LMFT short on CE at renewal may submit a notarized affidavit and request for extension. If granted, the licensee renews but must complete 90 hours (with 12 ethics) by the next triennium. Grounds limited to geographic isolation or incapacity/hardship. |
Total hours
See the board source for the total-hour requirement.
Renewal
Triennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
New licensees
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal allows a late fee.
Provisional renewal
The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 36 months before full compliance is required. Per HRS § 451J-10(e), an LMFT short on CE at renewal may submit a notarized affidavit and request for extension. If granted, the licensee renews but must complete 90 hours (with 12 ethics) by the next triennium. Grounds limited to geographic isolation or incapacity/hardship.
Full board policy details
- Hawaii statutes do not impose any specific format or delivery-mode constraints. All 45 hours may be completed via self-study, online, or live formats. There is no minimum live or in-person requirement and no cap on home-study/self-paced hours.
- Course repeat restrictions: The same course content generally cannot be claimed twice for credit within a single renewal period. Hawaii does not award CE credit for teaching, presenting, publishing, or other professional activities — only participation in continuing education courses counts toward the 45 hours.
- License status rules: Inactive licensees are not required to complete CE while inactive. To reactivate, the licensee must show CE equivalent to the requirement (typically 45 hours including 6 ethics earned within the 3 years prior to reactivation). A forfeited license may be restored within 1 year of expiration upon paying fees and (if audited) showing CE compliance; after 1 year the license terminates and the person must reapply as a new applicant. There is no separate retired/emeritus status for LMFT/LMHC.
- Hardship extension: A licensee who has not completed CE may renew conditionally by submitting a notarized affidavit explaining noncompliance and requesting an extension. If granted, the licensee must complete 90 hours (including 12 ethics) by the end of the next triennium. Grounds: practice in isolated geographic area lacking CE opportunities, or incapacity/undue hardship/extenuating circumstances. Extensions are individual and not routinely renewable.
- Excess CE hours do not carry forward to the next renewal cycle.
- Hawaii does not require additional CE for supervisors, telehealth practitioners, or other specialty practice modalities beyond the standard requirement.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Hawaii LMHC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Hawaii LMHC CE free →Hawaii LMHC CE: frequently asked questions
How often do Hawaii LMHC licensees renew?
Triennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Is the first renewal different for new Hawaii 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
- Hawaii board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Hawaii 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 →
Track your Hawaii LMHC CE the easy way.
Log hours, watch every category pace toward triennial renewal, and keep your certificates in one record. Free to start, no card required.
Create your free recordOther Hawaii CE requirement pages
LPC CE requirements in other states
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming