Iowa LMHC Continuing Education Requirements
Iowa counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 25 months to renew their LMHC license, including 3 hours of ethics.
40
total hours / 25 months
3
ethics hours
20
carryover cap
Every 25 months · renewal date varies by licensee.
Iowa LMHC requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 25 months. |
| Renewal | Every 25 months cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Carryover | Up to 20 unused hours can carry into the next 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. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
Total hours
40 hours every 25 months.
Renewal
Every 25 months cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Ethics
3 hours required each cycle.
Carryover
Up to 20 unused hours can carry into the next 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.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Full board policy details
- Cycle: fixed statewide 25-month biennial period running September 1 of an even-numbered year through September 30 of the next even-numbered year; all LMHC/LMFT licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years. Encoded via anchor: expiration_date (the engine derives the 25-month window from each license's September-30-even-year expiration).
- One-month grace overlap: consecutive 25-month cycles overlap by one month because expirations are 24 months apart. September of each even-numbered year is shared by the closing and opening cycles, so CE earned that month falls within — and may be counted toward — either the cycle then ending or the next cycle.
- All 40 hours may be earned via independent study, online, or live formats. No minimum in-person or live requirement; cap on online/home-study hours was removed by 2019 Iowa Acts HF 606.
- Iowa does not pre-approve providers but accepts courses from any NBCC-approved or AAMFT-approved provider, plus any program meeting the board's general criteria (qualified instructor, professional content, documented completion).
- Course repeat restrictions: Instructors/presenters may claim CE credit for a given course or presentation only one time (first offering only). Attendees should not count the same course twice within a single renewal cycle — duplicate identical content does not constitute new learning.
- First-renewal carry-forward: CE earned during the initial licensure period (before the first renewal, when 0 hours are required) may be carried forward and counted toward the second renewal. This is separate from the general 50% / 20-hour carry-forward added effective 2025-08-13.
- Mandatory reporter training (child abuse and dependent adult abuse — see external_mandates) may count toward the 40-hour total when completed within the compliance period; logged under its category it contributes to total_ce. It remains a separate legal mandate that must be kept current regardless of whether it is claimed for CE.
- License status rules: Inactive/retired licensees are not required to earn CE while inactive. To reactivate a license inactive fewer than 5 years, a licensee must show 40 hours of CE (including ethics) completed within the two years immediately preceding reactivation; a license inactive 5 years or longer requires 80 hours (Iowa Admin. Code 481-891.13). Very long lapses may trigger additional board-imposed competency measures case-by-case.
- Hardship/military waivers: The board may grant CE extensions or waivers for serious illness, active military duty, or other good cause under IAC 645-18 / Iowa Code 272C.2(4), on a case-by-case basis.
- Dual LMHC + LMFT licensees: One 40-hour portfolio satisfies both licenses when renewed together; same CE hour may count toward both credentials. Licensees should ensure content is reasonably balanced across both scopes of practice.
- No conditional/provisional renewal is available for CE deficiency; licensees short on CE at renewal must let the license go inactive and reactivate after meeting CE.
- Per-hour activity sub-rules within the 20-hour professional activities cap: presenting earns 2 hours credit per hour taught (first offering only); publishing earns 5 hours per page.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Iowa LMHC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Iowa LMHC CE free →Iowa LMHC CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Iowa LMHC licensees need?
Iowa requires 40 continuing education hours every 25 months to renew a LMHC license. Every 25 months cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How many ethics hours are required for Iowa LMHC licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Iowa LMHC licensees renew?
Every 25 months cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Is the first renewal different for new Iowa 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
- Iowa board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Iowa 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 Iowa LMHC CE the easy way.
Log hours, watch every category pace toward every 25 months renewal, and keep your certificates in one record. Free to start, no card required.
Create your free recordOther Iowa CE requirement pages
LPC CE requirements in other states
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming