Updated for 2026

Maine LPC & LCPC Continuing Education Requirements

Maine counselors must complete 55 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPC / LCPC license, including 4 hours of ethics and 1 hour of implicit bias.

total hours / 2 years

ethics hours

implicit bias hours

home study / self-study hours cap

Biennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's issue date.

Maine LPC & LCPC requirements

Requirement	Notes
Total continuing education	55 hours every 2 years.
Renewal	Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
Ethics	4 hours required each cycle.
Implicit Bias	1 hour required each cycle.
Format limits	Up to 5 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.
Approved providers	Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by accredited university, national professional association, regional professional association, state professional association, local professional association, public human services organization, private human services organization, and private consultant or individual.
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 $50 late fee.
Provisional renewal	The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 3 months before full compliance is required. Maine allows up to 90 days after expiration to renew late with a late fee, but CE must be complete before renewal can be processed. Beyond 90 days, reinstatement within 2 years requires showing completed CE; beyond 2 years, reapplication may be required.

Full board policy details

All continuing education content must directly relate to the theory and practice of professional counseling. At least 4 of the 55 hours must address Code of Ethics subjects (Chapter 8-A); the remaining hours may cover any aspect of counseling theory or practice, including ethics beyond the 4-hour minimum.
All 55 hours may be earned via online, home study, or distance learning programs. There is no minimum in-person or live requirement.
Informal home study or prerecorded programs are capped at 5 contact hours per cycle (combined).
Teaching graduate courses or presenting workshops/conferences may account for no more than 5 contact hours per cycle, regardless of how many courses are taught or whether they are repeat or new presentations. Preparation time is excluded.
Professional writing published in book form or as journal articles may count for up to 20 contact hours per cycle. The work must be published or accepted for publication within the applicable biennium.
Up to 15 contact hours per renewal period may consist of peer consultation provided by a licensed mental health professional. Peer consultation hours must be documented by a signed statement of hours from the peer consultant.
Field supervision of interns may count for up to 5 contact hours per cycle.
Graduate academic courses from a regionally-accredited institution have no maximum cap on contact hours, provided the content is relevant to counseling practice and documented by official transcript.
Eligible CE must be documented by a signed certificate issued by the sponsor or peer consultant, an official academic transcript, or other reliable written proof of completion showing the date and time span of the activity, the name of the presenter, the course or program title, and the number of contact hours earned.
Continuing education credit may not be claimed more than once for completing the same prerecorded program, home study, or online program within a renewal cycle. Repeat-of-identical-course credit is not allowed in the same cycle.
Inactive status license holders must renew biennially and pay the fee but are exempt from CE requirements while inactive. They may not perform counseling activities during inactive status. To reactivate, the board requires completion of the standard CE hours for the preceding period; specific reinstatement procedures are set by the board.
Maine does not offer a conditional renewal license for licensees who have not completed CE by the renewal date. A license that lapses for failure to complete CE may be renewed only upon completion of the required CE hours, within the late renewal window.

We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Maine LPC / LCPC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.

Track Maine LPC / LCPC CE free →

Maine LPC & LCPC CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Maine LPC / LCPC licensees need?

Maine requires 55 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPC / LCPC license. Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.

How many ethics hours are required for Maine LPC / LCPC licensees?

Of the total, 4 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Maine LPC / LCPC licensees renew?

Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Maine LPC / LCPC licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Maine requires 1 hour of implicit bias.

Can Maine LPC / LCPC licensees complete CE online or by home study?

Up to 5 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Sources & verification

State source: Maine board rule
Profession source: NBCC continuing education guidance
Last verified: May 2026
Ruleset version: 2026.1

Reviewed against the Maine 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 Maine LPC / LCPC CE the easy way.

Log hours, watch every category pace toward biennial renewal, and keep your certificates in one record. Free to start, no card required.

Create your free record

Other Maine CE requirement pages

Maine LCSW