Updated for 2026

New Mexico LPCC & LMHC Continuing Education Requirements

New Mexico counselors must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LPCC / LMHC license, including 12 hours of ethics.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
12ethics

Next deadline: September 30, 2027The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of odd years.

What the board saysNew Mexico board rule
40 contact hours1 of continuing education approved by the New Mexico counseling and therapy practice board will be required to be documented during each two-year renewal period1. … Specific continuing education which must be obtained and verified: (1) 12 hours of ethics2 related to counseling/mental health for all licensees; … Pro Bono work3 shall be accepted for up to twenty continuing education credits3 during each renewal cycle. … Continuing education hours shall be awarded on the basis of one continuing education credit hour per four clock hours of service.
What it means
  1. 40 hours each two-year renewal period
  2. 12 hours of ethics
  3. No more than 20 hours from pro bono clinical work
16.27.16 NMACLast verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.6How we verify
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Requirements

New Mexico LPCC & LMHC requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of odd years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 28 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
12
You need 12 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Pro bono service
max 20 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of odd years.
New licensees
The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.
Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by accredited university, national professional association, regional professional association, state professional association, and governmental agency and recognized associations in counseling, mft, social work, psychology, addiction counseling, and art therapy.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 4 years after each renewal.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal adds a late fee.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before September 30, 2027.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LPC CE hours calculator

Also hold a New Mexico LMFT or LCSW license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the New Mexico LMFT and New Mexico LCSW requirements.

Full board policy details
  • The current rule does not impose a live-attendance minimum or a general online, home-study, or self-study cap. CE must instead be approved or sponsored through one of the pathways in 16.27.16.9.
  • Academic coursework conversion: one semester credit equals 15 CE hours and one quarter credit equals 11.25 CE hours. Licensees in master's-level professions may use only relevant graduate or postgraduate coursework beyond the degree used for initial licensure.
  • Independently licensed clinicians may earn up to 20 CE hours through qualifying non-remunerated clinical pro bono work for an unaffiliated nonprofit or government entity. One CE hour is awarded for four clock hours of documented service.
  • Approved supervisors must complete 9 hours in counseling-and-therapy supervision within the 40-hour total. The rule does not provide a general cross-credit from supervision to the 12-hour ethics minimum.
  • Inactive licenses are renewed every two years without CE and may remain inactive indefinitely. Restoration to active status requires the renewal application and compliance with the current 40-hour CE requirement. Retired licensees seeking restoration within five years must complete the current CE requirement; after five years a new application is required.
  • Licenses renew by September 30. A 30-day late-renewal period ends October 31 and carries the statutory late penalty; after that the license expires and the person must submit a new application before resuming practice.
  • Dual-license credit reuse: licensees holding multiple licenses under the Counseling and Therapy Practice Board (e.g. LPCC + LMFT) may use a single set of 40 CE hours to renew both licenses, provided the content reasonably covers both disciplines.

New Mexico LPCC & LMHC CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do New Mexico LPCC / LMHC licensees need?

New Mexico requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LPCC / LMHC license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of odd years.

How many ethics hours are required for New Mexico LPCC / LMHC licensees?

Of the total, 12 hours must be in ethics.

How often do New Mexico LPCC / LMHC licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of odd years.

Is the first renewal different for new New Mexico LPCC / LMHC licensees?

The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.

Sources and verification

State source
New Mexico board rule
Profession source
NBCC continuing education guidance
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.6

We reviewed this page against the New Mexico board source, and we refresh it 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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New Mexico guides & data

What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.New Mexico mental health workforce data →13,693 active providers, or 644.2 per 100,000 residents, ranked 9 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other New Mexico CE requirement pages

New Mexico LMFTNew Mexico LCSWNew Mexico PsychologistNew Mexico Addiction CounselorNew Mexico PMHNP

LPC CE requirements in other states