Washington LMHC Continuing Education Requirements
Washington counselors must complete 32 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LMHC license, including 6 hours of law & ethics, 6 hours of suicide assessment treatment management, 2 hours of professional roles and boundaries, and 2 hours of health equity.
32
total hours / 2 years
6
law & ethics hours
2
professional roles and boundaries hours
2
health equity hours
6
suicide assessment treatment management hours
26
in person hours cap
Biennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's birth month.
Washington LMHC requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 32 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month. |
| Law & Ethics | 6 hours required each cycle. |
| Suicide Assessment Treatment Management | 6 hours required each cycle. |
| Professional Roles and Boundaries | 2 hours required each cycle. |
| Health Equity | 2 hours required each cycle. |
| Format limits | Up to 26 hours may be completed in person. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, regional 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. |
Total hours
32 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
Law & Ethics
6 hours required each cycle.
Suicide Assessment Treatment Management
6 hours required each cycle.
Professional Roles and Boundaries
2 hours required each cycle.
Health Equity
2 hours required each cycle.
Format limits
Up to 26 hours may be completed in person.
Approved providers
Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, regional 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.
Full board policy details
- 100% of CE hours may be completed via online distance learning (synchronous or asynchronous). There is no cap on self-study/distance hours.
- Asynchronous (pre-recorded) distance learning courses must include a test of comprehension. Live synchronous webinars and in-person courses do not require a test.
- Agency-sponsored training (education provided by the licensee's employer agency) is limited to 26 hours per 2-year reporting period.
- 'Other learning experiences' (serving on professional panels/boards, research, peer consultations, publishing professional articles, etc.) are capped at 6 hours per 2-year reporting period.
- Course repeat restriction: a licensee may not claim CE credit twice for the same course/content within the same 2-year reporting period (WAC 246-12-240). Repeating the identical course in a later cycle is permitted.
- Instructor/presenter credit: a licensee who teaches a CE course receives the same number of CE hours as participants (for the first presentation of the material), with no fixed cap on teaching hours. However, a licensee may claim credit for presenting a specific topic only once per reporting period — repeated presentations of the same material in the same cycle do not earn additional credit.
- Acceptable CE providers under WAC 246-809-610 are defined broadly: any program with a featured instructor, speaker, or panel approved by an 'industry-recognized' local, state, national, or international organization, or by an institution of higher learning, qualifies. Washington does not pre-approve providers and does not restrict CE to a fixed list of disciplines; the accepted_provider_types and accepted_provider_disciplines lists above are illustrative, not exhaustive.
- Suicide assessment, treatment, and management training (6 hours every 6 years) must be selected from the Department of Health's model list. Beginning July 1, 2017 the first training must come from the model list; beginning July 1, 2021 all subsequent trainings must also come from the model list. The first required training must be completed during the first full CE period after initial licensure (or after January 1, 2014, whichever occurs later). A licensee who completed a qualifying 6-hour suicide prevention training within 6 years prior to initial licensure may delay the first post-licensure training for six years from licensure.
- To claim the six-year delay of the first post-licensure suicide training (based on having completed a qualifying suicide prevention training within the 6 years prior to initial licensure), the licensee must provide proof/documentation that the prior training met the standards in WAC 246-809-615.
- Inactive status: no CE is required while the license is inactive. To return to active status, the licensee must provide a written declaration that CE requirements for the two most recent years (32 hours including required topics) have been met, per WAC 246-12-110.
- Retired Active status (WAC 246-809-730): a retired active LMHC/LMFT renews yearly on birthday and must complete 18 hours of CE every 2 years, including 6 hours of professional ethics and law. Practice is limited to 90 days per year under this status. Returning to full active status generally requires demonstrating full 32 hours/2 years of CE.
- CE waivers/extensions: a practitioner may request to be excused from or granted an extension of CE requirements due to illness or other extenuating circumstances (WAC 246-12-210). Requests are evaluated by the Department of Health on a case-by-case basis; there is no automatic conditional or grace renewal for CE deficiency.
- Pre-licensure 36-hour CE requirement (including 6 hours of law and ethics) applies to certain applicants for initial licensure and does NOT count toward post-licensure renewal CE.
- Dual licensure (e.g. holding both LMHC and LMFT under Chapter 246-809): the same CE hours may generally be applied toward both renewals provided the content is relevant to each scope of practice. No separate distribution requirement applies.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Washington LMHC record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Washington LMHC CE free →Washington LMHC CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Washington LMHC licensees need?
Washington requires 32 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LMHC license. Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
How many ethics hours are required for Washington LMHC licensees?
Of the total, 6 hours must be in law & ethics.
How often do Washington LMHC licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Washington LMHC licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Washington requires 6 hours of suicide assessment treatment management, 2 hours of professional roles and boundaries, 2 hours of health equity.
Can Washington LMHC licensees complete CE online or by home study?
Up to 26 hours may be completed in person.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Washington board rule
- Profession source
- NBCC continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Washington 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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