Massachusetts Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements
Massachusetts psychologists must complete 20 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their Psychologist license.
20
total hours / 2 years
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Massachusetts Psychologist requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 20 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial 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. |
| Approved providers | For formal learning program, qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by apa approved provider and accredited university. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 4 years after the end of each cycle. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a late fee. |
| Other mandates | Domestic and Sexual Violence training (M.G.L. c. 112 § 264; 251 CMR 3.10(1)(c)). Applicants and licensees shall participate in domestic violence and sexual violence training as a condition for licensure, renewal, revival or reinstatement. One-time requirement — complete once and not again before each renewal; a prior completer need not repeat unless the Board requires it. The board grants 2 CE credits for the cycle in which it is taken, and it counts toward the 20-hour CE total. May be completed free online. Failure to attest completion blocks renewal. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 20 hours can come from.
- publicationmax 10 hrs
Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
Massachusetts Psychologistrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 20-hour CE total, Massachusetts requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 2 years cycle
- Domestic and Sexual Violence training (M.G.L. c. 112 § 264; 251 CMR 3.10(1)(c)). Applicants and licensees shall participate in domestic violence and sexual violence training as a condition for licensure, renewal, revival or reinstatement. One-time requirement — complete once and not again before each renewal; a prior completer need not repeat unless the Board requires it. The board grants 2 CE credits for the cycle in which it is taken, and it counts toward the 20-hour CE total. May be completed free online. Failure to attest completion blocks renewal.
Full board policy details
- ACCEPTABILITY STANDARDS: CE activities must be clearly psychological in content and/or directly relevant to the science or practice of psychology. Two activity types are recognized: (a) formal learning programs with specific learning objectives sponsored by Board-recognized entities (up to the full 20 hours); and (b) publication of books, chapters of books, and/or articles in refereed journals relevant to the science or practice of psychology (capped at 10 of the 20 hours). Teaching is expressly NOT an accepted activity and earns no CE credit. EPPP study-course credits are not acceptable. A Continuing Education Hour is 60 consecutive minutes of an organized learning experience.
- FORMAT CAPS/MINIMUMS: No cap on self-study/home study — all 20 hours may be completed by home study provided they are offered through APA-approved sponsors. No minimum live/in-person hours. No online/live distinction and no per-day or single-instructor caps. The only quantitative cap is on publications (no more than 10 of the 20 hours).
- PROVIDERS: Massachusetts uses the APA-approved-sponsor model and does not pre-approve individual courses. Only programs offered through APA-approved sponsors are accepted. The codified rule's Board-recognized Entities definition also lists the American Psychological Association, recognized educational institutions (as defined in M.G.L. c. 112 § 118), and such other entities as the Board designates. There are no lettered Category A/B provider tiers.
- COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: 251 CMR 4.00 contains no express prohibition on repeating a course within a cycle. Teaching earns no CE credit at all, so the instructor 'teach once per period' pattern does not arise. No other conditional repeat restrictions are stated.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES: No formal inactive or retired license tier exists in the psychology board rules, and there is no inactive/retired CE exemption. No hardship, illness, military, or disability CE waiver exists in 251 CMR 4.00. Reactivation of a lapsed/expired license: within one renewal cycle (2 years) of lapse, renew by submitting the renewal form, paying all past-due renewal and late fees, and presenting evidence of completing all CE required by 251 CMR 4.00. For longer lapses, CE owed is 20 hours per renewal period, computed by the number of renewal periods between the last renewal and the most recent renewal date prior to application (scales with time inactive — MANUAL REVIEW). If the applicant is currently licensed in another jurisdiction with a CE requirement, the Board may in its discretion waive or modify the requirement. A licensee may not practice while the license is lapsed/expired.
- NO ETHICS-HOURS REQUIREMENT: A third-party summary claiming 'at least three hours focused on ethics' is NOT supported by the codified rule or statute. 251 CMR 4.00 and M.G.L. c. 112 § 127 impose only a flat 20-hour requirement with no ethics, cultural-competency, telehealth, suicide, or other subject mandate.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Massachusetts Psychologist record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Massachusetts Psychologist CE free →Massachusetts Psychologist CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Massachusetts Psychologist licensees need?
Massachusetts requires 20 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a Psychologist license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How often do Massachusetts Psychologist licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Is the first renewal different for new Massachusetts Psychologist 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
- Massachusetts board rule
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Massachusetts board source and refreshed 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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What to keep for a CE audit
What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.
Massachusetts mental health workforce data
67,140 active providers, or 938.5 per 100,000 residents, ranked 3 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.