Updated for 2026

Missouri Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements

Missouri psychologists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their Psychologist license, including 3 hours of ethics and 15 hours of category A formal.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
15category A formal
3ethics

Next deadline: January 31, 2028The renewal cycle is biennial. CE must be completed by November 30 of odd years. The license expires January 31.

What the board saysMissouri board rule
Every psychologist licensed in Missouri shall, complete for each two- (2-) year reporting cycle at least forty (40) hours1, of accredited “continuing education credits” (herein CE credits) relevant to the practice of psychology. … At least fifteen (15) of the forty (40) CE credits must be completed within Category A2 (i.e., formal programs which meet the requirements of 20 CSR 2235-7.030(1)(A)); and the remaining twenty-five (25) CE credits3 must be completed in either Category A or in Category B … Three (3) of the forty (40) CE credits are to be in ethics4 (ethics credits). … the excess credits over forty (40) may be carried over to the next two- (2-) year cycle, up to a maximum of fifteen (15) hours5.
What it means
  1. 40 hours every 2-year reporting cycle
  2. At least 15 hours of Category A (formal) programs
  3. No more than 25 hours of Category B (informal) activities
  4. 3 hours of ethics
  5. Up to 15 extra Category A hours carry over to the next cycle
20 CSR 2235-7.010Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
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Requirements

Missouri Psychologist requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial. CE must be completed by November 30 of odd years. The license expires January 31.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 22 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Category A Formal
15
You need 15 hours each cycle.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Category B informal
max 25 hrs
Individual study
max 10 hrs
Graduate teaching
max 10 hrs
Undergraduate teaching
max 9 hrs
Carryover
max 15 hrs

Up to 15 unused hours can carry into the next cycle.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial. CE must be completed by November 30 of odd years. The license expires January 31.
Renewal fee
The board renewal fee is $300 every 2 years, and a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $150 fee.
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
For category A formal, qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by accredited university, apa approved provider, regional professional association, state professional association, local professional association, american medical association approved provider, and other professional body.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 5 years after the end of each cycle.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal adds a $150 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 January 31, 2028.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full Psychologist CE hours calculator

Also hold a Missouri LPC license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Missouri LPC requirements.

Missouri Psychologist required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 40-hour CE total, Missouri requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.

Recurring mandates outside the 2-year cycle

  • One-time 2-hour training in suicide assessment, referral, treatment, and management, meeting the committee's guidelines, required as a condition of initial licensure (§337.020.1 RSMo). May be part of the graduate course of study or obtained through self-study; applicants must maintain documentation. Does NOT recur and does NOT count toward the 40-hour CE renewal total. Applies to all applicants for initial licensure (temporary, provisional, or permanent) on or after the statute's effective date; documentation requirement applied to applicants after January 1, 2019.
Full board policy details
  • CATEGORY STRUCTURE: All CE is organized into Category A (formal/accredited programs) and Category B (informal/other). At least 15 of the 40 hours must be Category A; Category B is capped at 25 hours per cycle. There is NO rule requiring hours to be drawn from a minimum number of different categories, and NO live/in-person minimum. Category A accepts programs presented under the auspices of a regionally accredited institution of higher education, the American Psychological Association, regional/state/local psychological associations, the American Medical Association, and other professional bodies or groups (20 CSR 2235-7.005(1)).
  • FORMAT / SELF-STUDY: Individual study (self-study of professional material, books, journals, periodicals, other media, and preparation of relevant lectures/talks) is capped at 10 hours per cycle and sits inside the 25-hour Category B ceiling. Accredited formal online/distance-learning courses are NOT self-study, they count as Category A and are uncapped. All 40 hours may be distance-learning courses provided at least 15 hours are Category A. A credit hour equals at least 50 minutes of instruction (20 CSR 2235-7.005(3)).
  • ACCEPTABILITY STANDARDS: The following are expressly NOT acceptable for CE in any category (20 CSR 2235-7.030(2)): personal psychotherapy, workshops for personal growth, services to professional associations, providing supervision, and case conference. CE must be relevant to the practice of psychology.
  • COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: For teaching (graduate Category A.4 and undergraduate Category B.C), no single course may be reported more than one time per reporting cycle. Graduate teaching is capped at 10 credits/cycle, undergraduate teaching at 9 credits/cycle. Preparation credit for individual study (Category B.D) may not be claimed for a presentation already credited under Category A. There is no general prohibition on a licensee attending the same accredited course twice.
  • LICENSE STATUS RULES: Inactive-status licensees are exempt from CE (20 CSR 2235-1.050(6); §337.030.5). Retired-and-not-registered psychologists have no CE obligation. Reactivating from inactive requires proof of 40 CE hours completed within the two years immediately prior to reactivation, plus the reactivation fee (or renewal fee if reactivating at renewal time). Restoration of an expired license lapsed 2+ years requires 40 CE hours completed within the two years immediately preceding the application, proof of passing the Missouri Jurisprudence Examination within the past 5 years, a background check, and the restoration fee. Lapse of less than 2 years requires the delinquency fee plus renewal fee and proof of CE compliance.
  • FIRST RENEWAL / PRORATION: A psychologist licensed during the middle of a reporting cycle receives a pro-rata reduction of 5 hours for every 3 full months between the date of licensing and the normal date of cycle commencement (20 CSR 2235-7.010(3)). Same requirements in kind, reduced in amount; the total CE hours requirement carries prorated: true.
  • WAIVER / VARIANCE: Hardship, illness, military, and disability situations are handled through a general variance mechanism, variances are granted case-by-case upon written petition to the committee, reviewed at the next quarterly meeting (20 CSR 2235-7.050). No enumerated qualifying conditions, maximum duration, or set form beyond the written petition.
  • CATEGORY B ATTENDANCE: Category B includes registered attendance at relevant nonaccredited workshops, seminars, colloquia, grand rounds, and academic courses. Professional-meeting attendance earns 3 hours per day; there is no separate 3-hour cycle cap beyond the 25-hour Category B ceiling.

Missouri Psychologist CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Missouri Psychologist licensees need?

Missouri requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a Psychologist license. The renewal cycle is biennial. CE must be completed by November 30 of odd years. The license expires January 31.

How many ethics hours are required for Missouri Psychologist licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Missouri Psychologist licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial. CE must be completed by November 30 of odd years. The license expires January 31.

How much does Missouri Psychologist license renewal cost?

The board's renewal fee is $300 every 2 years, per the Missouri board fee schedule. Renewing late adds a $150 delinquency fee on top. CE course costs are separate and set by course providers.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Missouri Psychologist licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Missouri requires 15 hours of category A formal.

Is the first renewal different for new Missouri Psychologist 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
Missouri board rule
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the Missouri 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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Missouri 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.Missouri mental health workforce data →21,153 active providers, or 337.3 per 100,000 residents, ranked 38 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Missouri CE requirement pages

Missouri LPCMissouri LMFTMissouri LCSWMissouri PMHNP

Psychologist CE requirements in other states