For LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Psychologist licensees and the practices that employ them
What to keep for a CE audit.
Keep a certificate for every hour you attested to, evidence the provider was approved, and a record of which requirement each certificate satisfies. Keep it for as long as your board says, measured the way your board measures it.
Below: what boards actually ask for, every state's stated retention period for LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Psychologist licenses, what the audit notice looks like and how long you get, the reasons audits fail, and a checklist you can print.
No email required Print-friendly Board-sourced figures
Audit packet. Cover sheet
Example cycle, LPC, 2024 to 2026
Required
30 h
Documented
30 h
Unmapped
0
Ethics and boundaries in telehealthProvider #4412 · Live
3 h
Ethics
Cert on file
Trauma-informed assessmentProvider #4412 · Live
6 h
General
Cert on file
Suicide risk assessmentProvider #7810 · Online
2 h
One-time
Cert on file
Clinical supervision refresherProvider #4412 · Self-study
6 h
Supervision
Cert on file
Cultural humility in practiceProvider #2093 · Live
3 h
Cultural comp.
Cert missing
Retain through Jun 2029Illustrative, not a live product view
The figures on this page come from each board's own rule, as we have encoded it. Retention periods, audit selection, and response windows change, and a blank cell means the rule we track states nothing, not that no rule exists. Confirm with your board before you rely on any figure, and tell us if a state page is wrong.
01What boards ask for
An audit asks you to prove the attestation, line by line.
Most boards renew on your word: you attest that the hours are complete, and the board checks a sample afterward. When you are in the sample, the reviewer wants six things.
A certificate for every claimed hour
Issued to you by name, with the course title, completion date, hours awarded, and the provider. A registration email or a screenshot of a course page is not a certificate.
Provider approval evidence
Boards that restrict CE to approved providers ask for the approval number or a board listing. Boards that judge by subject matter ask for the course description instead.
Dates inside the cycle
The reviewer checks that each completion date falls between your cycle start and end. Hours from the previous cycle do not count unless the board allows carryover.
Category attribution
Which certificate covers ethics, which covers each named category, and which one-time mandate is satisfied. A running total does not answer this.
Format
Whether each course was live, synchronous online, or self-study, so the board can check its self-study cap or live minimum against your claim.
The attestation itself
What you signed at renewal. The audit is a test of that statement, so the packet has to reconcile to it line by line.
02How long to keep it
Retention periods by state, from each board's rule.
101 of the 200 state rules we track for LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Psychologist licensees state how long CE documentation must be kept. Those periods run from 1 year to 8 years, and the clock starts at different events: 39 from renewal, 37 from cycle end, 25 from course date. Each cell links to the full board-sourced rule. Blank means the rule we track states no period; keep two full cycles as a floor.
"Board audits" lists the professions whose rule states the board may audit CE compliance. A dash means the rule we track is silent, which is not the same as a board that never audits.
03The audit notice
What the notice says, and how long you get.
The notice arrives after renewal, by letter or through the licensing portal. It says you were selected, usually at random, names the cycle under review, lists what to submit and how, and gives a deadline. Across the boards we track, deadlines run from about 10 days to 60 days from the notice, and some boards give a further 30 to 90 days to cure a rejected course.
Selection
Random after renewal is the norm. Some boards state a rate (5% to 15% of renewals, up to 50% in one state). Some audit every late renewal automatically.
Response window
Ten days at the short end, 60 at the long end, most commonly 30. The clock starts at the notice date.
If something is rejected
Boards that allow a cure give 30 to 90 days for replacement hours. Others renew conditionally, cite, or discipline for a false attestation.
What each board says about its audits
137 of the 148 rules that assert audit authority also record how the audit runs. Straight from the rule, one entry per license type.
AlabamaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: ABEC randomly audits 10% of LPC renewal applications.
- LMFT: The board audits a random selection of renewals for CE compliance and requires supporting documentation.
- Psychologist: Rule 750-X-3A-.02(2): the Board may audit and/or monitor programs. Licensees are reviewed for CE compliance not later than October 15 each year. Selection method not described.
AlaskaLPC · LMFT · LCSW · Psychologist
- LPC: The board verifies CE compliance through random audit rather than a centralized CE tracking system. Licensees are responsible for retaining their own proof of CE completion (course certificates, transcripts, presenter/publication documentation) and producing it on request when selected for audit.
- LMFT: The board may audit CE compliance and verify documentation; discipline may follow false attestation or failure to produce CE proof under general disciplinary authority.
- LCSW: A percentage of renewal applications is randomly selected for audit.
- Psychologist: Selection is random; the department audits a percentage it deems appropriate. A selected licensee is notified and must submit documentation within 30 days (12 AAC 02.960(c), (e)).
ArizonaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
- LMFT: R4-6-801(D) authorizes random audits of CE compliance after renewal.
- Psychologist: The Board may audit compliance and may deny renewal or take disciplinary action against a licensee who fails to obtain or document required hours. The rule does not publish a selection method or percentage.
ArkansasPsychologist
- Psychologist: Rule 9.1.C: the Board will conduct a random audit of licensees' CE compliance each year. Selection is described only as random; no fixed percentage is stated. Licensees are not required to report CE during the year and submit documentation only if contacted. No fixed retention period is stated; Rule 9.1.B requires the licensee to produce acceptable documentation of CE activities within thirty (30) calendar days of a Board request, and the Board advises keeping documentation in case of audit.
CaliforniaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board of Behavioral Sciences conducts random CE audits of a percentage of renewals each cycle. Selected licensees must produce CE certificates of completion matching the hours attested to at renewal; failure to produce matching documentation may result in disciplinary action.
- LMFT: The Board of Behavioral Sciences conducts random CE audits of a percentage of renewals each cycle. Selected licensees must produce CE certificates of completion matching the hours attested to at renewal; failure to produce matching documentation may result in disciplinary action.
- Psychologist: The Board conducts random audits and requests CPD documentation from selected licensees.
ColoradoLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board conducts audits after each renewal period; licensees must produce certificates, transcripts, or other documentation upon request.
- LMFT: Licensees must document completion of every PDA and PDH under the current CPD Portfolio and be prepared to submit participation documentation at the Board's request, including for independent and group learning.
- Psychologist: The Board may audit up to 5% of licensed psychologists each two-year cycle; audits are conducted after each renewal cycle ends and selection is random (Rule 1.20 D; C.R.S. § 12-245-307(4)).
ConnecticutLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: DPH operates a self-attestation model and may audit a percentage of renewals to verify CE compliance.
- LMFT: Certificates of completion must be retained and produced upon the department's request; failure to meet CE requirements may result in disciplinary action.
- Psychologist: Upon request of the Commissioner of Public Health, a licensee shall submit CE certificates to DPH. No fixed selection method or percentage is stated.
DelawareLPC · LMFT · LCSW · Psychologist
- LPC: Board conducts random post-renewal audits requiring documentation. Licensees renewing during the late-renewal window are automatically audited. False attestation may result in discipline.
- LMFT: Board conducts random post-renewal audits requiring documentation. Licensees renewing during the late-renewal window are automatically audited. False attestation may result in discipline.
- LCSW: The Board performs random audits after electronic attestation.
- Psychologist: Random post-renewal audits performed by the Board; licensees notified within 60 days after the end of the renewal period (July 31 of odd years); selected licensees must submit verification within 10 days of the notice.
FloridaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board audits a percentage of renewals to verify CE compliance via the CE Broker system. Licensees are responsible for retaining their own CE certificates of completion (and any supporting documentation for presenter, teaching, or board-meeting credit) and producing them on request when selected for audit. Electronic tracking via CE Broker does not relieve the licensee of the obligation to retain original certificates — the Board may request originals to validate provider- approval status, hours claimed, or category coding.
- LMFT: Florida conducts random post-renewal audits via CE Broker; licensees must submit certificates or have provider-reported records verified. No grace period at audit.
- Psychologist: Licensee shall maintain and make available upon request documentation to substantiate CE credit (64B19-13.003(4)). Department verifies CE at renewal via its electronic tracking system. No published random-audit selection percentage.
GeorgiaLPC · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board audits a percentage of licensees each renewal cycle to verify CE compliance. Certificates of attendance documenting provider, dates, hours, and whether the activity was synchronous or asynchronous must be retained for audit.
- Psychologist: The Board audits a fixed percentage of renewal applications; audited licensees document completion on the Continuing Education Report Form. Audited licensees who cannot document attested credits have 31 days to obtain them; disqualified credits must be cured before the end of the late-renewal period (Jan 31 of the odd year) or the license is revoked by operation of law.
HawaiiLMFT · Psychologist
- LMFT: Per HRS § 451J-10, the DCCA Director may randomly audit licensees; selected licensees have 60 days to submit documentation verifying CE compliance.
- Psychologist: The board may conduct random audits of licensees to determine CE compliance (HRS § 465-11(g)). No fixed sampling percentage is stated.
IdahoLPC · LMFT · LCSW · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board conducts random CE audits and may request certificates of completion documenting the full 12-hour cycle requirement, including the 6 ethics, 3 professional boundaries, and 3 suicide assessment/intervention hours. Idaho does not operate a centralized CE tracking system — licensees are responsible for retaining their own CE completion certificates and supporting documentation and for producing them on request when selected for audit.
- LMFT: The Board conducts random CE audits and may request certificates of completion documenting the full 12-hour cycle requirement, including the 6 ethics, 3 professional boundaries, and 3 suicide assessment/intervention hours. Idaho does not operate a centralized CE tracking system — licensees are responsible for retaining their own CE completion certificates and supporting documentation and for producing them on request when selected for audit.
- LCSW: The Board conducts post-renewal audits and requires certificates when selected or when renewal is late.
- Psychologist: A random audit may be conducted to ensure compliance. No selection percentage or method is stated.
IllinoisLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board conducts random audits and may require proof of course completion. The Board may refuse credit for any CE that does not meet the rule (non-approved provider, out-of-cycle, repeated course, etc.) and may audit any licensee suspected of non-compliance — audit authority is not limited to the random sample.
- LMFT: IDFPR conducts random CE audits after renewal; being short on hours could lead to a citation or other penalty.
- Psychologist: Division conducts random audits; additional evidence required in that context. No fixed selection percentage published (§ 1400.60(d)(2)).
IndianaLPC · LMFT · LCSW · Psychologist
- LPC: Renewal is by self-attestation; the board conducts random audits and may require documentation of completed CE hours.
- LMFT: Renewal is by self-attestation; the board conducts random audits and may require documentation of completed CE hours.
- LCSW: Renewal is by self-attestation; the board conducts random audits and may require documentation of completed CE hours.
- Psychologist: The board audits by request; documentation need only be submitted when requested by the State Psychology Board. No published selection percentage.
IowaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board may audit CE compliance and require proof of attendance and presenter qualifications.
- LMFT: The Board may audit CE compliance and require proof of attendance and presenter qualifications.
- Psychologist: A percentage of licensees are randomly audited following each renewal cycle. A selected licensee has 30 days to provide certificates and 90 days to submit make-up credit for any deficit (481—500.7). When selected, the licensee must submit an individual certificate of completion issued to the licensee or other evidence of successful completion from the course sponsor.
KansasLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: BSRB may audit renewals and request documentation (certificates, transcripts, presentation letters).
- LMFT: The board may audit a licensee's CE to verify compliance, including hours completed during any granted extension.
- Psychologist: K.A.R. 102-1-8a(a): the board conducts a random audit of the CE documentation for 10 percent of psychologist licenses expiring during each renewal period. Selected licensees are notified after the board receives the renewal form and must respond within 30 days after expiration.
KentuckyLPC · Psychologist
- LPC: The board may audit a percentage of renewals (up to ~15%) and require licensees to furnish CE documentation.
- Psychologist: The board shall audit a minimum of 10 percent of all credential holders' documentation through a random audit process (§9).
LouisianaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board audits a sample of renewals and may request supporting documentation.
- LMFT: The Board audits approximately 10% of renewals each cycle; all late/lapsed renewals are automatically audited and require verification of all 40 CE hours.
- Psychologist: The board may conduct an annual audit of CPD reports; psychologists are selected randomly and must produce documentation for each reported item (LAC 46:LXIII.809.E).
MaineLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: Maine uses attestation at renewal and audits a percentage of renewals to verify records. Audited licensees must supply the signed certificates and/or transcripts for the courses they claimed; missing documentation or inadequate hours can lead to consent agreements, fines, or additional required CE.
- LMFT: Maine uses attestation at renewal and audits a percentage of renewals to verify records. Audited licensees must supply the signed certificates and/or transcripts for the courses they claimed; missing documentation or inadequate hours can lead to consent agreements, fines, or additional required CE.
- Psychologist: CE is verified by audit of a randomly selected group of licensees; the board no longer collects CE logs at renewal. Logs and documents are submitted when the board conducts an audit. The source does not state a fixed percentage selected.
MarylandLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board audits a percentage of renewals each cycle.
- LMFT: The Board audits a percentage of renewals each cycle.
- Psychologist: The Board shall randomly audit CE documentation of all psychologists and psychology associates (COMAR 10.36.02). Licensees selected for audit shall renew by March 1 and provide documentation within 10 days of notification. Selection described only as "random"; no fixed percentage stated.
MassachusettsLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board conducts random audits and may request documentation of course completion.
- LMFT: The Board conducts random continuing education audits; failure to produce documentation can result in disciplinary action attached to the license record.
- Psychologist: The Board conducts random audits of selected licensees. No fixed selection percentage is published.
MichiganLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: LARA may audit compliance with the human trafficking and implicit bias training mandates.
- LMFT: The department may audit compliance by requesting certificates of training completion.
- Psychologist: The board conducts a random post-renewal audit each period; a percentage of renewing licensees are randomly selected and notified to submit evidence. Fixed audit percentage not stated.
MinnesotaLPC · LMFT · LCSW · Psychologist
- LPC: BBHT performs random audits and may audit when reporting appears inaccurate.
- LMFT: Minnesota conducts random CE audits. Failure to produce documentation can lead to disciplinary action.
- LCSW: The Board may audit at renewal or reactivation and require the statutory documentation.
- Psychologist: The board shall randomly audit a percentage of renewing licensees each month; selection notice is sent during the first ten days of the month following the renewal date (Minn. R. 7200.3860).
MississippiLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: Mississippi LPC Board audits approximately 10% of renewals. Licensees attest to completion at renewal; certificates and documentation must be produced if audited.
- LMFT: If a renewal application is audited and found deficient in CE hours, the Board may renew conditionally requiring the hours be obtained within 6 months of the notice of deficiency.
- Psychologist: Rule 12.5.C: the Board will perform a random audit of no less than five (5) percent of the CE reports. Rule 12.5.B: failure to submit CE in the required online format will result in an audit.
MissouriLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The State Committee for Professional Counselors may audit licensees to verify CE compliance and will request certificates for formal hours and a log/summary for self-study hours.
- LMFT: The state committee may request the actual record of CE attendance.
- Psychologist: Records shall be made available upon reasonable request for inspection, photocopying, or audit (20 CSR 2235-7.020(2)); the committee may audit as deemed necessary (20 CSR 2235-7.020(4)). On request, the licensee must forward documents within 30 days (20 CSR 2235-7.040(3)). No fixed selection percentage is stated.
MontanaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Department may audit renewed licenses and require completion certificates or equivalent proof.
- LMFT: The board may audit up to 50% of renewals.
- Psychologist: ARM 24.189.2110(12): the department determines the audit percentage based on a statistically relevant sampling of the total number of licensees and the compliance rate of past audits. No fixed percentage is published.
NebraskaPsychologist
- Psychologist: The department or appropriate board may biennially select, in a random manner, a sample of renewal applications for audit of continuing competency requirements (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-146(3)). The credential of any person who fails to comply with the conditions of the audit expires 30 days after notice and an opportunity for a hearing. No fixed selection percentage is specified. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 38-146(3): each credential holder is responsible for maintaining certificates or records of continuing-competency activities. The statute states the duty but no fixed retention duration, so no invented period_months value is encoded.
NevadaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board may conduct random audits to verify CE. Hours not supported by documentation do not count. Except for an approved hardship waiver, failure to satisfy the applicable cycle's CE requirements subjects the licensee to disciplinary action under NAC 641A.131(7).
- LMFT: The Board may conduct random audits to verify CE. Hours not supported by documentation do not count. Except for an approved hardship waiver, failure to satisfy the applicable cycle's CE requirements subjects the licensee to disciplinary action under NAC 641A.131(7).
- Psychologist: Renewal is by attestation with random audit; the Board may require evidence of completion at any time (NAC 641.132(1)). No fixed percentage or selection rate stated.
New HampshireLPC · Psychologist
- LPC: Licensees are responsible for proving attendance/completion of CE hours submitted for license renewal if audited.
- Psychologist: Each year the Board randomly selects 5% of licensed psychologists for audit of CEUs (Psyc 402.02(f)). Selected licensees are notified at least 60 days before documentation is due and must provide copies within 30 days of the audit-request letter (Psyc 402.02(f)-(g)).
New JerseyLCSW · Psychologist
- LCSW: Licensees must submit comprehensive CE records when requested by the Board.
- Psychologist: "The Board shall perform audits on randomly selected licensees to determine compliance" with CE requirements (N.J.A.C. 13:42-10.22).
New MexicoLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: Renewing licensees are randomly selected for audit, and the Board may audit CE records at any time before the next renewal or when appropriate.
- LMFT: Renewing licensees are randomly selected for audit, and the Board may audit CE records at any time before the next renewal or when appropriate.
- Psychologist: "The board reserves the right to audit any licensee to submit evidence or documentation of the CPE credits (e.g. course or program certificate of training, transcript, course or workshop brochures or published descriptions, copies of registration forms, payment invoices or receipts, specific evidence of attendance, etc.)" (16.22.9.11.A NMAC). Selection method not stated.
New YorkLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: NYSED conducts random audits of CE compliance. False attestation of CE on the renewal application is professional misconduct.
- LMFT: NYSED conducts random audits of CE compliance. False attestation of CE on the renewal application is professional misconduct.
- Psychologist: "Random samples of mandatory continuing education records are audited by the Department to ensure compliance"; the Department "randomly audits a percentage of licensees each month, as well as those licensees who applied for a conditional registration and those who previously failed an audit" (CE FAQ Q34-Q35). In no case is self-reporting accepted in place of certificates. Audit discrepancies can constitute unprofessional conduct under Regents Rule 29.1 (willfully filing a false report), punishable by censure, fine, suspension, or revocation (CE FAQ Q36).
North CarolinaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board randomly audits a percentage of renewals each cycle; failure to produce documentation when requested results in disciplinary action.
- LMFT: The board does not pre-approve courses or providers; requests for advance review or approval will not receive a response. Admissibility is judged by subject-matter and verified at audit. If a course is audited and rejected, the licensee has up to 90 days from notification to submit a replacement course; replacement hours do not count toward the next renewal period. If replacement evidence is not presented within 90 days, the license expires automatically.
- Psychologist: Verification is universal rather than by random audit: every licensee must submit a signed attestation form and — "except as specified in Paragraphs (f) and (g) of this Rule" — copies of certificates of completion for their Category A and Category B hours (21 NCAC 54 .2104(e)), online through CE Broker — "The Board has designated CE BROKER as the official submission system … Failure to submit all the required CE documentation through CE BROKER will prevent you from being able to renew your license" (Board CE page). The two certificate carve-outs: supervision-received hours are documented by the supervisor (.2104(f)) and graduate course work by an official transcript sent to the Board by the institution (.2104(g)) rather than by sponsor certificates. The renewal form also asks whether required CE was completed during the preceding two years (21 NCAC 54 .2101(b)(10)).
North DakotaLPC · Psychologist
- LPC: NDBCE may audit renewal applications and require proof of CE completion.
- Psychologist: At each reporting period, the board will select a random sampling of approximately ten percent of the licensees and require them to provide verification of the continuing education experiences claimed on the reporting form (N.D. Admin. Code 66-03-01-05). Licensees granted a CE extension undergo mandatory audit for the two reporting cycles following the conclusion of the extension period (66-03-01-06).
OhioPsychologist
- Psychologist: The board may audit any activities submitted in satisfaction of the CE requirements and may monitor and disallow programs approved by any authorized approving organization (Ohio Admin. Code 4732-2-01(C)(4)); no selection percentage is stated. At each biennial registration the licensee's CE record may be reviewed by the board (4732-2-02(B)(6)). Falsification of written evidence or failure to respond to an audit request constitutes fraud, misrepresentation, and deception and is grounds for discipline (4732-2-01(C)(11)).
OklahomaLPC · Psychologist
- LPC: Board conducts random audits and 100% audits of licensees who renew late or are otherwise selected.
- Psychologist: February random audit of 2 to 25 percent of the previous year's active-status psychologists, with verification due within 30 days of the audit notice (Okla. Admin. Code 575:10-1-8(i)); discretionary audit of questionable or fraudulent claims, with license invalidation as of December 31 and possible suspension or revocation for non-response (575:10-1-8(j)).
OregonLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board conducts random CE audits. Civil penalties for non-compliance range from approximately $250 to $1,000 depending on the magnitude of the shortfall.
- LMFT: The Board conducts random CE audits. Civil penalties for non-compliance range from approximately $250 to $1,000 depending on the magnitude of the shortfall.
- Psychologist: "The Board will conduct a random audit of continuing education compliance each year. Audited licensees will be notified by letter and given 60 days to respond" (OAR 858-040-0026(1)); no selection percentage is stated. An incomplete audit report earns a 30-day cure window (OAR 858-040-0026(4)). Sanctions (OAR 858-040-0070): late audit response — $200 delinquent fee up to 30 days late, $300 up to 60 days, $500 plus license suspension after 60 days until a complete response is provided (§ 0070(6)); deficient hours — $250 fine for 1-10 hours, $500 for 11-20, $750 for 21-30, $1000 for 31-40, with 30 days to complete the deficient hours (made-up hours may not be double counted toward a subsequent reporting period), an additional $250 fine if not completed within 30 days, and a minimum 60-day suspension if not completed within 90 days (§ 0070(7)). Failure to comply with any provision of division 40, or misrepresentation of compliance, constitutes unprofessional conduct per ORS 675.070(2)(d) and (h) and is grounds for disciplinary action (§ 0070(4)); a license revoked for CE noncompliance requires re-application (§ 0070(5)).
PennsylvaniaLMFT · Psychologist
- LMFT: Board may verify CE compliance; child abuse training must be completed during the relevant biennial renewal period and prior initial-licensure training does not carry forward.
- Psychologist: CE records 'are subject to audit by the Board' (49 Pa. Code 41.59(c)). The rule states no selection percentage; PPA reports that audit selection typically happens shortly after the start of the next biennium and that certificates are submitted only if selected.
Rhode IslandLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Department of Health may conduct random audits of CE compliance.
- LMFT: The Department of Health may conduct random audits of CE compliance.
- Psychologist: Random audit by the Department, on request, against the licensee's safeguarded documentation (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.2(B)(1)). No audit percentage or selection cadence is stated in the rule.
South CarolinaLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: South Carolina uses CE Broker to track and audit CE compliance; licensees report hours through that system.
- LMFT: South Carolina uses CE Broker to track and audit CE compliance; licensees report hours through that system.
- Psychologist: Random-sample verification: "The Board will request written documentation of completion of a minimum of twenty-four (24) approved continuing education credits during the previous twenty-four (24) month licensure period from a randomly selected sample of licensed psychologists" (S.C. Code Regs. § 100-10(E)). When a licensee cannot provide that documentation, "a penalty will be determined by the Board on an individual basis" (§ 100-10(F)). The rule names no document-retention period.
South DakotaLPC · LMFT
TennesseeLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board conducts random audits and may audit consecutive renewal periods. Audited licensees must provide certificates/transcripts within 15 working days.
- LMFT: The Board administers a violations/compliance procedure (0450-02-.12(8)); a licensee has 30 days from notice to show compliance before disciplinary action. CE hours completed under a disciplinary Board Order do not count toward the regular renewal requirement (0450-02-.12(8)(e)).
- Psychologist: Documentation of completed CE hours must be produced for inspection and verification if requested in writing by the Board; the Board does not maintain CE files (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-01-.08(3)). False certification of CE attendance and failure to obtain required CE are each grounds for disciplinary action under T.C.A. 63-11-215 (1180-01-.08(4)).
TexasLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Council/Board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance via CE Broker.
- LMFT: BHEC conducts random CE audits; selected licensees must provide documentation for all claimed hours, even if the license goes inactive or retired after renewal.
- Psychologist: Each month, 5% of each license type eligible for renewal is randomly selected for a CE audit; licensees may also be selected for an irregularity. Audited licensees must submit proof of hours and an NPDB self-query.
UtahPsychologist
- Psychologist: The rule requires CE to "have records of registration and completion available for review" (R156-61-403(4)(e)) and imposes the two-year documentation-retention duty of R156-61-403(6); no audit selection method (percentage or cadence) is stated in the codified rule.
VermontLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: CE records are subject to inspection and audit by the Board.
- LMFT: The Board may audit CE compliance; deficiencies may trigger a 90-day corrective plan under 3 V.S.A. section 129(k) (rule 4.30(d)). Failure to comply with the corrective plan may result in discipline (rule 4.30(f)).
- Psychologist: "The Board will conduct continuing education audits of currently conditioned licensees and randomly selected licensees. The Board may also audit late renewing licensees and licensees who in any of the preceding 2 renewal cycles were initially found to have not met continuing education renewal requirements." (Rule 8.13(a)). A deficiency found on audit opens a 90-day corrective-plan window; failure to comply may lead to disciplinary action (Rule 8.13(b)).
VirginiaLPC · LCSW · Psychologist
- LPC: The Board conducts random audits and may request proof that courses were from approved providers and that ethics hours were included.
- LCSW: The Board may audit licensees to verify compliance for a renewal period.
- Psychologist: After the end of each renewal period, the board may conduct a random audit of licensees to verify compliance with the requirement for that renewal period (18VAC125-20-123 B). Upon request the licensee provides official transcripts or certificates of completion from approved providers (18VAC125-20-123 C); the board may request additional information if compliance is not clear (18VAC125-20-123 D).
WashingtonLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: The Department of Health may audit CE compliance.
- LMFT: The Department of Health may audit CE compliance.
- Psychologist: "Up to twenty-five percent of the practitioners are randomly audited for continuing education compliance after the credential is renewed," with sixty days to supply acceptable documentation before possible disciplinary action (WAC 246-12-190); the department selects a percentage of renewing licensees each month (DOH psychologist CE page). The board may also require any licensed psychologist to submit documentation demonstrating compliance with the 60 hours (WAC 246-924-230(3)). Licensees may continue practicing while an audit review is ongoing.
West VirginiaLMFT · LCSW · Psychologist
- LMFT: Documentation for the first two biennia is handled through direct submission rather than random audit (27-10-3.2).
- LCSW: The Board conducts random CE audits; licensees must maintain their CE records.
- Psychologist: Compliance is checked at every renewal rather than by random selection: "On each application for renewal, the above cited individuals must present to the Board documentary evidence of the completion of appropriate and adequate CE." (§ 17-3-20.3). The board's CE Audit Form plus copies of all CE certificates are submitted with the renewal form and fee, and the completed form is kept in the licensee's file as proof of CE taken (board CE page).
WisconsinLPC · LMFT · Psychologist
- LPC: DSPS conducts random audits of CE compliance. Licensees should retain proof of completion (certificates, transcripts, employer documentation for in-house training).
- LMFT: The section may conduct investigations and random audits of CE compliance.
- Psychologist: Complaint-triggered: "The board may conduct an audit for compliance with continuing education requirements on any licensee who has a complaint made against the licensee." (Wis. Admin. Code Psy 4.05(2), as amended by CR 19-117 effective January 1, 2021). Proof must also be made available to the board or its agent upon request at any time (Psy 4.05(1)), and licensees "must submit all of this documentation when audits are conducted" (DSPS psychologist CE page). No fixed random-audit percentage appears in the current chapter.
WyomingLMFT · Psychologist
- LMFT: CE compliance is verified through an audit/review process; a Notice of Deficiency (Ch. 14 § 4(f)) gives an applicant 30 days to cure a documentation deficiency during review.
- Psychologist: "It is the licensee or certificate holder's responsibility to obtain the necessary documentation of hours earned from the continuing education activity sponsor and to submit such documentation to the Board upon request." (Chapter 8, Section 3(c)); "Licensees and certificate holders shall provide documentation justifying the completion of all CE hours and how they relate to the practice of psychology." (Chapter 18, Section 2(d)). No audit-selection percentage is published, and no retention period is stated in the rules — the duties are to obtain documentation from the sponsor and produce it on request.
04Why audits fail
The hours were real. The record was not.
Almost every failed audit is a documentation failure, not a training failure. These are the six that come up again and again in board rules and disciplinary notices.
Unapproved provider
The course was real, but the provider was not approved for your board, or its approval had lapsed by the date you took it. Hours from an unapproved provider are struck.
Hours in the wrong cycle
A course completed after the renewal date or before the cycle started. The most common failure, and one boards rarely let you cure with carryover.
Self-study cap exceeded
The total is met, but too many hours were recorded or self-paced. The excess is disallowed and the total falls short.
Category short
Thirty hours on file and the ethics minimum still unmet, because nothing was mapped to it. Attribution is what the reviewer checks.
Certificate missing a field
No completion date, no hours, or the wrong name. Reviewers reject on form before they read content.
Double-counting across licenses
The same course claimed in two states where one board excludes it. Each attestation is audited on its own.
05By profession
The packet is the same. The approval trail differs.
What changes between professions is mostly who approves the provider and how the board judges a course it has not pre-approved.
Counselors (LPC, LMHC, LCPC)
Counselor boards commonly rely on NBCC-approved providers alongside their own lists. Where the board does not pre-approve courses, admissibility is decided by subject matter at audit, so keep the course description with the certificate.
LPC requirements by stateMarriage and family therapists (LMFT)
MFT boards often share a rulebook with the counselor board and accept AAMFT-approved CE. Where one cycle covers both credentials, keep one packet per license anyway. The audit is per attestation.
LMFT requirements by stateSocial workers (LCSW, LMSW, LICSW)
Most social work boards accept ASWB ACE-approved providers and several publish their own approved lists. Keep the ACE provider number with each certificate. Where a board names a jurisprudence or laws-and-rules category, it is audited separately from ethics.
LCSW requirements by statePsychologists
Psychology boards frequently require APA-approved sponsors or their own recognized-sponsor list, and several select audits at random after each renewal with short response windows. Keep sponsor approval evidence with every certificate.
Psychologist requirements by state06The checklist
What to keep, in the order you will need it.
Five groups, from the check you do before you attest to how long the packet stays on file. Tick items as you go and your progress is saved on this device, or download the PDF for a binder.
0%
Your audit packet progress
0 of 27 items complete. Saved on this device.
01Before you file the renewalThe attestation is what the audit tests0/8
02What to keep for each courseThe certificate plus what backs it up0/6
03What to keep for each cycleThe packet a reviewer can read in one pass0/4
04If you receive an audit noticeDeadline first, then documents0/5
05How long to keep itAt least the board's period, measured the board's way0/4
The record, kept for you
Every certificate filed against the requirement it satisfies.
certification.app keeps each certificate against your board's actual rule: total, ethics, each category, format caps, one-time mandates, for every license you hold. When a notice arrives, the audit packet is one export, with the cover sheet already written.
Running a practice? The group-practice checklist covers the roster side.
Audit packetREADY TO EXPORT
Total CE
30 of 30 h
Ethics
3 of 3 h
Suicide risk (one-time)
Done 2025
Self-study cap
6 of 15 h used
Certificates
5 of 5 on file
07Questions
Frequently asked.
What does a board ask for in a CE audit?
A certificate of completion for every hour you attested to, showing your name, the course title, the completion date, the hours, and the provider; evidence the provider was approved where the board requires it; and enough detail to map each certificate to the total, the ethics minimum, each named category, and any one-time mandate. Some boards also ask for a course description or agenda so they can judge admissibility by subject.
How long do I need to keep CE certificates?
It depends on the board. 101 of the 200 state rules we track for LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Psychologist licensees state a retention period, and those run from 1 year to 8 years, measured from the renewal date, from the end of the cycle, or from each course's completion date. Where the board states no period, keep at least two full cycles, since some boards audit consecutive renewals.
What does a CE audit notice look like?
A letter or portal message after renewal saying you were selected, usually at random, to verify the CE you attested to. It lists the cycle under review, the documents to submit, the format (portal upload, email, or mail), and a response deadline. Deadlines across the boards we track run from about 10 days to 60 days from the notice.
What happens if I fail a CE audit?
Outcomes range from a cure window (replacement hours within 30 to 90 days) to conditional renewal, a citation, a fine, or discipline for a false attestation. Several boards state that hours you cannot document simply do not count, which can leave the renewal short. Late renewals are automatically audited by some boards.
Do I send certificates with my renewal?
Usually not. 148 of the 200 rules we track say the board may audit, and most of those renew on attestation: you confirm the hours are complete, then produce the proof only if selected. States that run CE Broker or a similar portal verify against the portal record first and ask for whatever is missing.
Does a certificate need a provider approval number?
When your board restricts CE to approved providers, yes: the approval number, or a board listing showing the provider was approved on the date of the course. Where the board judges courses by subject matter rather than provider, keep the course description instead. Our state pages say which model each board uses.
This guide is informational only and is not legal, board, or renewal advice. Retention periods and audit procedures are set by each licensing board and change; verify with your board before renewing.
Keep a copy with the packet.
Print the checklist for the front of your CE binder, or save it as a PDF alongside your certificates. Your ticked items are included when you print.