Ethics CE requirements by state

153 of the 200 state rules we track for LPC, LMFT, LCSW, Psychologist licensees reserve an explicit slice of the CE total for ethics — typically 3hours per cycle, under names as different as "ethics & boundaries" and "jurisprudence." The table below shows each state's per-cycle minimum; every cell links to the full board-sourced rule. Blank means the board states no separate ethics minimum.

State	LPC ethics / cycle	LMFT ethics / cycle	LCSW ethics / cycle	Psychologist ethics / cycle	Board's name for it
Alabama	6 / 2 years	—	3 / 2 years	—	Ethics
Alaska	3 / 2 years	2 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics
Arizona	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	Ethics or Mental Health Law · Professional Ethics
Arkansas	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 1 year	Ethics · Professional Ethics
California	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	Law & Ethics
Colorado	—	—	—	—
Connecticut	3 / 1 year	—	—	—	Professional Ethics
Delaware	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics
Florida	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics or Telehealth · Ethics and Boundaries or Telehealth · Ethics and Laws
Georgia	5 / 2 years	5 / 2 years	5 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics
Hawaii	—	6 / 3 years	3 / 3 years	—	Ethics
Idaho	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	2 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics · Law & Ethics
Illinois	3 / 2 years	—	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics
Indiana	—	—	—	6 / 2 years	Ethics
Iowa	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	—	Ethics · Social Work Ethics
Kansas	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics · Professional Ethics Allowed Activities D1 D2 D4 D6
Kentucky	—	3 / 1 year	3 / 3 years	3 / 3 years	Ethics · Code of Ethics · Ethics or Risk Management
Louisiana	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	—	2 / 2 years	Ethics · Ethics or Law
Maine	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics · Social Work Ethics
Maryland	—	—	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics and Professional Practice · Law & Ethics
Massachusetts	—	—	—	—
Michigan	—	—	5 / 3 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics
Minnesota	—	3 / 2 years	2 / 2 years	—	Ethics · Social Work Ethics
Mississippi	—	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	2 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics
Missouri	—	—	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics
Montana	—	—	—	2 / 2 years	Ethics
Nebraska	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics
Nevada	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	Ethics · Scientific and Professional Ethics
New Hampshire	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	Ethics
New Jersey	5 / 2 years	5 / 2 years	5 / 2 years	—	Ethics Legal · Law & Ethics · Ethics
New Mexico	12 / 2 years	12 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	Ethics · Professional Ethics
New York	—	—	—	3 / 3 years	Law & Ethics
North Carolina	3 / 2 years	3 / 1 year	4 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics
North Dakota	—	—	2 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Social Work Ethics · Ethics or Law
Ohio	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	Ethics · Ethics or Cultural Competency
Oklahoma	3 / 1 year	3 / 1 year	3 / 1 year	—	Ethics · Mental Health Ethics
Oregon	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	Law & Ethics · Ethics
Pennsylvania	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics
Rhode Island	—	—	3 / 2 years	—	Ethics
South Carolina	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	—	—	Ethics
South Dakota	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	—	Ethics · Social Work Ethics
Tennessee	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics and Jurisprudence · Law & Ethics · Professional Ethics
Texas	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	Ethics
Utah	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	Ethics Law or Technology · Ethics · Law & Ethics
Vermont	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	1.5 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	Professional Ethics · Ethics
Virginia	2 / 1 year	2 / 1 year	6 / 2 years	1.5 / 1 year	Ethics Standards or Law · Ethics Standards Law · Law & Ethics
Washington	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	4 / 3 years	Law & Ethics · Ethics and Law · Ethics
West Virginia	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	1 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Ethics
Wisconsin	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	4 / 2 years	6 / 2 years	Ethics and Boundaries · Law & Ethics
Wyoming	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	3 / 2 years	Professional Ethics · Ethics

"—" = the published rule states no separate ethics minimum; "n/a" = no published rule for that profession. Hours are per renewal cycle (cycle length shown in each cell), not per year.

Ethics CE: common questions

How many ethics CE hours do most states require?

Among the 153 state rules (of 200 tracked for LCSW, LPC, and LMFT) that state an explicit ethics minimum, the median is 3 hours per renewal cycle. Requirements range from 1 hour to 6 or more, and cycle lengths differ, so always read the figure against your state's cycle.

What if my state isn't listed with an ethics minimum?

A blank cell means the board's rule doesn't carve out a separate ethics minimum — ethics coursework still counts toward the general total, and some boards fold ethics into a jurisprudence or laws-and-rules requirement instead. Check the linked state page for the full rule.

Do ethics hours count toward the total CE requirement?

In nearly every state, yes — the ethics minimum is a carve-out within the total, not an addition to it. The linked state pages note the exceptions.

What counts as an ethics course?

Boards name the bucket differently — ethics, law and ethics, ethics and boundaries, jurisprudence — and approve courses against their own definition. See our guide to what counts as ethics CE for how to verify a course before renewal.