Therapist SupportCalifornia · free

California LMFT licensure

The Law and Ethics Exam controls more than the exam

In short

When do I have to take the California Law and Ethics Exam?

How one exam controls annual AMFT renewal, subsequent registration and clinical-examination eligibility

It affects annual AMFT renewal, subsequent registration and eligibility for the LMFT clinical examination.

California BBSPearson VUEChecked 22 August 2026

The rules in one minute

Until 31 December 2026, an AMFT must take the California Law and Ethics Exam during each one-year renewal cycle until passing it. From 1 January 2027, AB 1598 (Chapter 528) ends that: renewal needs the three hours of law and ethics CE but no exam attempt. Once passed, the exam does not need to be taken again, though from 2027 a pass must be no more than seven years old when the Board receives your license application, a limit that does not apply to any application received on or before 1 January 2030. Passing is required for a subsequent associate registration and for full LMFT licensure.

The Board administers a separate exam for each license type. Passing an LCSW or LPCC version does not replace the LMFT examination.

Initial exam sequence

  1. Wait until the Board recognizes your eligibility through an associate registration or approved licensure application.
  2. Submit the initial exam request through the correct BreEZe workflow; associates are instructed to use “Manage Your License Information.”
  3. Make sure the name on the Board record matches the current government identification used at Pearson VUE.
  4. If requesting accommodations, obtain approval before scheduling.
  5. Schedule and take the examination inside the eligibility period.

If you do not pass

You may request re-examination after attempting the exam, but the Board says eligibility is not sent to Pearson VUE until the 90-day waiting period has elapsed. A 12-hour law-and-ethics course is no longer required before a re-exam: the Board’s FAQ dates that change to 1 January 2023. The recurring CE required to renew an AMFT registration is separate and unchanged.

Until 2027, renewal requires an attempt, not necessarily a pass. But a subsequent registration after the original lifespan (six years, seven from 1 January 2027) requires the exam to be passed.

The deadline chain

See the LMFT application checklist for the whole handoff.

Primary sources

  1. California BBS: California Law and Ethics Examination
  2. California BBS: LMFT Clinical Examination
  3. California BBS: LMFT applicant pathway

The California LMFT route

LMFT requirementsAMFT registrationApplication checklist3,000 hoursLicense renewalLicensure hub
Page date1 September 2026All updates →
Source notes

Use the citations and any dated evidence records to check the claims relevant to your task. This label is not a verification status.

The questions the Board answers about this exam

Each answer restates the Board’s California Law and Ethics Exam FAQ (revised September 2023), read 3 September 2026. Where the FAQ and a later rule disagree, the later rule is what this page carries. AB 1598, signed as Chapter 528, ends the yearly attempt from 1 January 2027 and puts a seven-year rule in its place that waits until 2030; the bill tracker quotes it.

Does taking the exam count for renewal even if I fail it?

Until 31 December 2026, yes. The renewal requirement is that you take the exam at least once in each one-year renewal cycle. Passing is required only for a subsequent registration number and for licensure. A no-show does not count as an attempt. From 1 January 2027, AB 1598 (Chapter 528) ends the attempt requirement for renewal; the three hours of law and ethics CE remain.

How many attempts can I fit in one renewal cycle?

At least three, if you apply for re-exam promptly each time: the Board will not send your eligibility to Pearson VUE until 90 days have passed since your last attempt, so a cycle holds roughly three sittings. The 90 days exist so you are not shown the same exam form twice.

I was a no-show. Do I wait 90 days?

No. Because you did not see the exam, the 90-day wait does not apply; you are approved on acceptance of a re-exam application and fee. But a no-show also does not satisfy the renewal requirement.

My registration is expiring and I have not taken it yet. What happens?

The registration will not renew until the Board is notified you have taken the exam - even if you filed the renewal early. Results reach the Board within 24 to 48 hours of the sitting, and a complete renewal then updates as soon as they arrive.

What happens at the six-year limit if I still have not passed?

A registration cannot be renewed beyond six years from the last day of the month it was issued (seven years from 1 January 2027), and a subsequent registration cannot be issued until the exam is passed. The Board’s words: there are no exceptions.

Does a pass ever expire?

Once passed, you are not asked to retake it - with one exception. If you attempt the clinical exam and have not passed it within seven years of your first attempt, you must pass the current Law and Ethics exam again before you can retake the clinical exam. The old Standard Written exam was valid for seven years only and does not substitute. From 1 January 2027, AB 1598 measures the pass instead: it must be no more than seven years old when the Board receives the application, a limit that does not apply to any application received on or before 1 January 2030.

I have approved hours but no Law and Ethics pass. Is there a deadline?

Yes. Under 16 CCR §1806 you must take an exam within one year of initial approval, or within one year of a failed attempt, or the application is abandoned - a new application and fee, and hours older than six years at that point (seven from 1 January 2027) may be lost. The exam eligibility end date and the licensure-application date can differ; the regulation’s clock is the one that counts.

Who do I ask, and what do I include?

The Board’s exam unit answers by email; include your name and your registration number, file number or CABBS ID. The Board does not provide study materials or recommend courses; the content outline and sample questions are in the Pearson VUE candidate handbook.

More on this

Licensure

The route to LMFT, and how long it really takes.

Am I on track for California psychologist renewal?A private returning progress record for the 36-hour CPD cycleCan this person and arrangement support my California associate hours?A private multi-license screen for the supervisor, employer relationship, weekly plan, and required recordsWhat does my next California BBS license renewal require?A private renewal workspace for timing, status, fees, CE and reminders
All 191 pages on licensure →

You should not have to work this part out on your own.

Once a month: free tools and apps worth having, better ways to run the admin side of a practice, what other California therapists are actually doing, and anything new here that might save you an afternoon.

About monthly. One click to leave. Never sold, never shared. The consent box is separate and unticked because California requires it — and because it should be.