California · AMFT → LMFT · checked 28 August 2026
The California LMFT path, without the scavenger hunt.
This is the front door for people drawn to relationships, families, and systems. See what the license opens, what the Board requires, what to do next, and which tools can save you time.
The route →AMFT associate registration3,000 supervised hours104 minimum weeks
Choose the right doorway
The route at a glance
Four stages, with the differences kept visible.
01Qualifying degreeQualifying marriage and family therapy degree.
02AMFT registrationRegister with the BBS before post-degree hours can enter the record.
03Supervised experience3,000 hours over at least 104 weeks, subject to category and supervision rules.
04Clinical exam + licenseCalifornia LMFT Clinical Examination, after the Board approves the application.
What is distinctive about this path?
Up to 1,300 qualifying pre-degree trainee hours can enter the 3,000-hour record, and 500 hours must involve couples, families, or children.
- 1,750 hours — direct clinical minimum
- 500 hours — Couples, families, and children
- 1,250 hours — maximum nonclinical category
- Up to 1,300 qualifying pre-degree hours may count.
Start with the question you actually have
The useful next pages, not an encyclopedia.
Search the BBS education tableFilter every school the Board marks for LMFT, LCSW, or LPCC paths.See the complete California LMFT routeEducation, registration, supervised experience, exams, and application in order.Protect your trainee hoursThe placement and supervision rules that decide whether pre-degree work counts.Plan the 3,000 hoursEstimate which requirement will determine your actual finish date.Check a supervision arrangementScreen the person, employer relationship, setting, weekly cadence, and paperwork before relying on the hours.Open the associate workspaceJobs, pay, supervision, hour records, exams, and Board timing in one place.
Controlling sources
The Board's material remains the authority.
Rules on this page are generated from the site's versioned three-license rules record, reviewed 28 August 2026. Use the handbook for your path when a form, deadline, or unusual fact pattern matters.
Read the BBS LMFT handbook · Open the BBS LMFT applicant page
