BBS License Renewal: What California Therapists Need to Know

Renewal deadlines have a way of sneaking up on you. This guide covers California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) renewals for licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), clinical social workers (LCSWs), professional clinical counselors (LPCCs), and educational psychologists (LEPs), plus associate registrations (AMFT, ASW, APCC). 

Never forget a license renewal deadline again. SparkHours sends free email reminders when your renewal window opens, then at 60, 30, and 14 days before expiration, and one after, if it lapses. No account needed. One-step setup. Get free renewal reminders →

How Often Is BBS License Renewal Due?

California LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs must renew every two years and meet all Continuing Education (CE) requirements. Your exact date is on your license record. You can look it up with DCA License Search or in your BreEZe account.

You can't renew more than 90 days before your expiration date, so your window is about three months. 

California associate registrations (AMFT, ASW, and APCC) must be renewed every year. Learn more about associate registrations here.

What Are the BBS License Renewal Requirements?

To renew an active non-associate license, you need 36 hours of CE from a Board-accepted provider, including 6 hours of law and ethics. You also sign under penalty of perjury that you finished the coursework. Two more rules apply:

• Finish all CE before you submit your renewal application.
• Use each course for only one renewal period.

A "renewal period" is the two-year window from the day after your issue or prior expiration date to your current expiration date. CE taken outside that window doesn't count.

Associates renew on a different schedule. See how associates renew.

What One-Time Courses Are Required For Renewal?

Two one-time courses apply to LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs: a 6-hour course in suicide risk assessment and intervention, and a 3-hour course in the provision of mental health services via telehealth. You can skip either one if you already submitted proof with your licensure application.

A one-time course taken during your renewal period also counts toward your 36 hours. If you took it earlier, it meets the one-time requirement, but not the 36.

LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, and LEP License Renewal: What's Different?

The core rules are the same for all four licenses. The differences are the renewal fee and the courses required for first-renewal.

The extras apply only to your first renewal, which still requires 36 hours. A new LEP may need 37 in total because of the one-time courses. 

What Is the BBS License Renewal Fee?

Because the BBS has implemented a 50% fee reduction through June 30, 2030, the active renewal fee is $120 for LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs and $100 for LEPs when you renew on time. Consult the chart below for up-to-date renewal fees. 

Late renewals (renewals postmarked after the expiration date and titled “delinquent”) add $50 for full active licenses and $25 for inactive licenses. Associates pay an extra 50% of the renewal fee if late. 

*The LMFT, LCSW, and LPCC costs consist of a $100 base renewal fee plus a mandatory, non-reduced $20 Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund Fee.

There is no grace period. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on the BBS site before you pay. 

How Do I Renew My LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, or LEP License?

Most therapists renew online through BreEZe. Online renewals process instantly, while mailed renewals take 4 to 6 weeks. Follow these steps:

• Check your expiration date. Look it up in BreEZe or on DCA License Search. 
• Complete your CE. That's 36 hours, including 6 in law and ethics and any one-time courses you still owe.
• Save your certificates. Keep them for at least two years, in case you are audited.
• Log in to BreEZe once you're within 90 days of your expiration date.
• Certify and pay. Confirm you completed your CE, then pay the fee. Your new expiration date should show in your account right away.

If you renew by mail, make your check payable to "Behavioral Sciences Fund."

How Do Associates (AMFT, ASW, APCC) Renew?

Associates renew their registration every year. Each renewal requires 3 hours of California law and ethics, and the fee is $75 on time or $112.50 if late. Unlike full licensees, associates don't need 36 hours of CE.

Your registration expires 12 months from the last day of the month it was first issued. You can find your exact date in your BreEZe account or on DCA License Search.

What you need before you renew:

• 3 hours of CE in California law and ethics, completed during your annual renewal period
• An attempt at the California Law and Ethics Exam during each annual cycle, if you haven't passed it yet

How to renew an associate registration:

1. Check your expiration date. Look it up in BreEZe or on DCA License Search.
2. Complete your 3 hours of law and ethics.
3. Attempt the exam, if you still need to. You must attempt the California Law and Ethics Exam at least once each cycle until you pass.
4. Log in to BreEZe, certify, and submit your application and fee. The fee is $75 for on-time renewal.

What if you renew late?

Late renewals for associate registrations add 50% of the renewal fee, which brings the total to $112.50.

Is there a limit on renewals? 

Yes. Associate registrations can be renewed a maximum of 5 times, which is a 6-year lifetime limit. Plan your hours and exam attempts with that clock in mind.

How Can I Keep Track of My BBS License Renewal Date?

The easiest way is a free email reminder. SparkHours offers free emails to California LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs, and associate registrations, at five points:

• When your renewal window opens
• 60 days before expiration
• 30 days before expiration
• 14 days before expiration
• Once after expiration, if your license lapses

You enter your license type, license number, and email, then confirm once. There's no account and no cost. SparkHours uses California DCA updates to keep your date current.

Get free reminders →

Is DCA License Renewal the same as BBS License Renewal? 

For California therapists, yes. Your DCA license renewal goes through the BBS. The BBS is one of the boards within the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), which oversees many licensed professions.

What Counts as Continuing Education?

CE counts if it comes from a Board-accepted provider and fits your scope of practice. Self-improvement courses and courses for non-practitioners don't count. Licensees are responsible for confirming that a provider is Board-accepted. Details are on the BBS CE page.

CE can come from:

• Providers approved by agencies the Board recognizes, including APA, ASWB, CAMFT, CPA, NASP, NASW, and NBCC.
• Postsecondary institutions that meet the requirements in law, where one semester unit equals 15 CE hours and one quarter unit = 10 CE hours.
• Teaching a course for a Board-accepted provider, for up to 18 hours per renewal period.
• Online/self study courses can comprise 100% of your 36 hours, provided the vendor is approved.

One catch for supervisors: a law and ethics course built for supervisor training can't count toward your 6-hour law and ethics requirement, though it does count toward the 36 hours.

What Happens If Your License Expires?

If you miss your expiration date for a non-associate license, your license becomes delinquent, and it's illegal to practice with it. While delinquent, you can't provide psychotherapy outside an exempt setting, supervise, sign off on experience, or collect payment for services performed during that time.

After three years without renewal, your license is cancelled. You'd have to reapply, meet current requirements, and pass the licensing exams again. That's a lot of work to avoid a missed date. Free renewal email reminders take one short setup.

Your Next Step

Look up your expiration date today, then count back 90 days. That's when your renewal window opens. 

Or let SparkHours do the counting. It's free. No account needed. 

Get free reminders →

This article is for general information and isn't legal advice. Confirm current requirements and fees with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. SparkHours reminders are a convenience. You're still responsible for renewing on time.