California Law and Ethics Exam
How does the California Law and Ethics Exam work for associates?
The California Law and Ethics Exam is the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) exam every AMFT, APCC and ASW takes. You apply for it in BreEZe and take it with Pearson VUE for $75. Through December 31, 2026, an associate must take it at least once in each renewal cycle until passing, or the registration cannot be renewed; from January 1, 2027, under AB 1598, taking it is no longer a condition of renewal. A failed attempt means a 90-day wait before the next one. Passing is required for a subsequent registration number and for licensure.
Clark Gudas
Published · 5 min read
Reviewed By Evalin Sosa, AMFT
Who takes the California Law and Ethics Exam?
Every AMFT, APCC and ASW takes the California Law and Ethics Exam, in the version for their license track. A current, delinquent or cancelled registrant can apply. The three exam versions are separate, even if you hold more than one registration.
An out-of-state applicant becomes eligible after the Board approves an Application for Licensure.
When do you have to take the exam?
Through December 31, 2026, an associate must take the California Law and Ethics Exam at least once in each renewal cycle until passing; from January 1, 2027, under AB 1598, taking it is no longer a condition of renewal. A renewal cycle is the one-year period from your registration's effective date or most recent expiration date to its current expiration date. Taking the exam satisfies the rule through 2026, even if you do not pass. Renewing early does not complete your renewal until the Board receives your result, usually 24 to 48 hours after the exam when a complete renewal is on file.
For renewal fees, continuing education and renewal steps, see our associate registration renewal guide. SparkHours license renewal reminders can email you before your registration expires.
How do you apply for the California Law and Ethics Exam?
You apply for the California Law and Ethics Exam online in BreEZe, then schedule it with Pearson VUE after the eligibility email arrives. Follow these steps:
- If you have never applied, submit the initial exam application in BreEZe. After a failed attempt or no-show, submit the re-examination application instead.
- Wait for Pearson VUE to email your eligibility notice. Don't schedule before that email arrives.
- Schedule with your CABBS ID after Pearson VUE sends the notice.
- Take the exam. The Board receives your result within 24 to 48 hours.
If you cannot apply online and you have held an associate registration but have never taken the exam, use Form 37A-509. Approved out-of-state applicants may also use it. Your first name, last name and suffix on Board records must match your government-issued photo ID.
With an approved accommodation, you can schedule by phone at 800-466-0450; Pearson also offers an online accommodation scheduling form.
How much does the California Law and Ethics Exam cost?
The California Law and Ethics Exam costs $75 for each attempt from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030, half the earlier $150 fee. The initial application and each re-examination have a separate fee. The temporary fee reduction applies to Board-administered Law and Ethics Exams, not every examination connected with licensure.
What does the California Law and Ethics Exam cover?
The California Law and Ethics Exam tests California law and professional ethics for the license track, as set out in the content outline of the Pearson VUE candidate handbook. The candidate handbooks also contain sample questions. The Board does not provide study materials or recommend courses.
How many candidates pass the exam?
According to the Board's October 27, 2026 examination report, from July to September 2026, 76% of first-time LMFT candidates passed the California Law and Ethics Exam, compared with 66% for LCSW and 82% for LPCC.
Exam | All candidates, Jul to Sep 2026 | First-time candidates, Jul to Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
LMFT Law and Ethics | 71% | 76% |
LCSW Law and Ethics | 63% | 66% |
LPCC Law and Ethics | 78% | 82% |
What happens if you do not pass?
After a failed attempt at the California Law and Ethics Exam, you can apply for a re-exam right away but must wait 90 days from your last exam to take it again. The wait gives you a new version of the exam. You have at least three opportunities to pass in each renewal cycle when you submit the re-exam application and fee in time.
A no-show is not an attempt and does not create a 90-day wait. Submit a re-exam application and fee before you schedule again.
A 12-hour California law-and-ethics course has not been required for a re-exam since January 1, 2023. If you do not sit within one year after notification of eligibility or notification that you failed, the Board closes the file as abandoned. To reopen it, you submit a new application, fee and required documentation. Use Form 37A-298 if you need the paper re-examination route.
What does passing the exam unlock?
Passing the California Law and Ethics Exam is required for a subsequent registration number and for licensure. The Board cannot issue another AMFT, APCC or ASW registration number until you pass the track's exam. If you are still earning supervised experience after you pass, you continue as a registrant.
After you meet the education and experience requirements, you file an Application for Licensure. Once the Board accepts it, you apply for the clinical examination for your track. Subsequent-registration forms and renewal limits belong to the associate registration renewal guide.
How long does a passing result last?
Through December 31, 2026, after you pass, you do not need to retake the exam. From January 1, 2027, AB 1598 requires a California Law and Ethics Exam pass no more than seven years before the Board receives an initial-license or subsequent-registration application. The seven-year limit does not apply to those applications received on or before January 1, 2030; it applies to applications received after that date.
If you do not pass a clinical exam within seven years of your first attempt, you must pass the current Law and Ethics Exam before retaking the clinical exam.
Questions associates ask about the Law and Ethics Exam
Do you need a separate exam for each registration?
Yes. Each version is specific to the license type.
Can you take the exam with a delinquent or cancelled registration?
Yes. Current, delinquent and cancelled registrants are eligible.
What if your name does not match your ID?
Submit a Name Change application and allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing.
Who sends your eligibility notice?
Pearson VUE sends all exam approvals by email.
What if you hold two registrations?
Take the exam for the registration you are renewing.
Does the Board recommend a prep course?
No. The Board does not provide study materials or recommend courses.
How soon does your registration update after the exam?
The Board updates a complete renewal when it receives your result, usually 24 to 48 hours after the exam.
Is the re-exam fee the same as the first exam?
Yes. The fee is $75 from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030.
Who do you contact with exam questions?
Email the Board's exam unit at bbsexamunit@dca.ca.gov.
How do you keep the exam on schedule with your registration?
SparkHours records your registration issue date and applies the associate rules to each week you log from then on. You can log experience hours each week in SparkHours, and your supervisor signs it from an emailed link.
Record your weeks with SparkHours, the BBS hours tracker. Start a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
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