Here’s what the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling (the chapter 491 board) asks of licensees at renewal, and the courses I built around its requirements. I’m a Florida LMHC and LMFT myself. This page covers chapter 491 licenses, not Florida Certification Board credentials.
Renewal requirements
Who this covers
- Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
30 hours every 2 years
- 3 hours in professional ethics and boundary issues or telehealth. The same course can’t be used in consecutive renewal periods.
- 2 hours on preventing medical errors, from a Board-approved provider.
- Every third renewal: 3 hours of Florida laws and rules and 2 hours of domestic violence.
- Qualified supervisors: 4 hours of supervision training every third renewal.
- Up to 6 hours may be non-clinical. No CE is due at your first renewal (Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B4-6.001).
Rules for every license
- NBCC courses count. R. 64B4-6.002 lists NBCC among the organizations whose programs are accepted for CE credit. I’m an NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider, so my courses count toward your general hours and the 3 ethics and boundaries or telehealth hours.
- Not reported to CE Broker. My courses are not reported to CE Broker. You self-report your hours, which you can do with a free CE Broker basic account.
- Board-approved provider topics: the medical errors, laws and rules, and domestic violence hours require a Florida Board-approved provider. I don’t offer those here yet.
- Home study has no hour limit. Distance learning courses require passing a test (R. 64B4-6.002).
- Keep your documentation for 2 years after the renewal period. If the Board or Department asks, you have 21 days to produce it (R. 64B4-6.003).
Courses for each requirement
Ethics and boundaries or telehealth (3 hours). Any one of these fits the 3-hour slot. Because the same course can’t repeat in back-to-back periods, three choices let you rotate.
Ethics and boundaries (3 hours)
Florida Ethics and Professional Boundaries for Chapter 491 Licensees. Built on s. 491.0147, records rules, abuse reporting, minors’ access to crisis services, the March 2, 2026 amendment to Rule 64B4-10.003, and Florida telehealth law. Self-paced, 3 hours, $12.
See the courseTelehealth (3 hours)
Telehealth for Florida Mental Health Professionals: Law, Ethics, and Practice. Covers s. 456.47, out-of-state registration, the Counseling Compact, HIPAA, and remote emergency planning. Self-paced, 3 hours, $12.
See the courseEthics with children and families (3 hours)
Ethical Considerations for Mental Health Professionals Working with Children and Families: Florida Edition. Covers consent for minors, parenting plans, family records, mandated reporting, and multiple relationships. Self-paced, 3 hours, $12.
See the courseGeneral hours. These count toward the rest of your 30 hours.
Chronic pain (3 hours)
Chronic Pain Syndromes and Interventions: Treating the Whole Person. Self-paced, 3 hours, $12.
See the courseForgiveness (4 hours)
Healing Through Forgiveness: Research and Clinical Applications. Self-paced, 4 hours, $15.
See the courseSexuality, aging, and illness (2 hours)
Human Sexuality Across the Lifespan: The Role of Aging and Illness. A general human sexuality course, not sex therapy training. Self-paced, 2 hours, $9.
See the courseCaffeine and mood (2 hours)
Caffeine as a Modulator of Mood, Emotion, and Cognition. Self-paced, 2 hours, $9.
See the courseIntimate partner violence (2 hours)
Culturally Sensitive Assessment and Treatment of Intimate Partner Violence. General hours only: this is not the Florida 2-hour domestic violence requirement. Self-paced, 2 hours, $9.
See the courseCommon questions
How many CE hours do Florida LMHCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs need?
30 hours every 2-year renewal period, including 3 hours in professional ethics and boundary issues or telehealth and 2 hours on medical errors. Every third renewal adds 3 hours of laws and rules and 2 hours of domestic violence.
Do NBCC-approved courses count in Florida?
Yes. R. 64B4-6.002 accepts programs from NBCC. The medical errors, laws and rules, and domestic violence hours are different: they come from a Florida Board-approved provider.
Are your courses reported to CE Broker?
No. You self-report your hours in CE Broker and keep your certificates.
Does the intimate partner violence course meet the domestic violence requirement?
No. It counts as general hours only.
When do Florida chapter 491 licenses renew?
March 31 of odd-numbered years. The current period runs April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2027.
Which of your courses fit the 3-hour ethics and boundaries or telehealth requirement?
Three courses, 3 hours each for $12. Ethics and Professional Boundaries for Chapter 491 Licensees, Telehealth for Florida Mental Health Professionals, and Ethical Considerations for Work with Children and Families.
How fast do I get my certificate?
As soon as you pass the post test with a score of 80 percent or higher and complete the program evaluation, your certificate is ready to download from your account.
Last reviewed October 20, 2026.
My Florida courses are designed around the continuing education requirements of the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling but are not approved or endorsed by the Board. They are not reported to CE Broker.
Dr. Paulson Professional Counseling LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7987. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Dr. Paulson Professional Counseling LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.