LMFT Licensure in Hawaii: Requirements, Hours and Exams
Hawaii licenses marriage and family therapists through the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — there is no board; the DCCA Director regulates the program.
The license takes a qualifying master's or doctoral degree, 1,000 hours of direct MFT experience plus 200 hours of clinical supervision in not less than 24 months, and a pass on the National Marital and Family Therapy (NMFT) Exam.
Since July 1, 2026, an optional Associate Marriage and Family Therapist provisional license allows supervised practice and insurance reimbursement.
Hawaii has no reciprocity with any state.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT).
Individuals with a Hawaii Marriage and Family Therapist License may practice marriage and family therapy independently without clinical supervision.
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, a provisional license effective July 1, 2026 under Act 93, SLH 2024: one year, renewable for one additional year, no exam, and optional to hold.
No board: the Marriage and Family Therapist Program is regulated by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Director through the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division.
A master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution in marriage and family therapy or an allied field related to mental health counseling, with at least 9 graduate semester hours (12 quarter) in each of marriage and family studies, marriage and family therapy and human development, at least 3 semester (4 quarter) in each of ethical and professional studies and research, and a one-year practicum with at least 300 supervised client contact hours.
COAMFTE accreditation is not required.
1,000 hours of direct marriage and family therapy experience plus 200 hours of clinical supervision, completed in not less than 24 months; all education, practicum and post-master's experience must be complete before filing.
No separate couples/family quota is stated in the sources read.
All applicants must pass the National Marital and Family Therapy (NMFT) Exam, the AMFTRB exam; an official pass earned in another state can be transferred to the program by PTC or AMFTRB.
The provisional license has no exam.
No reciprocity agreement with any state, and no MFT compact; out-of-state licensees apply as new applicants and document Hawaii's requirements.
The form's ENDORSEMENT heading covers one thing only: NMFT exam score transfer by PTC or AMFTRB.
Triennial renewal by December 31 of 2025, 2028 and 2031 regardless of issuance date; 45 CE credit hours within the three-year period preceding renewal, at least 6 in ethics (HRS section 451J-10); first renewal exempt; a credit hour is 50 minutes.
The Hawaii credential ladder
- Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (provisional license)(Associate MFT)Pre-licensure
A provisional license — not a registration — created by Act 93, SLH 2024, effective July 1, 2026: an associate-level practitioner practices under a Hawaii-licensed supervisor and may seek insurance reimbursement while working toward full licensure; it is valid for one year from issuance, renewable for one additional year, requires no exam, and holding one is optional.
- Marriage and Family Therapist(MFT)Independent
The license whose holders may practice marriage and family therapy independently without clinical supervision; the licensure requirement attaches to use of the marriage and family therapist titles, not to the underlying work performed.
Two license types, one program, and a tier that bills insurance
The DCCA program issues exactly two credential types: the Marriage and Family Therapist license and, since July 1, 2026, the Associate Marriage and Family Therapist provisional license.
The full license is the independent tier — its holders practice marriage and family therapy without clinical supervision.
The provisional license is the pre-licensure rung: an associate practices under a Hawaii-licensed supervisor and may seek insurance reimbursement while working toward full licensure.
Holding a provisional license is optional, because a graduate who already meets every full-license requirement can apply directly without one.
Plan around which rung you are on: the associate title itself is protected from July 1, 2026, so accruing hours under that title means holding the license.
For how pre-licensure titles line up across states, see the LMSW, LPC-A and AMFT title alphabet.
“Individuals with a Hawaii Marriage and Family Therapist License may practice marriage and family therapy independently without clinical supervision.”
A master's or doctorate with named coursework and a 300-hour practicum
A qualifying degree is a master's or doctorate from an accredited educational institution in marriage and family therapy or an allied field related to the practice of mental health counseling.
The application documents coursework on a Training Outline (MFT-03): at least 9 graduate semester hours or 12 graduate quarter hours in each of marriage and family studies, marriage and family therapy, and human development, plus at least 3 graduate semester hours or 4 graduate quarter hours in each of ethical and professional studies and research.
A course counts toward one area only and must appear on the transcript.
The degree must include a one-year practicum with at least 300 supervised client contact hours, verified by the supervisor on form MFT-04.
COAMFTE accreditation is not required — the program reads your transcript against its own area list, so audit your coursework before you file.
For why boards write program accreditation into the degree rule, see CSWE vs CACREP vs COAMFTE accreditation.
“a one year practicum within the master's or doctoral degree program, with at least 300 supervised client contact hours.”
1,000 direct hours plus 200 supervision hours, over at least 24 months
Post-master's experience is verified by your supervisor on form MFT-05 and has two separate buckets: 1,000 hours of direct marriage and family therapy experience and 200 hours of clinical supervision.
The verification form records total clinical supervised hours and marriage and family therapy hours separately, and no separate couples or family quota is stated in the sources read.
The rule's timing is a floor: the 1,000 and the 200 must be completed in not less than 24 months, so even a full-time pace takes two years.
Everything — education, practicum and post-master's experience — must be complete before you file, and applications that lack supporting documents are not considered.
Hours earned outside Hawaii are acceptable if they meet the requirements, and clinicians accruing them there are not required to hold the provisional license.
For what counts as a supervised hour, and what changes at independent licensure, see associate vs. independently licensed therapists.
“completion of 1,000 hours of direct marriage and family therapy experience AND 200 hours of clinical supervision in not less than 24 months.”
The NMFT national exam, with score transfer — and a one-year clock on your application
Every full-license applicant must pass the National Marital and Family Therapy (NMFT) Exam, the AMFTRB national exam.
Candidates testing in Hawaii file their application and documents by the deadline for a specific exam window, and electronic testing is provided on Oahu only.
If you already passed the NMFT in another state, the official score must be transferred by Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) or AMFTRB directly to the program — it will not process or accept a score provided by the applicant, so start the transfer early.
There is no examination requirement for the Associate MFT provisional license.
Watch the clock on the application itself: under HRS section 436B-9 it is abandoned if not completed within one year after filing, or if you fail to take and pass the exam after becoming eligible, and an abandoned application means reapplying under the requirements then in effect.
For how the counselor, social work and MFT licensing exams compare, see ASWB vs NCE vs NCMHCE vs the MFT national exam.
“All applicants must pass the National Marital and Family Therapy (NMFT) Exam.”
Who may supervise — and the Hawaii-license rule for provisional associates
For the full license, MFT-01 gives you two kinds of qualifying supervisor.
The first is a licensed marriage and family therapist whose license has been in good standing in any state for two years preceding commencement and during the supervision period.
The second is a licensed mental health professional in good standing in any state who has also been an AAMFT clinical member in good standing for that same two years.
For provisional associates the rule tightens: the post-master's supervisor must be currently licensed in Hawaii during your supervision, though during the two preceding years the supervisor's license could have been from another state.
The supervisor named on form MFTP-05 is attached to your provisional license — if supervision ends, file a new MFTP-05 with the new supervisor before the relationship terminates, or the license goes inactive and costs $12 to reactivate.
Whether supervision may be delivered remotely is not stated in the sources read; ask the program before relying on a video arrangement.
Whether you or your employer pays for that supervision is covered in who pays for clinical supervision.
“No. Your post-master's supervisor must be currently licensed in Hawaii and in good standing with the Department during your supervision. However, during the two years preceding the start of your supervised experience, the supervisor's licensure can be from another state.”
Licensure is triggered by the title, not the work
Hawaii's licensure requirement is a title-protection rule, and the FAQ says so in terms: it is tied to use of the protected titles, not to the underlying work performed.
The FAQ lists who does not need a license: people whose work overlaps marriage and family therapy but who do not use a protected title, graduate students completing a supervised practicum under an appropriate trainee title, and members of other licensed professions — social work, psychology, nursing, medicine — practicing within their own profession's standards.
For a job seeker the practical reading is that the letters in your offer matter: doing relational clinical work under another professional license is not practicing as a marriage and family therapist in Hawaii, but calling yourself one without a license is.
“Licensure is required only for individuals who use, or represent themselves under, the title "marriage and family therapist," "licensed marriage and family therapist," "associate marriage and family therapist," or "licensed associate marriage and family therapist." The licensure requirement is tied to use of these titles, not to the underlying work performed.”
No reciprocity — moving to Hawaii means meeting Hawaii's rules
Hawaii has no reciprocity or compact route into licensure: the application form states plainly that there is no reciprocity or recognition of MFT licensure in another state, and the FAQ adds that Hawaii has no reciprocity agreement with any state — an out-of-state licensee applies as a new applicant and demonstrates Hawaii's requirements on Hawaii's forms.
The form does carry an ENDORSEMENT heading, but it covers one thing only: recognizing an NMFT exam pass earned in another state, with the official score transferred by PTC or AMFTRB and sent directly to the program.
Your post-master's hours can also have been earned outside Hawaii, provided they meet the 1,000-hour, 200-hour and 24-month rules and a qualifying supervisor certifies them on MFT-05.
For how endorsement works when you move, see moving states as a therapist: license transfer and endorsement.
“Currently, Hawaii does not have a marriage and family therapist reciprocity agreement with any state. Individuals licensed in another state must apply for Hawaii licensure and demonstrate that they meet Hawaii's licensure requirements.”
Triennial renewal with 45 CE hours, six of them in ethics
All licenses renew on the state's triennial cycle — December 31 of 2025, 2028 and 2031 — regardless of when yours was issued; the on-time renewal fee is $405 for active status.
Let it lapse and you are unlicensed and may not practice; a forfeited license can be restored within one year on payment of the renewal and restoration fees.
Renewal also carries continuing education under HRS section 451J-10: 45 credit hours within the three-year period preceding the renewal date, at least 6 of them in ethics.
A first-time licensee is exempt from the CE requirement for the first renewal only.
A credit hour is 50 minutes of instruction, courses must be approved by the bodies the memo names, and you keep your own records — the DCCA audits and can discipline for noncompliance.
The provisional license has no CE requirement to renew.
“each licensee shall complete 45 credit hours of CE within the 3-year period preceding the renewal date; provided that a minimum of 6 credit hours are in ethics.”
Act 93 and the associate provisional licenses, effective July 1, 2026
Act 93, Session Laws of Hawaii 2024, created the provisional licenses effective July 1, 2026, and the DCCA opened applications with a June 2, 2026 news release.
For marriage and family therapists, the Associate MFT provisional license requires the degree, the one-year practicum with 300 supervised client contact hours, and a Hawaii-licensed supervisor — with no exam.
It costs $176 in total fees: a $50 application fee, a $76 license fee and a $50 Compliance Resolution Fund charge.
It runs one year from issuance, can be renewed once for an additional one-year period with no CE to renew, and a licensee who still needs hours after that can apply again.
Experience accumulated under qualifying supervision before July 1, 2026 counts toward provisional licensure, and the full licensure process and application pathway remain unchanged for everyone else.
“the provisional licenses allow qualified associate-level practitioners to practice under required clinical supervision and seek insurance reimbursement while working toward full licensure.”
The AAMFT Clinical Fellow exemption and the forms that carry your application
One shortcut exists: clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy with the Clinical Fellow designation need not submit the education, practicum and post-master's experience documentation at all — an original AAMFT letter verifying current professional membership with the Clinical Fellow designation replaces it.
They still pass the NMFT exam and pay the fees, and the membership must remain current throughout the licensing process; if it lapses after a failed exam, a renewed verification letter is required before sitting again.
Everyone else builds the application from the forms: the official transcript plus the MFT-03 Training Outline, the MFT-04 practicum verification and the MFT-05 post-master's verification, with duplicate forms for multiple supervisors.
The application fee is $50, and applications missing supporting documents are not considered.
“need NOT submit the education, practicum and post-master's experience documentation”
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the Hawaii statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above, as read for this state-by-state MFT licensure series, current as of September 2026.
It does not list application forms, fees beyond those cited above, or processing times, and it is not a substitute for the instructions the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division — Marriage and Family Therapist Program (regulated by the DCCA Director; there is no board) publishes.
Nor does it cover counselor licensure in Hawaii, social work licensure in Hawaii, or what therapists earn in Hawaii.
Hour totals, exams and supervision rules change by statute and by board rule; for how the counselor, social work and MFT licences differ, see LCSW vs. LPC vs. LMFT: which therapy licence to get.
Confirm every requirement with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division — Marriage and Family Therapist Program (regulated by the DCCA Director; there is no board) before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the marriage and family therapist jobs in Hawaii that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hawaii recognize an MFT license earned in another state?
No. Hawaii has no marriage and family therapist reciprocity agreement with any state, and the MFT-01 application form states there is no reciprocity or recognition of MFT licensure in another state.
A therapist licensed elsewhere applies as a new applicant and demonstrates Hawaii's requirements: the degree and coursework, the 300-hour practicum, 1,000 direct hours plus 200 supervision hours in not less than 24 months, and the NMFT exam.
An exam pass earned in another state transfers via PTC or AMFTRB directly to the program.
Do I need the Associate MFT provisional license before the full license?
No. The FAQ is explicit that the full licensure process and application pathway remain unchanged, and someone who meets the full licensure requirements can apply directly without having first held a provisional license.
The provisional license exists for associate-level practitioners who want to practice under a Hawaii-licensed supervisor and seek insurance reimbursement while still accruing hours.
It lasts one year, renews once for an additional year, requires no exam, and costs $176 in total fees.
Can I count post-master's hours I earned outside Hawaii?
Yes.
Provided you meet all the requirements for full licensure, post-master's experience obtained outside Hawaii is acceptable, and the FAQ says clinicians obtaining experience outside Hawaii are not required to obtain provisional licensure.
The hours must still fit Hawaii's rule — 1,000 hours of direct marriage and family therapy experience and 200 hours of clinical supervision in not less than 24 months — and a qualifying supervisor must certify them on form MFT-05.
Confirm unusual supervision arrangements with the DCCA program office before filing.
Who can supervise my hours for Hawaii MFT licensure?
For the full license, your practicum and post-master's supervisor must be either a licensed marriage and family therapist in good standing in any state for two years preceding and during supervision, or a licensed mental health professional in good standing in any state who has been an AAMFT clinical member for that same two years.
For Associate MFT provisional licensees, the post-master's supervisor must be licensed in Hawaii during the supervision period.
Whether remote supervision counts is not stated in the sources read — ask the program.
What continuing education does Hawaii require to renew an MFT license?
Under HRS section 451J-10, each licensee completes 45 credit hours of CE within the three-year period preceding the triennial renewal, with a minimum of 6 credit hours in ethics.
A credit hour is 50 minutes of instruction, courses must be approved by the bodies named in the DCCA memo, and you keep your own records for audit.
A first-time licensee is exempt for the first renewal only.
The Associate MFT provisional license has no CE requirement.
More Hawaii & Marriage and Family Therapist Resources
Sources
- Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Marriage and Family Therapist program page (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Hawaii DCCA, Requirements & Instructions - Marriage and Family Therapist License (form MFT-01, rev. 10/25) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Hawaii DCCA, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist Provisional License - Frequently Asked Questions (v5, 2026-07) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Hawaii DCCA, CE memo for MFT license renewal citing HRS section 451J-10 (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Hawaii DCCA news release, Applications open for new mental health provisional licenses (June 2, 2026) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
Sourced from the statute, rules, board pages and other documents cited above.
Verified September 2026.
This is career information, not legal or clinical advice — confirm current rules with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division — Marriage and Family Therapist Program (regulated by the DCCA Director; there is no board).