LMFT Licensure in Washington: Requirements, Hours and Exams
Washington licenses marriage and family therapists directly through the Department of Health, with no separate MFT board.
You hold a licensed marriage and family therapist associate license while you accrue experience, then the full licensed marriage and family therapist credential.
The supervised requirement is a minimum of 3,000 hours, including 1,000 hours of direct client contact — at least 500 gained in diagnosing and treating couples and families — and 200 hours of qualified supervision, at least 100 of them one-on-one.
Full licensure also requires the AMFTRB examination, and renewal is annual, on your birthday.
Verify before you rely on this
At a glance
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate — a license valid for one year and renewed every year on the date of issuance; associate applicants must declare they are working towards full licensure (WAC 246-809-990(2); 246-809-130(3)(e)).
The Washington State Department of Health licenses directly under RCW 18.225 (the secretary); there is no separate MFT board.
A master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, or a behavioral-science degree with equivalent course work of 45 semester credits or 60 quarter credits in nine areas of study; COAMFTE programs are approved educational programs and AAMFT clinical membership is deemed to meet the education requirement (WAC 246-809-120(1); 246-809-121(2); 246-809-110(1)(b); 246-809-120(4)).
A minimum of 3,000 hours including 1,000 hours of direct client contact with at least 500 gained in diagnosing and treating couples and families, plus at least 200 hours of qualified supervision with at least 100 one-on-one (WAC 246-809-130(3); RCW 18.225.090(1)(c)(iii)).
The current statute states no minimum duration, though WAC 246-809-121 still refers to a two-year supervised postgraduate period in its education-equivalency rule.
Applicants for full licensure must take and pass the AMFTRB examination (WAC 246-809-140).
An applicant who has held an active MFT license for the past year in another state, the District of Columbia, or territory, without a disciplinary record or disqualifying criminal history, is deemed to have met the supervised experience requirements (WAC 246-809-130(1)); a probationary license under RCW 18.225.140 can bridge applicants whose out-of-state license is from a jurisdiction the department lists as eligible for reciprocity for the profession (WAC 246-809-095(2)) and who do not otherwise qualify.
The license renews every year on the practitioner's birthday; licensed counselors complete 32 hours of continuing education every two years, including at least six in professional ethics and law and at least two in professional roles and boundaries (WAC 246-809-990(1); 246-809-630(3)).
The Washington credential ladder
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate(LMFT Associate)Pre-licensure
A license, not a registration: an associate may not independently provide marriage and family therapy for a fee, monetary or otherwise, must work under an approved supervisor and declare they are working towards full licensure, and the license is valid for one year and must be renewed every year on the date of issuance (WAC 246-809-010(1); 246-809-130(3)(e); 246-809-990(2)).
- Probationary Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist(Probationary LMFT)Other
A temporary license the Department of Health issues to out-of-state applicants qualifying for licensure reciprocity under RCW 18.225.140; an initial probationary license is valid for one year and may be renewed a single time (WAC 246-809-095).
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist(LMFT)Independent
The full license to practice marriage and family therapy independently, meaning without being under the supervision of an approved supervisor (WAC 246-809-010(3)-(4)), granted after the education, supervised experience and examination requirements below are met.
Associate license first: an annual license to accrue hours
Washington's pre-licensure rung is itself a license, not a registration.
An associate applicant is not required to have supervised postgraduate experience before becoming an associate (WAC 246-809-130(3)(d)), and the application rule requires verification of passing the examination except when applying for an associate license (WAC 246-809-096(1)(d)) — so you can be licensed and accruing hours before you sit the AMFTRB exam.
Associates must declare they are working towards full licensure and may not independently provide marriage and family therapy for a fee, monetary or otherwise (WAC 246-809-010(1); 246-809-130(3)(e)).
Since October 1, 2025, you may also practice under a pending associate license for up to 120 days while the department processes a completed application (WAC 246-809-097); note that a licensure candidate practicing on a pending associate credential may issue an assessment or diagnosis only if the approved supervisor agrees with it prior to it being provided to the patient (WAC 246-809-020(2)(c)).
For how pre-licensure titles line up across states, see the LMSW, LPC-A and AMFT title alphabet.
“An associate license is valid for one year and must be renewed every year on the date of issuance.”
An MFT degree, an equivalent behavioral-science degree, or AAMFT clinical membership
The rule reads a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, or a behavioral-science master's or doctoral degree with equivalent course work, as the education requirement (WAC 246-809-120(1)).
The equivalency is concrete: a total of 45 semester credits or 60 quarter credits across nine areas of study, with a minimum of 27 semester credits or 36 quarter credits in the first five areas, and up to nine semester or twelve quarter credits can come from supervised clinical practice (WAC 246-809-121(2)).
If your behavioral-science degree is missing pieces, supplemental course work from an approved school fills the gap, and any postgraduate experience hours acquired concurrently with that extra course work count toward the supervised experience requirement (WAC 246-809-120(3)) — worth knowing before you assume a related degree sets you back.
COAMFTE-accredited programs are approved educational programs (WAC 246-809-110(1)(b)), and AAMFT clinical membership is deemed to meet the education requirement, verified directly to the department from AAMFT (WAC 246-809-120(4)).
For why boards write program accreditation into the degree rule, see CSWE vs CACREP vs COAMFTE accreditation.
“Anyone who has obtained American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) clinical membership status is considered to have met the education requirements of this chapter.”
3,000 hours: 1,000 direct, at least 500 with couples and families, 200 supervised
The requirement is a minimum of 3,000 hours: 1,000 hours of direct client contact, at least 500 gained in diagnosing and treating couples and families, plus at least 200 hours of qualified supervision with an approved supervisor (WAC 246-809-130(3); RCW 18.225.090(1)(c)(iii)).
Of the 200, 100 must be with a licensed marriage and family therapist with at least two years of clinical experience, the other 100 may be with an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner, and at least 100 must be one-on-one, with the remaining hours in one-on-one or group supervision (WAC 246-809-130(3)(b)).
No minimum duration is stated, and no category limits apply to the remaining hours; the chapter's education-equivalency rule still refers to a two-year supervised postgraduate experience period required under RCW 18.225.090 (WAC 246-809-121(2)(i)).
A COAMFTE master's graduate is credited 500 direct client contact hours and 100 supervision hours (WAC 246-809-130(3)(c)).
An applicant with at least three years of substance use disorder professional practice within 10 years of application has the total reduced from 3,000 hours to 2,700, direct-contact and supervision minimums still applying (WAC 246-809-130(2)).
For what counts as a supervised hour, and what changes at independent licensure, see associate vs. independently licensed therapists.
“The experience requirement consists of a minimum of 3,000 hours of marriage and family therapy.”
One exam: the AMFTRB national examination, at the end
Applicants for full licensure must take and pass the AMFTRB examination, and the passing score is established by the testing company in conjunction with AMFTRB (WAC 246-809-140).
The exam sits at the end of the sequence: the application rule requires official verification of the pass sent directly to the department, except when applying for an associate license (WAC 246-809-096(1)(d)).
That means you can hold the associate license and accrue supervised hours before you sit the exam, then pass it for full licensure.
Build the direct-to-department verification into your registration plan, because the application cannot complete without it.
For how the counselor, social work and MFT licensing exams compare, see ASWB vs NCE vs NCMHCE vs the MFT national exam.
“Applicants for full licensure must take and pass the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) examination.”
Choosing an approved supervisor: who qualifies, and what counts as virtual
An approved supervisor is a licensed marriage and family therapist or an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner — a licensed mental health counselor, clinical social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner (WAC 246-809-110(2)-(3)).
The supervisor's license must be without restrictions and in good standing for the previous two years; they need at least 15 clock hours of training in clinical supervision plus 25 hours of experience supervising clinical practice, or AAMFT approved supervisor status; and they may not be your blood or legal relative, cohabitant, or someone who provided psychological services to you within the past two years (WAC 246-809-134(1), (2), (4)).
Before supervision begins they must give you a declaration, on a department form, that they qualify (WAC 246-809-134(3)); hours count only under an approved supervisor.
Both group supervision (no more than six candidates) and one-on-one supervision (no more than two) may be face-to-face or virtual (WAC 246-809-110(4), (6)), and the supervision standards add a floor of at least one hour for every 80 hours of your clinical practice time (WAC 246-809-020(2)).
Whether you or your employer pays for that supervision is covered in who pays for clinical supervision.
““One-on-one supervision” means face-to-face or virtual supervision with an approved supervisor, involving one supervisor and no more than two licensure candidates.”
Moving to Washington: one year licensed waives the hours, and a probationary license can bridge
There is no MFT interstate compact, so relocation runs through Washington's own routes.
The shortcut: an applicant who has held an active marriage and family therapy license for the past year in another state, the District of Columbia, or territory, without a disciplinary record or disqualifying criminal history, is deemed to have met the supervised experience requirements (WAC 246-809-130(1)) — you still document your education (WAC 246-809-096(1)(b)) and pass the AMFTRB examination (WAC 246-809-140).
If you do not qualify, the department issues a probationary license under the reciprocity program of RCW 18.225.140, if your out-of-state license is from a jurisdiction the department lists as eligible for this profession (WAC 246-809-095(1)-(2)).
An initial probationary license is valid for one year and may be renewed a single time, and the renewal requires six hours of suicide assessment, treatment, and management training (WAC 246-809-095(3)-(4)).
If the department determines supervised hours are still needed for full licensure, you complete them under an approved supervisor (WAC 246-809-095(6)).
For how endorsement works when you move, see moving states as a therapist: license transfer and endorsement.
“An applicant who has held an active marriage and family therapy license for the past year in another state, the District of Columbia, or territory, without a disciplinary record or disqualifying criminal history, is deemed to have met the supervised experience requirements for Washington state licensure in subsection (3) of this section.”
Birthday renewal: 32 CE hours every two years, 16 a year for associates
A license must be renewed every year on the practitioner's birthday, and an associate license renews every year on the date of issuance (WAC 246-809-990(1)-(2)).
The continuing education rule applies to licensed counselors, the chapter's umbrella term that includes licensed marriage and family therapists (WAC 246-809-010(4)): 32 hours every two years, at least six of them in professional ethics and law and at least two in professional roles and boundaries, taken separately from the ethics hours (WAC 246-809-630(3)(a)-(b)).
Two hours of health equity training are due every four years, and at least six hours of suicide assessment, treatment, and management training once every six years, counting toward the 32 (WAC 246-809-630(3)(c)-(d)).
Associates complete 16 hours of continuing education every year, six hours of ethics and law every two years, two hours of roles and boundaries, and two hours of health equity every four years (WAC 246-809-632(1)-(4)).
“A licensed counselor shall complete 32 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years.”
What changed in 2024 and 2025
The chapter was re-adopted across three recent filings: WSR 23-23-150, effective January 1, 2024, and WSR 25-11-019, which took effect June 12, 2025 for the MFT definitions in WAC 246-809-110 and October 1, 2025 for supervised postgraduate experience in WAC 246-809-130, both implementing 2023 c 425 and 2024 c 371; and WSR 25-09-110, filed April 21, 2025, which made the pending-license rule (WAC 246-809-097) and the supervisor stipend program (WAC 246-809-099) effective October 1, 2025, and the revised supervision standards and supervisor directory sections (WAC 246-809-020, -070, -071, -072) effective May 22, 2025.
The underlying statute, RCW 18.225.090, was amended by 2025 c 58 s 1003, effective October 1, 2025.
If your plan assumes the older chapter, re-check these rules with the department.
“Effective October 1, 2025, an individual may practice under a pending associate license for up to 120 days if they submit to the department a completed associate license application on forms provided by the department.”
Finding and paying for supervision: the directory and the stipend program
Supervision has a cost, and the chapter addresses it directly.
The department keeps a licensed counselor supervisor directory, effective October 1, 2023, to facilitate placement of associates seeking postgraduate supervision; a listed supervisor holds an eligible license in good standing for the previous two years and verifies 15 clock hours of clinical supervision training plus 25 hours of experience in supervision of clinical practice (WAC 246-809-070; 246-809-071).
Participation in the directory is not required to supervise (WAC 246-809-070(5)).
Under the stipend program, subject to appropriated funds, a preapproved supervisor can receive up to $2,000 per year per associate and may charge an associate up to $1,600 per year to recoup expenses exceeding the stipend (WAC 246-809-099(2), (5)).
Ask a prospective supervisor how the stipend and any charge to you work before you sign a supervision agreement.
“The supervisor may charge an associate up to $1,600 per year to recoup any expenses attributable to supervision of the associate that exceed the amount of the stipend.”
What This Page Does — and Doesn’t — Cover
This page summarizes the Washington 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 Washington State Department of Health publishes.
Nor does it cover counselor licensure in Washington, social work licensure in Washington, or what therapists earn in Washington.
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 Washington State Department of Health before you count hours, register for an exam or apply — and before you take one of the marriage and family therapist jobs in Washington that asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pass the AMFTRB exam before starting work as an associate in Washington?
No. Associate applicants are not required to have supervised postgraduate experience before becoming an associate (WAC 246-809-130(3)(d)), and the application rule asks for official verification of passing the examination except when applying for an associate license (WAC 246-809-096(1)(d)).
You work under an approved supervisor, accrue hours toward the 3,000-hour requirement, and pass the AMFTRB exam for full licensure.
Since October 1, 2025, a pending associate application also allows up to 120 days of supervised practice (WAC 246-809-097).
Confirm current application steps with the Department of Health before you start.
Can my MFT supervision hours in Washington be done by video?
Yes.
The definitions cover this directly: both group supervision and one-on-one supervision are defined as face-to-face or virtual supervision with an approved supervisor (WAC 246-809-110(4), (6)).
The size limits still apply — no more than six licensure candidates in group supervision and no more than two in one-on-one supervision.
Your supervisor must still meet the approved supervisor requirements in WAC 246-809-134, including two years in good standing and the supervision training and experience.
Ask the Department of Health about any unusual arrangement before you rely on it.
I am licensed in another state. Do I have to repeat 3,000 supervised hours for Washington?
If you have held an active marriage and family therapy license for the past year in another state, the District of Columbia, or territory, without a disciplinary record or disqualifying criminal history, Washington deems the supervised experience requirement met (WAC 246-809-130(1)).
You still verify your education and pass the AMFTRB examination.
If you fall short of the one-year mark, the probationary license of RCW 18.225.140 can bridge you while you complete outstanding requirements, but your license must be from a jurisdiction on the department's reciprocity list for this profession (WAC 246-809-095(2)).
There is no MFT compact, so check your situation with the Department of Health directly.
How is the 3,000 hours split between direct client contact, couples and families, and supervision?
The rule splits it exactly (WAC 246-809-130(3)): a minimum of 3,000 hours including 1,000 hours of direct client contact, at least 500 of which must be gained in diagnosing and treating couples and families, plus at least 200 hours of qualified supervision with an approved supervisor.
Of the 200 supervision hours, 100 must be with a licensed marriage and family therapist with at least two years of clinical experience, and at least 100 must be one-on-one.
The statute states no minimum duration, though WAC 246-809-121 still refers to a two-year postgraduate period.
A COAMFTE master's graduate is credited 500 direct client contact hours and 100 supervision hours.
What continuing education does a Washington LMFT renewing on their birthday need?
The license renews every year on the practitioner's birthday (WAC 246-809-990(1)).
For continuing education, a licensed counselor — the chapter's term that includes licensed marriage and family therapists — completes 32 hours every two years, with at least six hours in professional ethics and law and at least two separate hours in professional roles and boundaries (WAC 246-809-630(3)).
Two hours of health equity training are due every four years, and six hours of suicide assessment, treatment, and management training once every six years, counting toward the 32.
Associates complete 16 hours of continuing education every year (WAC 246-809-632(1)).
More Washington & Marriage and Family Therapist Resources
Sources
- Washington Administrative Code ch. 246-809 — Licensure for mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers (full chapter, incl. WAC 246-809-010, -020, -070, -071, -095, -096, -097, -099, -110, -120, -121, -130, -134, -140, -630, -632, -990) (retrieved 2026-09-24)
- Revised Code of Washington 18.225.090 — Issuance of license—Requirements (as amended by 2025 c 58 s 1003, effective 2025-10-01) (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 Washington State Department of Health.