California · 2026

Best BBS hours tracker apps for California therapists

If you're an AMFT, APCC, or ASW logging supervised hours toward licensure, the tool you choose shapes how confident you feel about your BBS forms. Here's an honest look at the main options in 2026 — what each does well, and who each is best for.

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What to look for in a BBS hours tracker

California's Board of Behavioral Sciences doesn't just want a running total. It counts experience in specific categories, over a minimum number of weeks, with supervision that scales to how many direct hours you work. A tracker that ignores those rules will let you log hours that don't actually qualify. Before you settle on a tool, check whether it handles the five things that matter most:

BBS hour structure (A / B / C). The weekly log separates direct clinical experience, non-clinical experience, and supervision. For LMFT and LPCC the direct clinical minimum is 1,750 hours, with non-clinical capped at 1,250; LCSW differs. A good tracker mirrors these categories instead of one undifferentiated bucket.
Supervision-ratio validation. The BBS requires an additional unit of supervision in any week where you log more than 10 direct clinical hours in a setting. This is the single easiest rule to violate by accident — and the one a tracker can save you from.
Official BBS form export. Eventually you have to hand the BBS its own forms — the 37A-525 weekly log (LMFT), the 37A-638 (LPCC), or the ASW weekly log (LCSW), plus the matching experience verification. A tracker that fills these for you removes hours of manual transcription.
Completion projections. With 3,000 total hours over a minimum of 104 weeks, you want to know your projected finish date — not just your current total.
California-specific rules. Pre-degree caps, the 40-hour weekly experience cap, the 52-week individual-supervision minimum, and (for LCSW) the 1,700-hour / 13-week LCSW-supervised requirement are all California BBS specifics. A tool built around them beats a generic logger.

The options, ranked for California associates

1. HourJourney

Best for California BBS tracking

HourJourney is built specifically for the California BBS. Its supervision engine validates the ratio rule on every week you log, it auto-fills the official BBS PDF forms (37A-525, 37A-638, and the ASW weekly log), and its dashboard projects your completion date against the 3,000-hour / 104-week requirement. Hours are classified pre-degree vs post-degree automatically for AMFTs, and every cap and category is sourced from current BBS publications. Plans start at $4.95/month with a 30-day free trial.

Best for: California AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs who want real-time BBS compliance checks and the official forms generated for them.

2. TrackYourHours

Best for multi-state needs

TrackYourHours is a long-running, dedicated supervised-hours platform that supports multiple states rather than California alone. That breadth is its main draw — if you may pursue licensure in more than one state, a multi-state tool can be appealing. Pricing and the exact feature set are set by the provider, so confirm the current details on their site before deciding.

Best for: Associates who want a multi-state hours tracker and aren't focused solely on California.

3. Tevera

Best while in a program that uses it

Tevera is primarily a graduate-program platform: many counseling and social work programs use it for practicum tracking, assessments, and field placement during enrollment. If your program already runs on Tevera, it's a natural place to track practicum hours while you're a student. After you graduate and start accruing post-degree hours, many associates move to a tool focused on the BBS licensure forms — see our Tevera alternative guide for that transition.

Best for: Students whose graduate program already uses Tevera for practicum and field placement.

4. DIY spreadsheet

Best for free, manual tracking

A Google Sheet or Excel file costs nothing and is fully under your control, which is why many associates start here. The trade-off is that a spreadsheet does no validation on its own: the supervision ratio, the weekly caps, pre-degree classification, and the official BBS forms are all on you. It works if you're disciplined and your situation is simple, but the compliance risk is yours to carry. We break this down in detail in spreadsheet vs app.

Best for: Budget-first associates with simple, single-site arrangements who are comfortable managing the rules manually.

Feature comparison

Competitor cells are kept conservative on purpose — confirm current details on each provider's site, since features and pricing change.

Feature	TrackYourHours	Tevera	Spreadsheet
BBS supervision ratio validation	Check provider	Check provider	Check provider
Official BBS PDF form export	Check provider	Check provider	Check provider
Completion projections	Varies	Varies	Check provider
California BBS-specific	Varies	Varies	Check provider
Free trial or free tier	Varies	Varies

“Varies” and “Check provider” mean the detail depends on the provider's current offering — verify before deciding. Comparison as of June 2026.

Who each option is best for

You're a California associate post-graduation

If you're accruing post-degree hours as an AMFT, APCC, or ASW and want the BBS rules checked as you log plus the official forms generated, HourJourney is built for exactly that.

You might license in multiple states

A multi-state platform like TrackYourHours can make sense if California isn't your only target. Confirm its current California BBS support and pricing first.

You're still in your graduate program

If your program runs on Tevera, use it for practicum and field placement while enrolled, then revisit a BBS-form-focused tool once you start post-degree hours.

You want a free, manual option

A spreadsheet costs nothing and works for simple situations — just remember you're responsible for every rule and the final BBS forms yourself.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a good BBS hours tracker?

A good BBS hours tracker matches how the Board of Behavioral Sciences actually counts experience. That means tracking direct clinical hours, non-clinical hours, and supervision the way the BBS weekly log does, validating the supervision ratio (the extra unit of supervision required when you log more than 10 direct clinical hours in a week in a setting), and producing the official BBS forms — the 37A-525 weekly log for LMFT, the 37A-638 for LPCC, and the ASW weekly log for LCSW. The best tools also project your completion date so you always know where you stand against the 3,000-hour, 104-week requirement.

Do I need an app, or is a spreadsheet enough for BBS hours?

A spreadsheet can hold the raw numbers, and plenty of associates start that way for free. The gap is everything the BBS rules layer on top: the weekly supervision-ratio check, the 40-hour weekly experience cap, the non-clinical cap, pre-degree vs post-degree classification, and generating the official BBS PDF forms. A spreadsheet does none of that automatically, so you carry the compliance risk yourself. A dedicated app validates the rules as you log and fills the forms for you.

Which BBS tracker validates supervision ratios?

HourJourney validates the BBS supervision ratio in real time through its built-in supervision engine. If you log more than 10 direct clinical hours in a week without the additional unit of supervision the BBS requires, it flags the week immediately rather than letting the problem surface months later when you assemble your forms. A plain spreadsheet does not check this unless you build the formula yourself.

Is there a free option or free trial for tracking BBS hours?

Yes. A DIY spreadsheet is free but does no validation. Among dedicated tools, HourJourney offers a 30-day free trial, after which plans start at $4.95/month. HourJourney also has a free BBS hours calculator you can use without an account to estimate your completion timeline before you commit.

Which BBS tracker is best for California associates?

For a California AMFT, APCC, or ASW tracking hours toward licensure, HourJourney is built specifically for the California BBS — every cap, ratio, and category is sourced from current BBS publications, and it exports the official BBS forms. Program-based platforms like Tevera are strongest while you are still enrolled in a graduate program that uses them; a multi-state tool like TrackYourHours may appeal if you also need other states. Match the tool to where you are in the journey.

Keep reading

TrackYourHours alternative

A side-by-side look at HourJourney vs TrackYourHours for BBS hour tracking.

Tevera alternative

What to use for BBS hours once you graduate out of your program's Tevera account.

Spreadsheet vs app

Exactly where a DIY spreadsheet falls short for BBS hour tracking — and when to switch.

BBS supervision requirements

The full breakdown of California's supervision ratios, weeks, and who can supervise.

Track your BBS hours with confidence

Start a free 30-day trial of HourJourney, or estimate your timeline first with the free LMFT hours calculator.

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