Free Resources

BBS Licensure Guides

Everything California AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs need to know about tracking hours, filling out BBS forms, supervision rules, and navigating the path to LMFT, LPCC, or LCSW licensure.

Hour Tracking

How to Track Your LMFT Supervised Hours in California

The BBS A/B/C hour structure, weekly caps, pre/post-degree rules, and supervision requirements explained step by step.

Requirements

California LMFT Hours Requirements: The Complete 2025 Guide

Every hour minimum, maximum, and deadline you need to know to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California.

BBS Forms

BBS Form 37A-525: The Weekly Log of Experience Hours

A field-by-field walkthrough of the BBS weekly log of experience hours for California AMFTs and Trainees.

Career

LMFT vs. LCSW in California: Which Path Is Right for You?

Education, supervised hours, scope of practice, salary, and clinical fit compared side by side.

Registration

The 90-Day Rule for AMFTs in California

What it is, who qualifies, the Live Scan requirement, and how to protect every hour between graduation and your AMFT registration.

Registration

AMFT Registration Process in California: Step-by-Step

Form 37A-301, Live Scan fingerprinting, the $150 fee, and the full application timeline — everything new MFT graduates need.

Hour Tracking

How to Track LCSW Clinical Hours in California

3,000 hours, 2,000 direct clinical, 750 psychotherapy, LCSW-specific supervision — the complete ASW hour tracking guide.

Getting Started

You Got Your ASW Number: 6 Things to Do in Week One

A first-week action checklist for newly registered ASWs — confirm your supervisor, sign your agreement, and start every hour counting toward LCSW.

Requirements

What Counts as Clinical Hours for LCSW in California

The 2,000 clinical minimum, the 750 psychotherapy subset, the other 1,250 clinical hours, and what's non-clinical — the ASW definitions that get miscounted.

Registration

How Long Does the BBS Take to Issue Your ASW Number?

Why there's no single processing-time number, what drives the wait, and how to use the waiting room productively while your ASW registration clears.

Career

Do You Actually Need an LCSW? Clinical vs Macro Paths

An honest split: clinical social work (LCSW required) vs macro social work (no clinical license needed), so you can pick the path that fits.

Requirements

LCSW Hours at a Non-Clinical Job: What Counts

Can a case-management or macro job get you LCSW hours? It's the activity, not the title — and non-clinical hours can never substitute for the 2,000 clinical minimum.

Career

Best First Jobs for ASWs Who Want Their LCSW Fast

How to weigh settings by direct-clinical-hour volume, LCSW supervision, and the 750 psychotherapy subset when you pick your first ASW job.

Hour Tracking

How to Track LPCC Hours in California

3,000 hours, 1,750 direct clinical, no pre-degree hours — everything APCCs need to know about tracking toward LPCC licensure.

Requirements

Pre-Degree Hours: BBS Rules for California MFT Trainees

The 1,300-hour cap, 750 direct limit, setting requirements, and how pre-degree classification works for LMFT trainees.

Supervision

BBS Supervision Requirements for AMFTs, APCCs & ASWs

104 weeks, supervision ratios, group vs individual, LCSW-specific rules, and supervisor qualifications — all three licenses compared.

Getting Started

How to Become an MFT in California: Step-by-Step

The complete path from MFT degree to LMFT license: education, AMFT registration, 3,000 hours, exams, and timeline.

Timeline

How Long Does It Take to Become an MFT in California?

Realistic timeline: 2-3 years of grad school plus 2-3 years of supervised hours. What speeds it up and what slows it down.

Career

LMFT vs LPCC in California: Which Path Is Right for You?

Scope of practice, BBS requirements, the couples/family restriction, exam paths, and which clinical identity fits your goals.

Tools

BBS Hours Spreadsheet vs Tracking App: Which Should You Use?

Honest comparison of spreadsheets vs purpose-built trackers for California AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs.

Hour Tracking

Hours Tracking After Graduation: From Tevera to BBS

What changes the day you graduate: school-issued tracking ends, BBS-rule tracking begins. How to bridge the gap without losing data.

Hour Tracking

Export Tevera Hours for BBS Licensure

How to pull your school-tracked Tevera hours into a format that works for BBS licensure paperwork after you graduate.

Requirements

Program Hours vs Licensure Hours: What's the Difference?

Why your university's hour count is not the same as your BBS licensure hour count, and how to translate between them.

Getting Started

How to Become an LPCC in California: Step-by-Step

The full path from a counseling master's to LPCC license: APCC registration, 3,000 supervised hours, the Law and Ethics exam, the NCMHCE, and timeline.

Getting Started

ASW to LCSW in California: Complete Timeline & Steps

From MSW graduate to LCSW license: ASW registration, 3,000 hours, the 1,700-hour LCSW-supervision rule, the Law and Ethics exam, and the ASWB Clinical Exam.

Registration

APCC Registration in California: How to Apply

The BBS APCC application, Live Scan fingerprinting, the 90-day rule, and what to expect after you submit — the first step toward LPCC licensure.

Registration

ASW Application & Registration in California

The BBS ASW application, Live Scan fingerprinting, the 90-day rule, and what to expect after you submit — the first step toward LCSW licensure.

Supervision

Who Can Supervise an ASW in California?

Which license types can supervise you — and the BBS rule that at least 1,700 hours and 13 weeks must come from an LCSW.

Supervision

The BBS Supervision Agreement (Form 37M-300): PDF + Guide

Required for new supervisory relationships since Jan 1, 2022 — what's in the form, the 60-day deadline, supervisor qualifications, and the supervisory plan.

BBS Forms

BBS Form 37A-638: APCC Weekly Log of Experience Hours

How to fill out the APCC weekly log column by column — columns A, B, B1, B2, and the C = A + B total.

BBS Forms

The ASW Weekly Log of Experience Hours: How to Fill It Out

How to fill out the BBS ASW weekly log column by column — columns A, A1, B, the supervision columns, and the C = A + B total.

Exams

The California Law & Ethics Exam for Associates

How the Law and Ethics Exam works for AMFTs, ASWs, and APCCs: when to take it, the annual-renewal requirement, and requesting an initial exam vs a re-exam.

Exams

California LPCC Exams: Law & Ethics + the NCMHCE

The two exams on the path to LPCC licensure: the California Law and Ethics Exam and the NCMHCE (administered by NBCC) — order, timing, and re-exam waiting periods.

Career

Can an LPCC Treat Couples and Families in California?

Yes — and since January 1, 2022 (AB 462), with no additional coursework or extra supervised hours. The LPCC scope of practice, explained.

Requirements

AMFT & LMFT Renewal in California: CE Requirements

What continuing education AMFTs need to renew — 3 hours of California law and ethics every renewal period — plus where to find the renewal fees and process.

Getting Started

How to Become an LCSW in California: Step-by-Step

From CSWE-accredited MSW to LCSW license: ASW registration, 3,000 hours, the 1,700-hour LCSW-supervision rule, the Law and Ethics exam, and the ASWB Clinical Exam.

Career

LPCC vs LCSW in California: Which Path Is Right?

Degree, supervised hours, scope of practice, and exams compared side by side to help you choose between the LPCC and LCSW paths.

Supervision

BBS Supervision Hours Per Week in California

How much supervision the BBS requires each week, the second-hour trigger above 10 direct hours, and the weekly supervision cap — for AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs.

Supervision

Group vs Individual Supervision: BBS Rules

How group and individual/triadic supervision each count toward your weekly units and the 52-week individual-supervision minimum.

Supervision

Telehealth & Video Supervision: BBS Rules

Whether real-time video supervision is allowed under BBS rules, how it counts, and the confidentiality expectations to keep in mind.

Supervision

Who Can Supervise an AMFT in California?

Which license types can supervise you toward LMFT licensure, supervisor qualifications, and the supervision agreement you both sign.

Supervision

Who Can Supervise an APCC in California?

Which license types can supervise you toward LPCC licensure, supervisor qualifications, and the supervision agreement you both sign.

Requirements

Cost to Become an LMFT in California

Every fee on the path to LMFT licensure — registration, Live Scan, exams, licensure, and renewals — itemized so there are no surprises.

Requirements

Cost to Become an LCSW in California

Every fee on the path to LCSW licensure — registration, Live Scan, the ASWB exam, licensure, and renewals — itemized so there are no surprises.

Requirements

Cost to Become an LPCC in California

Every fee on the path to LPCC licensure — registration, Live Scan, the NCMHCE, licensure, and renewals — itemized so there are no surprises.

Exams

The California LMFT Clinical Exam: A Guide

When you're eligible, how to register through Pearson VUE, what to expect, and the re-exam waiting period for the final exam on the LMFT path.

Exams

The California LCSW Clinical Exam (ASWB): A Guide

The ASWB Clinical Exam for California LCSWs: eligibility, how ASWB administers and schedules it, and the re-exam waiting period.

Registration

The BBS 6-Year Rule for Associates

Why associate registrations expire after six years, what a subsequent registration means for private practice, and how to finish in time.

Registration

BBS Live Scan & Background Check: How It Works

Why the BBS requires fingerprinting before registration, how to complete Live Scan, the fees involved, and what can delay your results.

Requirements

BBS Fee Reduction 2026: New California Fees Explained

The BBS is cutting most fees 50% from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030. The full before/after table, what's not reduced, and how to time your payments.

Requirements

Non-Direct Hours (BBS): What Counts in California

What counts as non-direct (non-clinical) BBS hours — notes, reports, advocacy, supervision, trainings — the per-license caps, and what doesn't count.