What Is BBS Form 37A-525?
BBS Form 37A-525 is the official weekly log of experience hours issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). Its full title is “Weekly Log of Hours of Experience: Option 1.” The current version was revised in August 2022 and remains the standard form used by MFT Trainees and Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFTs) to document their clinical and non-clinical hours toward LMFT licensure.
The BBS provides two options for weekly logging. Option 1 (Form 37A-525) uses a streamlined A/B/C column structure that most supervisors and associates prefer. Option 2 (Form 37A-527) uses a more detailed multi-category breakdown. Both are valid, but this guide focuses on Option 1 because it is by far the most commonly used.
You can download the official Form 37A-525 PDF from bbs.ca.gov at no cost. Each form covers up to 10 weeks of logging in a single calendar year, for one supervisor at one work setting.
Keep the originals
You are legally responsible for retaining signed copies of all your weekly logs. Your supervisor does not keep them. Store them somewhere safe and back them up digitally. You will submit them with your Application for Licensure.
Who Needs to Use Form 37A-525?
Form 37A-525 is specifically designed for individuals pursuing LMFT licensure in California. That means two groups: MFT Trainees (pre-degree students gaining practicum hours) and Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFTs, formerly called “MFT Interns”).
If you are an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) pursuing LPCC licensure, you use a different form: Form 37A-638. If you are an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) pursuing LCSW licensure, you use the ASW weekly log. Do not use Form 37A-525 unless you are on the MFT track. For a full comparison of how documentation requirements differ between these paths, see our guide on LMFT vs LCSW documentation and hour differences in California.
If you are an AMFT working toward your 3,000 total hours requirement, this form is your primary tool for documenting those hours week by week.
Understanding the Form's Column Structure
The weekly rows on Form 37A-525 contain six columns. Understanding which columns are primary totals and which are informational subcategories is essential to filling the form correctly.
| Column | What It Tracks | Add to C? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Direct counseling (individuals, groups, couples, families) | YES |
| A1 | Couples, families, and children (subcategory of A) | NO |
| B | Non-clinical experience (supervision, testing, notes, advocacy, training) | YES |
| B1 | Individual or triadic supervision (subcategory of B) | NO |
| B2 | Group supervision (subcategory of B) | NO |
| C | Total hours per week (A + B = C) | TOTAL |
The key insight: A1 is a subset of A, and B1 and B2 are subsets of B. They exist so the BBS can track specific hour types, but they are already counted inside their parent columns. Adding them separately to Column C is the single most common mistake on this form.
The Column C Formula: What Gets Added and What Doesn't
The formula is simple but frequently done wrong:
C = A + B
A1, B1, and B2 are NEVER added to C
Here is a worked example. Suppose in one week you logged:
Column C = 18 + 4 = 22. Not 33. The 8 hours in A1 are already inside your 18 in Column A. The 3 hours in B1 are already inside your 4 in Column B. If you added everything (18 + 8 + 4 + 3), you would be double-counting 11 hours.
Column C also cannot exceed 40 hours in any single week. This 40-hour cap applies across all your forms combined, not per form. See the section below on the weekly cap for details.
How Many Forms Do You Need Per Week?
The rule is straightforward: one Form 37A-525 per supervisor per work setting. Here are the scenarios that trip people up:
2 supervisors, 1 site
You need 2 forms. Each supervisor can only sign for the hours they directly supervised. Never mix supervisors on a single form.
1 supervisor, 2 sites
You need 2 forms. Each form is tied to a specific work setting address. Even if the same supervisor oversees you at both locations, you track each site separately.
New calendar year
Start a fresh form each January 1. The Year field in the header must match the dates in your weekly rows. Do not carry a single form across December into January.
Pre-degree vs. post-degree
If you transition from Trainee to AMFT mid-year, use separate forms. Pre-degree and post-degree hours go on separate Experience Verification forms, so your weekly logs should mirror that separation.
Most associates accumulate dozens of completed forms over their 2-5 year supervision period. Staying organized from the start saves significant headaches when compiling your licensure application. See our complete breakdown of the 3,000-hour requirement for the full picture of what you are working toward.
Supervisor Signatures: What the BBS Accepts
Your supervisor must sign the corresponding signature box for each individual week on the form. A signature at the bottom of the form is not sufficient. Each week needs its own sign-off.
Original wet signatures
The traditional pen-and-paper signature. Always accepted.
Scanned signatures
A scanned copy of the signed original is accepted by the BBS.
Electronic signatures
Per BBS FAQ updated 02/2025, electronic signatures are accepted on BBS forms including 37A-525.
Sign weekly, not monthly
Your supervisor should sign each week as it is completed. Batch-signing at the end of a quarter creates compliance risk.
If your supervisor leaves your agency mid-year, get all outstanding signatures before they depart. Keep the partially completed form, and start a new form with your new supervisor. Never combine hours from two supervisors on a single form.
Do You Submit Form 37A-525 to the BBS?
No. You do not submit Form 37A-525 to the BBS on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis. You accumulate your signed weekly logs throughout your entire supervision period and submit them all at once with your Application for Licensure.
The BBS may also request your weekly logs at any time during a random audit or if questions arise about your hours. This is why keeping organized, complete, and accurately signed logs from day one is critical. If you cannot produce them when asked, those hours may not count.
Back up everything
Scan every signed log the same week your supervisor signs it and save it to cloud storage. Name files consistently (e.g., 37A525_SupervisorName_2026_Week12.pdf). Physical binders plus digital backups is the gold standard.
The 40-Hour Weekly Cap
The BBS sets a hard maximum of 40 hours of countable experience in any 7 consecutive days. This cap applies across all work settings combined. If you work at two sites and log 25 hours at Site A and 20 hours at Site B in the same week, your combined total is 45 and the BBS will only count 40. Those extra 5 hours are lost.
Additionally, supervision hours are capped at 6 hours per week. Within that 6-hour supervision cap, the split between individual/triadic and group supervision matters for meeting BBS compliance ratios, but the total cannot exceed 6 hours regardless of type.
If you are in your 90-day window, see how to count those hours. The 40-hour cap applies during the 90-day period as well, and there are additional employer requirements you must meet.
Pre-Degree vs Post-Degree: Using Separate Forms
MFT Trainees (pre-degree) and AMFTs (post-degree) both use Form 37A-525, but the BBS treats their hours separately. Pre-degree hours are subject to different caps and requirements than post-degree hours.
If you transition from Trainee to AMFT status during a calendar year, you should start a new form at the point of transition. The weekly logs you kept as a Trainee will be attached to a separate Experience Verification form (37A-301) covering your pre-degree period, while your AMFT logs go with a separate Experience Verification covering your post-degree period.
Pre-degree hours are capped at 750 direct clinical hours and 1,350 total hours under current BBS rules. Post-degree hours make up the remainder of your 3,000 total hours requirement. Keeping clean separation between pre-degree and post-degree logs from the start saves significant effort at application time.
How HourJourney Auto-Fills Form 37A-525
Manually filling out Form 37A-525 every week for years is tedious and error-prone. HourJourney eliminates the manual work by generating BBS-compliant PDFs directly from your logged hours.
Maps your logged hours to the correct BBS columns (A, A1, B, B1, B2) automatically
Enforces the C = A + B formula so you never accidentally double-count subcategories
Prevents you from exceeding the 40-hour weekly cap across multiple sites
Pre-fills the PDF with your name, supervisor, site, and all weekly data
Also generates the Experience Verification form (37A-301) from the same data
Instead of wrestling with a fillable PDF each week, you log your hours in HourJourney and export a correctly formatted, correctly totaled Form 37A-525 ready for your supervisor's signature. Learn more about how to track your LMFT supervised hours.
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FAQ: BBS Form 37A-525
What is BBS Form 37A-525?+
BBS Form 37A-525 is the official weekly log of experience hours issued by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. It is used by MFT Trainees and Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFTs) to document clinical and non-clinical hours toward LMFT licensure. The current version was revised in August 2022. The BBS provides it free as a downloadable PDF.
What is the Column C formula?+
Column C = Column A + Column B. That is it. Column A1 is a subcategory of A, and Columns B1 and B2 are subcategories of B. Subcategories are never added to the total. For example, 18 hours in Column A plus 4 hours in Column B equals 22 in Column C, regardless of what A1, B1, or B2 show.
Do I submit Form 37A-525 to the BBS every week?+
No. You keep your completed, signed logs and submit them all with your Application for Licensure at the end of your associate period. The BBS may request them at any time during an audit, but you do not send them in on a rolling basis.
How many forms do I need per week?+
One form per supervisor per work setting. If you have 2 supervisors at 1 site, that is 2 forms. If you have 1 supervisor at 2 sites, that is also 2 forms. Start a new form each calendar year and keep pre-degree and post-degree hours on separate forms.
What is the maximum hours per week on Form 37A-525?+
The BBS allows a maximum of 40 hours of countable experience in any 7 consecutive days across all work settings combined. Supervision is additionally capped at 6 hours per week.
Does the BBS accept electronic signatures on Form 37A-525?+
Yes. Per BBS FAQ updated February 2025, the BBS accepts original wet signatures, scanned signatures, and electronic signatures on Form 37A-525 and other BBS forms.
What is the difference between Form 37A-525 and 37A-527?+
Form 37A-525 (Option 1) uses the streamlined A/B/C column structure. Form 37A-527 (Option 2) uses a more detailed multi-category breakdown. Both are valid. Most AMFTs and supervisors prefer Option 1 for its simplicity.
What is Form 37A-301 and how is it different?+
Form 37A-301 is the Experience Verification form. While 37A-525 is your raw weekly record of hours, 37A-301 is the summary document your supervisor signs to verify your total hours over an entire supervision period. You need both: the weekly logs as supporting detail and the Experience Verification as the verified summary.
Can HourJourney auto-fill Form 37A-525?+
Yes. HourJourney maps your logged hours to the correct BBS columns, enforces the C = A + B formula, prevents double-counting, and exports a pre-filled PDF of Form 37A-525 ready for your supervisor's signature. It also generates the Experience Verification form (37A-301) from the same data.
Related Guides
How to Track Your LMFT Supervised Hours
The BBS A/B/C structure explained step by step.
California LMFT Hours Requirements (2026)
Every hour minimum, maximum, and deadline in plain English.
BBS Form 37A-638: The APCC Weekly Log
The equivalent weekly log for LPCC candidates, column by column.
The ASW Weekly Log of Experience Hours
The equivalent weekly log for LCSW candidates, column by column.
The 90-Day Rule for AMFTs in California
What counts, what doesn't, and how to protect your early hours.
This guide reflects BBS Form 37A-525 revised 08/2022. Always verify current requirements at bbs.ca.gov.