What is Form 37A-525?
Form 37A-525 is the official BBS weekly log of experience hours for Trainees and Associate Marriage and Family Therapists in California. It's the primary document you'll use to record every hour you work, organized by category, throughout your entire associate period.
You don't submit it to the BBS on a rolling basis. Instead, you accumulate completed, supervisor-signed logs over your associate period and submit them all with your Application for Licensure. The BBS can also request them at any time, so keeping them organized and accessible is non-negotiable.
Keep the originals
You are legally responsible for retaining the original signed copies of all your weekly logs. Your supervisor does not keep them; you do. Store them somewhere safe and back them up digitally.
Download the official BBS form
This form is free and publicly available from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. No email required.
Form 37A-525: Weekly Log of Experience Hours
The weekly supervision log you and your supervisor sign each week to document your clinical hours.
Download from bbs.ca.gov →Fill in the header fields
The top section of Form 37A-525 establishes who you are, who your supervisor is, and where you're working. These fields must be complete and accurate on every log.
Name of Trainee/Associate
Your full legal name: last, first, middle. Use exactly the name on your BBS registration.
Supervisor Name
Your supervisor's full name as it appears on their BBS license. If you change supervisors mid-year, start a new form.
Name & Address of Work Setting
The name and full address of the site where you're accruing these hours. Use a separate form for each work setting, even if the supervisor is the same.
BBS File No. / AMFT Number
Your BBS file number (if known) and your AMFT registration number. Leave blank only if you are a new applicant who hasn't yet been issued a number.
Year
The calendar year this log covers. Start a new log each January 1. Don't carry a single log across multiple calendar years.
Log your hours in the weekly rows
Each form covers 10 weeks, with one row per week. For each week, you'll fill in the date and hours across five columns (A, A1, B, B1, B2) and then calculate your Category C total.
Direct Counseling: Individuals, Groups, Couples or Families
Total hours of face-to-face clinical counseling with clients. This includes individual therapy, group therapy, and couples or family sessions. This is your primary clinical category.
Diagnosis & Treatment of Couples, Families, and Children
A sub-category of A. Enter hours specifically spent diagnosing and treating couples, families, and children. A1 is always ≤ A. It counts within A, not in addition to it.
Non-Clinical Experience
All non-direct-service hours: supervision (individual, triadic, group), psychological testing, writing clinical reports or progress notes, client-centered advocacy, and approved workshops or trainings.
Supervision: Individual or Triadic
A sub-category of B. Hours spent in individual (one-on-one) or triadic supervision with your supervisor. B1 is always ≤ B. It counts within B, not in addition to it.
Supervision: Group
A sub-category of B. Hours spent in group supervision. Note: 2 hours of group supervision = 1 supervision unit. B2 is always ≤ B. It counts within B, not in addition to it.
Total Hours Per Week (A + B = C)
Your weekly total. Add only the main categories: A + B. Do NOT add A1, B1, or B2 separately. They are already included in A and B. Maximum 40 hours.
The #1 math mistake: Adding A + A1 + B + B1 + B2 for your C total. That's double-counting. A1 is a sub-part of A. B1 and B2 are sub-parts of B. The correct formula is always: C = A + B only.
Get your supervisor's signature every single week
After filling in each week's row, your supervisor must sign the corresponding signature box for that week. This isn't optional. Unsigned weeks are invalid weeks, and the BBS will not count them.
Wet, scanned, or electronic
The BBS accepts original wet signatures, scanned signatures, and electronic signatures. All three are legally valid.
Sign each week, not each form
Your supervisor must sign for each individual week on the log, not just once per form at the end of the month.
Don't backdate
Signatures should correspond to the week logged. Batch-signing weeks at the end of a month is a compliance risk.
You keep the originals
After signing, the log stays with you, not your supervisor. You submit them all with your Application for Licensure.
Working at multiple sites or with multiple supervisors
Many associates work at more than one setting simultaneously. The BBS is very specific about how you handle logs in this situation.
One log per supervisor
If you have two supervisors, even at the same site, you need two separate logs running simultaneously. Each log tracks only the hours supervised by that specific supervisor.
One log per work setting
If the same supervisor oversees you at two different locations, use a separate log for each location. The work setting address is part of the form header for a reason.
Weekly totals are combined for the 40-hour cap
Even though you're keeping separate logs, your 40-hour weekly maximum applies across all logs combined. If Site A logs 25 hrs and Site B logs 20 hrs in the same week, you've exceeded the cap and those extra 5 hours are lost.
The 6 mistakes that cost associates hours
Adding A + A1 + B + B1 + B2 to get your C total
C = A + B only. A1, B1, B2 are sub-parts, not additional columns.
Using a single form to track hours at two different work sites
Use a separate 37A-525 for each supervisor and each work setting.
Collecting signatures at the end of the month or quarter in bulk
Get your supervisor's signature for each individual week, on time.
Logging 45 hours across two sites without accounting for the combined cap
Track all sites together. C totals across all logs cannot exceed 40 hrs/wk.
Continuing to work and log hours after your AMFT registration expired
Hours logged while your registration is expired do not count. Renew on time.
Continuing to log on the same form from December into January
Start a fresh 37A-525 each January 1. The Year field at the top must be accurate.
How to store and organize your logs
You'll accumulate dozens of logs over your associate period. Losing them, or submitting disorganized ones, can delay your application review. Here's a simple system that works.
Binder system by year
Keep a physical binder with all signed logs for each calendar year. Label each binder clearly and store them somewhere fireproof or humidity-controlled.
Scan every signed log immediately
The week your supervisor signs, scan the log and save it to cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). Name files consistently: 37A525_[Supervisor]_[Year]_[WeekOf].pdf
Separate folders per supervisor
If you have multiple supervisors, keep their logs in separate folders. This mirrors what the BBS will want to see and makes your application easier to compile.
Run a quarterly audit
Every three months, verify that your running totals across all logs match your expected progress toward each hour category. Catching errors early is far easier than untangling them at licensure.
HourJourney generates your 37A-525 for you
Log your hours each week in HourJourney and we'll generate a BBS-compliant Form 37A-525 PDF automatically, correctly categorized, correctly totaled, and ready for your supervisor's signature. No manual math. No formatting. No lost hours.
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Common questions about Form 37A-525
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, but you don't send them in on a rolling basis.
What's the difference between Option 1 and Option 2 of the weekly log?
Option 1 (Form 37A-525) is the streamlined method that uses the A/B/C category structure. Option 2 (Form 37A-527) uses a more detailed multi-category breakdown. Most associates use Option 1. Check with your supervisor or program if you're unsure which to use.
Can I use a digital or fillable PDF version of the form?
Yes. The BBS accepts signed documents that are original, scanned, or have an electronic signature. You can fill out the form digitally as long as it's signed, wet, scanned, or electronic, before submission.
What happens if I forgot to get my supervisor's signature for a week?
Go back and get it as soon as possible. While the BBS requires weekly signatures, getting a retroactive signature is better than having an unsigned week. Don't leave unsigned rows; they won't count toward your 104-week requirement.
My supervisor left mid-year. What do I do with my incomplete log?
Get all outstanding signatures from your departing supervisor before they leave. Keep the partially completed log. Start a new log with your new supervisor. Never combine hours from two supervisors on the same form.
How many years of logs will I have when I apply for licensure?
At minimum, two years (104 weeks). Most associates take closer to three to five years to complete their hours, meaning you'll have 2-5 years' worth of logs to submit. This is why organized storage from day one matters.
Related guides
How to Track Your LMFT Supervised Hours in California
The BBS A/B/C structure explained step by step.
California LMFT Hours Requirements: The Complete 2025 Guide
Every hour minimum, maximum, and deadline in plain English.
The 90-Day Rule for AMFTs in California
What counts, what doesn't, and how to protect your hours.
LMFT vs. LCSW in California: Which Path Is Right for You?
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