Three Boards, Three Renewal Systems
North Carolina licenses the LCMHCA and LCMHC through the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC), the LCSWA and LCSW through the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB), and the LMFTA and LMFT through the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board (NCMFTLB). Each board sets its own renewal cycle, fee and continuing education rule, and none of the three matches the other two.
A newly issued LCMHC or LCMHCA license "shall expire on the second June 30" after it is issued, then runs a two-year cycle from July 1 to June 30 (21 NCAC 53 .0601). An LCSW or LCSWA license is "renewed on or before the expiration date of the certificate or license," a date tied to when that individual license was issued rather than a fixed calendar day (G.S. 90B-9(a)). An LMFT license "shall expire automatically on the first day of July of each year" (G.S. 90-270.58). The rest of this page works through each board's fee and CE rule in turn, then compares all six credentials in one table.
LCMHCA, LCMHC and LCMHCS Renewal and CE
The biennial renewal fee is "two hundred dollars ($200.00)" and is "due and payable by June 20 of the renewal year" (21 NCAC 53 .0503(a)). A license that goes unpaid past that date is automatically suspended; a suspended license "may be renewed within one year after non-payment of the renewal fee, plus a late renewal fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00)" (21 NCAC 53 .0503(a)).
Continuing education is "forty contact hours of continuing counselor education, including a minimum of three contact hours of ethics," completed within the two-year renewal period, or 30 contact hours (still 3 in ethics) "in the cases of newly issued licenses in which the initial renewal period is less than two full years" (21 NCAC 53 .0603(b)). The jurisprudence exam required at every renewal counts for 5 of those contact hours in ethics (Board Renewals page). A Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor documents, "as part of those requirements," a "minimum of 10 contact hours of continuing counselor education related to professional knowledge and competency in the field of counseling supervision" inside that same 40-hour total (21 NCAC 53 .0603(i)).
| Requirement | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| License period | Second June 30 after issue, then July 1 to June 30 | 21 NCAC 53 .0601 |
| Renewal fee | $200, due by June 20 | 21 NCAC 53 .0503(a) |
| Late fee | $75, within one year | 21 NCAC 53 .0503(a) |
| Continuing education | 40 hrs incl. 3 ethics (30 incl. 3 ethics, first short period) | 21 NCAC 53 .0603(b) |
| Jurisprudence exam credit | 5 hrs ethics, every renewal | .0305(c); Board Renewals page |
| LCMHCS add-on | 10 hrs supervision CE, inside the 40 | 21 NCAC 53 .0603(i) |
Missing the CE deadline does not end the license outright. Within one year of expiration, a licensee can "complete the required hours of continuing counselor education and an additional 20 hours of continuing counselor education for the purpose of renewal of the expired license," or request a written extension, received by the Board "no later than May 1st of the year of expiration," for military deployment, a documented major illness, or a death in the immediate family; an approved extension runs "up to one year" (21 NCAC 53 .0604(1), (2)). Missing both options means the license "shall be reissued only upon a new application for a license, and all current licensure requirements shall apply to the new application" (21 NCAC 53 .0604).
LCSWA and LCSW Renewal and CE
Every social work certificate and license, "excluding temporary licenses, shall be effective upon date of issuance by the Board, and shall be renewed on or before the expiration date of the certificate or license" (G.S. 90B-9(a)). The renewal fee is $150 for an LCSW and $140 for an LCSWA (21 NCAC 63 .0403(b)(3), (4)); a renewal received after the expiration date, but no later than 60 days after it, adds a $50 late fee (21 NCAC 63 .0403(c)).
Continuing education runs 40 contact hours per two-year renewal cycle, or 30 contact hours "if a certification or licensure is for less than a full two-year period" (21 NCAC 63 .0401(a)). At least 4 of those hours must focus on "ethics related to social work practice and ethical decision-making" (21 NCAC 63 .0401(b)). Distance learning is capped at "one-half of the required hours, up to a maximum of 20 contact hours per renewal period" (21 NCAC 63 .0401(c)(4)), and credit is not granted for "supervision and case consultation" (21 NCAC 63 .0401(f)(3)).
An LCSWA works against a separate clock that renewal alone does not stop. "The associate licensee shall complete all requirements for licensed clinical social worker licensure within three renewal cycles, or a total of six years, unless otherwise directed by the Board," and "supervision and experience hours acquired under an associate license shall expire six years from the date of initial associate license issuance" (G.S. 90B-7(f)). Placing the license on non-practicing status does not pause that clock (Board Renewal FAQs).
LMFTA and LMFT Renewal and CE
"All licenses for marriage and family therapists issued under this Article shall expire automatically on the first day of July of each year. The Board shall renew a license upon (i) completion of the continuing education requirements ... and (ii) payment of the renewal fee" (G.S. 90-270.58). That renewal fee is "$100.00" (21 NCAC 31 .1001(5)). CE runs 20 hours a year, filed "each year with the license renewal forms," including 3 hours of ethics training for each renewal period (21 NCAC 31 .0701(a), (d)). Up to 12 of the 20 hours can come from "ongoing supervision by an AAMFT approved supervisor or AAMFT supervisor candidate" (21 NCAC 31 .0701(c)).
The renewal paperwork itself has a hard mailing deadline. "If the proof of completion is not postmarked by July 1, the proof of completion shall not be accepted by the Board, and the license will expire effective July 1" (21 NCAC 31 .0701(j)).
The LMFTA license is a different structure entirely. A license issued under G.S. 90-270.54A "shall be valid for three years from the date of issuance" (G.S. 90-270.54A(b)), but "a marriage and family therapy associate license shall not be renewed." A person licensed under that section can petition the Board in writing, and if the petition "demonstrates special circumstances and steady progress towards licensure as a marriage and family therapist, the Board may grant a one-year extension" for the fee set at "$50.00" (G.S. 90-270.54A(c); 21 NCAC 31 .1001(10)). Inside that non-renewable three-year term, the Board's FAQ states that annual renewal will be required for each year of LMFTA licensure, filed the same way as the LMFT's 20-hour CE renewal (21 NCAC 31 .0701(a); Board FAQ).
Renewal and CE Across All Six Credentials
| Credential | Expires | Renewable? | CE per period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCMHCA | Second June 30 after issue, then every two years | Yes; renews while hours incomplete, no cap stated | 40 hrs incl. 3 ethics (30, first short period) | .0601; .0702(6); .0603(b) |
| LCMHC | Same two-year cycle | Yes | 40 hrs incl. 3 ethics | .0601; .0603(b) |
| LCSWA | Two-year license | Yes, within six years total | 40 hrs incl. 4 ethics (30, under two full years) | G.S. 90B-7(f); .0401(a),(b) |
| LCSW | Two-year license | Yes | 40 hrs incl. 4 ethics | .0401(a),(b); .0403(a) |
| LMFTA | Three years from issuance | Shall not be renewed; one one-year extension by petition; annual renewal filing inside the term | 20 hrs a year incl. 3 ethics | G.S. 90-270.54A(b),(c); .0701(a),(d) |
| LMFT | Every July 1 | Yes | 20 hrs a year incl. 3 ethics | G.S. 90-270.58; .0701(a),(d) |
Two of the six rows run against a clock, and only one of the two clocks stops at renewal. The LCMHCA has no stated cap and keeps renewing while hours remain incomplete (21 NCAC 53 .0702(6)). The LCSWA has a firm outer limit, six years from initial issuance, that non-practicing status does not pause (G.S. 90B-7(f); Board Renewal FAQs). The LMFTA sits between the two: it does not renew at all under the statute, yet the Board still requires an annual CE filing inside the three-year term it is granted (G.S. 90-270.54A(c); 21 NCAC 31 .0701(a); Board FAQ).
Common Mistakes on North Carolina Renewal and CE
Assuming North Carolina has one renewal date across boards
It does not. LCMHC and LCMHCA licenses run July 1 to June 30 after an initial short period ending the second June 30 (21 NCAC 53 .0601); LCSW and LCSWA licenses renew on their own expiration date (G.S. 90B-9(a)); LMFT licenses expire every July 1 (G.S. 90-270.58).
Treating LCMHCA renewal as capped
No rule states a limit on how many times an LCMHCA license can be renewed while supervision requirements remain incomplete (21 NCAC 53 .0702(6)).
Reading "shall not be renewed" as the end of LMFTA paperwork
The associate license itself does not renew, but an annual renewal filing with 20 CE hours is still required inside the three-year term (G.S. 90-270.54A(c); 21 NCAC 31 .0701(a); Board FAQ).
Forgetting the jurisprudence exam counts toward LCMHC ethics CE
It counts for 5 of the 40 required contact hours in ethics at every renewal (Board Renewals page).
Missing the LMFT postmark deadline
Proof of CE completion not postmarked by July 1 is not accepted, and the license expires effective July 1 (21 NCAC 31 .0701(j)).
Assuming LCSWA non-practicing status pauses the six-year limit
It does not. Non-practicing status does not stop the time clock on the six-year window to complete LCSW licensure (G.S. 90B-7(f); Board Renewal FAQs).
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More on North Carolina licensure
The renewal cycle covered here sits at the end of each track's path. The hours and supervision that come before it run differently by board: North Carolina LCMHC requirements and North Carolina LMFTA and LMFT requirements cover the counseling and marriage and family therapy tracks, and North Carolina LCSW requirements covers social work. The full picture across all three tracks starts at how to become a therapist in North Carolina.
Related North Carolina Guides
North Carolina LCMHC Requirements
The full 3,000-hour path from LCMHCA to LCMHC, with the direct-counseling minimum and the exam.
North Carolina LCSW Requirements
The full 3,000-hour social work path, the six-year window and the clinical exam.
North Carolina LMFTA and LMFT Requirements
The 1,500-hour marriage and family therapy path and the three-year associate term.
LCMHCA in North Carolina
The counseling associate license itself: the supervision contract and renewal while hours are incomplete.
LCSWA in North Carolina
The social work associate license itself: the six-year limit and the emergency crisis plan.
LCMHCS in North Carolina
How an LCMHC becomes an approved supervisor, and the extra CE hours that come with it.
FAQ: North Carolina License Renewal and CE Requirements
What are the NC LCSW renewal requirements?▾
An LCSW holds a two-year license that is "renewed on or before the expiration date of the certificate or license" (G.S. 90B-9(a)), for a $150 renewal fee. A renewal received after the expiration date, but no later than 60 days after it, adds a $50 late fee (21 NCAC 63 .0403(b)(3), (c)). Continuing education is due every two-year cycle: 40 contact hours, including at least 4 in ethics, or 30 hours if the licensure period runs less than a full two years (21 NCAC 63 .0401(a), (b)).
What are the CEU requirements for an LCSW in North Carolina?▾
40 contact hours per two-year renewal cycle, with a minimum of 4 of those hours in ethics related to social work practice and ethical decision-making (21 NCAC 63 .0401(a), (b)). No more than half of that total, up to a maximum of 20 contact hours, may come from distance learning activities (21 NCAC 63 .0401(c)(4)). Credit is not given for supervision and case consultation (21 NCAC 63 .0401(f)(3)).
How does LCSWA renewal work in North Carolina?▾
An LCSWA renews the same two-year associate license for a $140 fee (21 NCAC 63 .0403(b)(4)), while working toward LCSW licensure within "three renewal cycles, or a total of six years" measured from the date the associate license was first issued (G.S. 90B-7(f)). Non-practicing status does not stop that six-year clock (Board Renewal FAQs).
What are the LCMHC renewal requirements in North Carolina?▾
A newly issued LCMHC or LCMHCA license "shall expire on the second June 30" after it is issued, and every renewal after that runs a full two-year cycle from July 1 to June 30 (21 NCAC 53 .0601). The renewal fee is $200, "due and payable by June 20 of the renewal year," with a $75 late fee (21 NCAC 53 .0503(a)). Renewal also requires 40 contact hours of continuing education, including at least 3 in ethics, or 30 hours (still 3 ethics) if the first renewal period runs less than two full years (21 NCAC 53 .0603(b)).
What are the CEU requirements for the NC LCMHC?▾
40 contact hours per two-year renewal period, including a minimum of 3 in ethics, or 30 hours (still 3 ethics) if the first renewal period runs less than two full years (21 NCAC 53 .0603(b)). The jurisprudence exam required at every renewal counts for 5 of those contact hours in ethics (Board Renewals page). A Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor documents 10 contact hours in clinical supervision inside that same 40-hour total (21 NCAC 53 .0603(i)).
What is the North Carolina LMFT renewal fee?▾
$100 for each renewal of an LMFT license (21 NCAC 31 .1001(5)). The LMFT license "shall expire automatically on the first day of July of each year," and renewal also requires proof of 20 hours of continuing education, including 3 in ethics, submitted with the renewal forms (G.S. 90-270.58; 21 NCAC 31 .0701(a), (d)).
Does an LMFTA renew every year in North Carolina?▾
The LMFTA license itself "shall not be renewed" (G.S. 90-270.54A(c)); it runs three years from issuance, with one possible one-year extension by written petition. Inside that term, the Board's FAQ states annual renewal will be required for each year of LMFTA licensure, filed with proof of 20 hours of continuing education (21 NCAC 31 .0701(a); Board FAQ). Proof not postmarked by July 1 is not accepted, and the license expires effective July 1 (21 NCAC 31 .0701(j)).
Can NC counselors lose their license for missing CE hours?▾
The license expires, but the rule gives two ways back. Within one year of expiration, a licensee can complete the missed hours plus an additional 20 hours of continuing education, or request a written extension from the Board, received no later than May 1 of the expiration year, for military deployment, a documented major illness, or a death in the immediate family (21 NCAC 53 .0604(1), (2)). Missing both options means the license "shall be reissued only upon a new application," with all current licensure requirements applying to it (21 NCAC 53 .0604).
Requirements verified against 21 NCAC 53, 21 NCAC 63, 21 NCAC 31 and G.S. Chapters 90 and 90B, current as of September 2026. Statutes, rules and fees can change. Confirm current requirements at the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board or the North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.