License Application

The exam is offered monthly.  The applicant portal provides more information, an examination roadmap which includes deadlines and requirements for registration with the exam service. The examination application deadline to the examination administration service will be the first day of the month, one month prior to the month the candidate wishes to take the exam. In other words, the application deadline to the examination service (Professional Testing Corporation - PTC) will be the first day of each month preceding the month in which the candidate wishes to take the exam.

All the information you need for applying for and taking the examination is included in the Examination Roadmap (handbook) found at the link provided in the applicant portal.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to review the handbook for answers to any questions.  The Board cannot provide individual consultation on the process.

Any retake or code reissuance requires requesting a new approval code and  a fee of $50 to the NC MFT Board in addition to the fees for exam registration and administration paid to the exam service.

No, exam scores do not expire.  If you have passed the National MFT Exam, the applicant portal provides information on how to have your score officially (required) transferred to the NC MFT Licensure Board for your application for licensure.

Exam Application are reviewed on a regular basis by Board staff.

Notification of application decision, if approved,  will be emailed to you with instructions on how to obtain an approval code for registering for the exam.

1st of each month: application/registration with the examination service (Professional Testing Corporation).

Approval to take the National MFT Exam and passing the National MFT Exam does not guarantee approval for licensure as a MFT in NC. The Exam is one component of the licensure process.  Approval to take the exam is issued based on whether a master’s degree in MFT or a related mental health degree with a minimum of 45 semester hours or the equivalent quarter hours has been conferred as evidenced by a university transcript from a regionally accredited university in accordance with NC Statutes.  Evaluation of education and supervised clinical experience does not occur until a complete application for licensure is submitted. 

Examinees will receive an individual score report sent to the address of record (directly from PTC) approximately 20 days after the last day of the examination period. Do not contact the NC MFT Licensure Board for your score. If you do not receive your score within 20 days from the end of the testing period, again, you must contact the exam service directly for assistance with obtaining your score. It is very important to retain your letter verifying your exam score as you will need a copy to submit when you apply for licensure in NC.  If you do not retain a copy, you will have to request a duplicate copy from the exam service and they charge a fee for that! 

An applicant must be enrolled in a MFT master's degree program a related degree program.   The submitted transcript must show that the student is in the last semester of the program.
If the transcript is not conferred a letter from the school confirming that the student is expected to meet all requirements for graduation must accompany the transcript in order to apply for the MFT Exam prior to graduation.  

The only exam accepted and recognized for NC MFT Licensure purposes is the AMFTRB National MFT Exam.  Passing the National MFT Exam is required of ALL applicants for licensure as an MFT in NC, regardless of length of licensure in another state.

There are no agreements or automatic reciprocity arrangements with any other state.  If you are requesting that the NC board consider you for licensure based on licensure as an MFT in another jurisdiction, you MAY be eligible IF a) you have  been a licensed MFT in good standing for the five previous, continuous years (with no lapse in licensure or disciplinary action) in a state recognized by the Board (at this time all states are recognized  as having equivalent academic and experience requirements) and b) submitted documentation that you have passed the National MFT examination and c) submitted a complete application.

The LMFT must be renewed on an annual basis. The first renewal is due by July 1 after the first full year of licensure and then must be renewed each year by July 1. 

The Board cannot provide a pre-evaluation of your coursework.  However, you should refer to the licensure guidelines for course information. Coursework completed through COAMFTE accredited programs is accepted.  All other applicants are considered related degree applicants and must submit syllabi from the degree program. The syllabi must be from the actual time you completed the course. You may wish to request assistance from your university in securing the required syllabi.  Applications for licensure with a related degree cannot be processed until the syllabi requirement has been demonstrated.   

The NC MFT Board only regulates licensure for MFTs.  Questions about other licensure boards should be directed to those boards.

For questions about payment practices, your state association, the advocacy organization for MFTs may be able to provide guidance.  Contact the NCAMFT via www.ncamft.org or provider services with the specific insurance company.

Information about the process to become an AAMFT Approved Supervisor is found at www.aamft.org.

If you are receiving supervision from two approved supervisors, document the hours from each supervisor on separate forms.

Applications are submitted through the applicant portal and as submitted materials are reviewed and accepted, your status is updated.  You may log-in to your applicant portal account at any time and see what has been accepted or is pending.

Please email Tara Strickland, director@ncbmft.org to request a name change.  

 Licensees should notify the Board of any address change within 30 days.  You can log into LearningBuilder and change your address under your profile.  

A verification of licensure may be printed directly from www.ncbmft.org.  There is no charge for web verification. Information that is provided includes name, license number, date of original licensure, expiration date, and whether there are any disciplinary actions (public record). 

MFTs have both a legal and ethical obligation to retain client records.  The Board, therefore, recognizes the necessity and importance of a licensee’s proper maintenance, retention, and disposition of client records.  Licensees should also make provisions for disposition of records in the event of closing a practice or death of a licensee.  State and federal laws require that records be kept for a minimum length of time including but not limited to the following:  

a. Medicare and Medicaid Investigations (up to 7 years);

b. HIPAA (up to 6 years);

c. Except for minor clients, five years after the date of the last session;

d. Minor clients – 5 years after the age of consent was or would have been reached. 

All completed applications for licensure are reviewed around the 5th and 20th of each month. 

The LMFTA is a provisional license. The licensee will have up to three years in which to acquire the remaining clinical and supervised hours required for unrestricted licensure (LMFT).  Annual renewal will be required for each year of LMFTA licensure. Twenty hours of continuing education are required, including three hours of ethics. Up to twelve hours of acquired supervision may be counted toward these twenty hours. 

A total of 1500 clinical hours with 200 approved supervision hours (AAMFT Approved Supervisor or accepted Supervisory Candidate) is the minimum requirement.  Up to 500 clinical hours and any amount of approved supervision earned while in your qualifying degree program may be counted toward the licensure requirement.  The remaining 1000 hours must be acquired, under approved supervision (AAMFT Approved Supervisor or accepted Supervisory Candidate) or post licensure (LMFTA). A minimum of 25 supervision hours must be acquired post degree, regardless of the number of hours earned prior to completion of your degree.  In other words, even if you earned 200 supervision hours during your degree program, you would still need at least 25 more post degree. 

Transcripts: Must be sent directly, electronically * from the issuing institution (i.e. the university office or their designated transcript processing company) to the Board. Email to executivedirector@ncbmft.org

Name Changes: If the name on your transcript is different than the name on your application, documentation such as a copy of your marriage license, divorce decree, or court order, must be submitted with your application(s) for the National MFT Exam or any licensure application. * If your university cannot issue an electronic transcript, an original (hard copy) may be mailed to the Board's office address.  Be aware there may be a delay in receipt and processing of mailed transcripts.

If a written verification of licensure is required, email Paola Learoyd at executivedirector@ncbmft.org and include any form the other state would like completed. 
If the state does not have a specific form, a letter on Board letterhead, signed by the Executive Director with the licensure Board seal affixed can be prepared.  The verification letter is sent (electronically or snail mail) directly to the email/address provided. The Board's written verification form is generally accepted by all other state licensure boards and entities. 

 One quarter hour equals .67 semester hours. You will have to complete enough courses in the required coursework categories to meet the minimum semester hour requirements.  Taking the same course twice will not suffice.  

As long as you are licensed in NC, in good standing, you can practice in NC no matter where you are physically located.  However, if you are in another state, you need to check with that licensure board as to what is permissible under their regulations.  The NC MFT Board cannot advise on the regulations and requirements of other state boards.  Again, the NC MFT license is valid only for practice in NC.

Application fees are non-refundable.

Carefully review all the information provided on the Board's website, including the FAQs.  The licensure process is objective, not subjective, meaning the Board must follow NC Laws and Statutes governing the practice of MFT in North Carolina.  Once you create an applicant portal, the system guides you through the requirements for documentation.  The Board cannot provide individual consultation on the licensure process nor can exceptions to the requirements be granted.  Prior to initiating the application process, again, carefully review the information provided.

Once the review process has been completed and your status is updated to Approved, you will be able to print an original license directly from LearningBuilder.

No, only complete applications are reviewed.  The Board's website provides information as to the minimum education/coursework requirements. 

Yes. You must remain under the minimum supervision requirements until you are notified that LMFT has been approved which is at least one hour per month.

Application fees are non-refundable.

The experience may count toward the education requirement of 9 semester hours IF the practicums/internships are listed on your transcript; however, the hours will not count toward the licensure requirement.  You will need to earn 1500 clinical and 200 supervision hours post-degree under the supervision of an  AAMFT Approved Supervisor or AAMFT Supervisory Candidate (approved and accepted by the Board) or post licensure (LMFTA) as an LMFTA before applying for LMFT.

There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this requirement. 

Contact the university program director responsible for the practicums/internships (if they are an AAMFT Approved Supervisor) to verify your experience hours; however, you should first try to locate the original supervisor. 

The clinical and supervision hours reporting forms and process is available via LearningBuilder.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFTA)

The Board has adopted the AAMFT Code of Ethics.  View the code at www.aamft.org.

Refer to the Licensing Guidelines under the licensure section of www.ncbmft.org

For hours to count toward the minimum of 1500 clinical and 200 supervision hours, the hours must be acquired under the direction of an AAMFT Approved Supervisor or accepted Supervisory Candidate   Locate AAMFT Approved Supervisors at www.aamft.org.  

There are no exceptions to this rule. 

Endorsement forms must be completed by individuals familiar with your MFT practice (colleagues, co-workers, professors, etc.). For LMFTA applicants, at least one endorsement form must be completed by an individual that has served as your past/present supervisor. Relatives, subordinates, and clients are not acceptable references.

These are optional fields, not published and are used for determining things such as eligibility for board appointments (appointments are required to be from different districts). The state is committed to diversity as well and having this data assists with the process.  The advocacy organization for MFTs (the NCAMFT) often asks the Board for lists of licensees by Congressional District when there is an issue before the legislature that may affect MFTs in the State of North Carolina.  The NCAMFT can more effectively provide legislative alerts and calls to action with this data.

The licensure board does not verify National MFT Examination scores. You will need to request those scores directly from Professional Examination Services (PES) via the “Score Transfer Request” 

See our website:  https://www.ncbmft.org/resources-and-information/professional-resources/clinical-and-supervision-hours-reporting