Welcome to North Carolina! The Board knows you have a lot of questions about the licensure process, especially since each state in the country has their own licensure boards and requirements.
All occupational licensing boards in NC adhere to state statutes. This means that all requirements for licensure are mandated in the law. The North Carolina Marriage & Family Therapy Licensure Board carefully reviews each application to ensure that it meets those requirements.
The Board applies those requirements consistently and fairly to each applicant. On this page, you will see some of the most common questions the Board receives regarding the licensure process when moving from another state. You will also find a helpful guide to help you know which application requirements you will need to follow (i.e. exam, LMFTA, LMFT, reciprocity).
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To practice in North Carolina, you must be licensed prior to rendering any services, unless you are practicing an in exempt setting, as defined by the NC statutes.
No Temporary MFT License
There is no temporary license available to practice under until the Board reviews your application. You will need to wait for the Board to approve and issue your MFT license prior to engaging in any clinical work.
The Board reviews license applications at its scheduled meetings. You can find the dates for those on the calendar. There is a deadline prior to each meeting to have all of your required materials to the Board. If all of the required materials are not in, then the Board will not review your application.
AAMFT Approved Supervision
Unless you are applying for licensure via reciprocity (minimum other state licensure is five years to be considered for reciprocity), you will need to submit a copy of all of your clinical hours and all of your supervision hours. All clinical hours being counted towards the requirements need to have taken place under the supervision of an AAMFT Approved Supervisor (or AAMFT Supervisor Candidate).
You will need to submit a copy of their AAMFT Approved Supervisor Certificate. If they are a candidate, you will need to have them complete the form that verifies this, along with submitting a copy of the AAMFT Approved Supervisor Certificate of their supervision mentor.
Any hours that were not completed under the supervision of an AAMFT Approved Supervisor (or Candidate) will not be counted towards the required 1,500 hours for full licensure.
You will need to submit copies of your hours on the application materials and have them signed by your supervisor. If your supervisor is no longer available to sign the forms (i.e. health status, deceased), check with your graduate program (or employer) to see if they have a copy of any records. If you do have signed copies of other forms verifying those hours, please upload and send those along with your application for the Board to review.
The license application will guide you through the process and will tell you what to include.
National MFT Exam
If you have not taken and passed the National MFT Exam, you must do so before applying for licensure as an LMFTA or an LMFT. To do this, you will need to submit a copy of your final transcripts, showing that your graduate degree has been conferred, and complete the required application form, along with the application fee, to the Board by the deadline noted on the Board’s published calendar, generally the first of each month.
The Board will review your application and notify you of the decision. If you are approved, you will be issued a code to use when you register with the examination service. Exams are given each month.
Common Questions
Does North Carolina have any special license agreements with other states?
No. All applicants for licensure in North Carolina must meet the requirements as listed in the law. Per G.S. 90-270.56., you may apply for reciprocity if you can demonstrate at all times during the licensure process that you:
- Have been licensed for five continuous years and are currently licensed as a marriage and family therapist or marriage and family therapy associate in another state.
- Have a license in good standing in the other state.
- Have no unresolved complaints in any jurisdiction.
- Have passed the National Marriage and Family Therapy examination.
Do I have to complete everything on the application?
Yes. The application is designed to match the requirements for licensure under NC Statutes. The Board evaluates each item requested on the application to ensure that it meets the legal requirements.
Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the Board.
