Florida LMHC CE Requirements 2026: Everything You Need to Know
Florida requires 30 continuing education hours every two years for LMHC license renewal. Your renewal cycle is tied to your birthdate — your license expires on the last day of your birth month, every other year.
Of those 30 hours, several have specific content mandates:
- 3 hours of ethics — must cover laws and rules governing the practice of clinical, rehabilitation, and mental health counseling in Florida
- 2 hours of prevention of medical errors — includes root cause analysis, error reduction, and patient safety
- 2 hours of domestic violence — required every third renewal cycle (check your cycle)
- 2 hours of human trafficking — one-time requirement, but must be completed before your first renewal
- 1 hour of telehealth — added in recent years as virtual practice expanded
The remaining hours can be in any clinical topic relevant to your scope of practice.
What Counts as Approved CE in Florida?
Florida's Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling accepts CE from several approved provider types:
- NBCC-approved providers (ACEP) — nationally recognized, accepted in Florida
- Florida board-approved providers — listed on the Department of Health website
- Accredited universities — graduate-level coursework in counseling-related subjects
- APA-approved programs — psychology CE that falls within your scope
Self-study and independent reading generally do not count unless they're part of an approved program with an assessment component. Florida requires that CE activities include a "measurable method of evaluation" — meaning you need to pass a test or demonstrate learning, not just watch a video.
Can I Complete Florida CE Hours Online?
Yes. Florida allows all 30 hours to be completed through distance learning, including self-paced online courses. There is no requirement for live or synchronous hours for LMHCs in Florida (unlike some states that mandate live ethics training).
This makes Florida one of the more flexible states for online CE completion. You can finish your entire renewal requirement from home, on your schedule, as long as the provider is approved.
When Is My Florida LMHC Renewal Due?
Your license renewal date is based on your birth month and year. Florida uses a biennial (every two years) cycle. You'll receive a renewal notice from the Department of Health approximately 90 days before your expiration date, but don't wait for it — set your own reminders.
Late renewals incur additional fees and your license becomes "delinquent." If you practice on a delinquent license, you're technically practicing without a license, which carries disciplinary consequences.
How to Report CE Hours in Florida
Florida uses CE Broker for electronic tracking and reporting of continuing education. Most approved providers report your completions directly to CE Broker, but not all do. It's your responsibility to verify that your hours appear in the system before your renewal date.
If a provider doesn't report automatically, you can manually upload your certificates to CE Broker. Keep all certificates for at least four years — the board can audit you at any time during that period.
Tips for Florida LMHC CE Planning
Start early. Don't wait until the last 60 days of your cycle. Spacing your CE across two years means less cramming and more meaningful learning.
Knock out the mandates first. Ethics, medical errors, and any cycle-specific requirements like domestic violence should be completed early so you're not scrambling for specialty topics at the end.
Choose courses that serve your practice. You have 20+ hours of elective content. Pick topics that directly improve your clinical work — trauma-informed care, supervision, multicultural competence, telehealth skills. CE doesn't have to be a checkbox.
Track everything in one place. If you hold licenses in multiple states, managing different renewal dates, hour totals, and content requirements across spreadsheets gets messy fast. A platform that tracks all of it for you saves real time.
Complete Your Florida CE Hours with CounselorReady
CounselorReady offers 50+ NBCC-approved courses covering ethics, telehealth, trauma, supervision, multicultural competence, and more — all accepted for Florida LMHC renewal. Every course is self-paced, includes a clinical assessment, and generates an instant certificate on completion.
Your completed hours are automatically logged to your credentials dashboard. No manual tracking, no spreadsheets, no surprises at renewal time.
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Kejuiana Johnson, LPC, NCC, CPCS, BC-TMH
— KekeTheLPC