Requirements by state

California licensure requirements

What each therapy license in California requires after graduate school: supervised hours, supervision, time limits, exams, and whether you can be supervised by video. Pick your license.

Sourced to the California licensing boardsChecked September 25, 2026Not individually reviewed by a clinicianAbout this site

LPCCLicensed Professional Counselor · professional counselor

3,000 postdegree hours over not less than two years (104 weeks)
Supervision: 104 supervised weeks; ≥52 weeks individual/triadic
Remote supervision: easy

LMFTLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist · marriage and family therapist

A minimum of 3,000 hours completed during a period of at least 104 weeks
Supervision: 104 supervised weeks; ≥52 weeks individual/triadic
Remote supervision: easy

LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker · clinical social worker

3,000 hours of post-master's degree supervised experience over not less than 104 weeks
Supervision: 104 supervised weeks; ≥52 individual/triadic; ≥13 weeks by an LCSW; ≥1,700 hours under an LCSW
Remote supervision: easy

PsychologistLicensed Psychologist · psychologist (phd/psyd)

Internship: Not separately mandated; up to 1,500 predoctoral SPE hours may come from an APA/APPIC/CAPIC internship (or exempt setting / registered associate)
Postdoc required
Remote supervision: in-person rules

Compare California with every other state on the state explorer, or see the list of all states.

Track your hours, free

Practice Harbor is free while you are pre-licensed. It counts your clinical hours from the sessions you mark as attended, and you can add outside hours by hand.

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General information, not legal advice. Requirements are summarized from each state’s licensing board, statutes and regulations on the date shown; the board decides, and rules change. Becoming Licensed is not affiliated with any licensing board.