The AMFTRB National Exam is a standardized exam used by forty-nine states as well as territories for MFT licensure. California is the only state that requires MFT applicants to take and pass the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam. If adopted by the BBS, the AMFTRB National Exam would replace the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam for MFT licensure in California.

Both exams are designed to assess the knowledge and competencies required for MFT licensure.

Regulatory amendments authorizing the use of the AMFTRB National Exam must first be adopted. The BBS has approved the regulatory language and is advancing the regulatory package through the formal rulemaking process. Once the final filing is made, the BBS will begin its formal transition to adopt the AMFTRB National Exam. As drafted, the proposed regulation would formally designate the AMFTRB National Exam as the clinical exam required for MFT licensure in California effective on or after January 1, 2027.

The transition timeline is not yet final and depends on the completion of the formal regulatory process and other implementation steps, which may impact the exact implementation date.

• Greater License Portability: Adopting the AMFTRB National Exam would increase alignment of California MFT licensing requirements with the other forty-nine states as well as territories. This alignment will ease the process of obtaining licensure in other states and reduce the need for exceptions unique to California. While each state has its own independent requirements that would come into play for licensure in that state; the AMFTRB National Exam would assist in the goal of license portability.
• Expanded Federal Opportunities: Many federal-level job specifications do not recognize the California BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam. Adopting the AMFTRB National Exam would better align California’s licensure requirements with national standards and increase eligibility for federal positions for California MFTs.
• Support Telehealth and Access to Care: Telehealth is becoming increasingly utilized in the delivery of behavioral health services. It provides more opportunities for therapists to expand their practice and enhance timely access to care. Adopting the AMFTRB National Exam may help California therapists overcome jurisdictional challenges, support interstate practice, and offer greater flexibility for both therapists and patients.

License portability refers to the ability of an individual to transfer their qualifications for licensure in one state to licensure in another state. Currently, all 50 states regulate MFTs, and the licensing laws across the nation vary in their education, experience, and examination requirements. The goal of license portability is to make the process of obtaining multi-state licensure easier by the adoption of standardized qualifications for out-of-state applicants by MFT licensing boards across the nation.

To learn more about license portability, read CAMFT’s FAQ on License Portability and refer to CAMFT’s License Portability Chart for more information on the requirements for MFT licensure across other states.

Transitioning to the AMFTRB National Exam does not equate to a national license. Each state will continue to have their own licensing laws as they do now. To become licensed in another state, you will still need to apply for licensure in that state and follow their licensing and any other applicable laws for MFTs. Similarly, out-of-state MFTs will still need to apply for licensure in California to practice in this state, as well as abide by California law.

There would be no impact to currently licensed California MFTs who have already passed the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam.

No. Transitioning to the AMFTRB National Exam does not mean that current LMFTs in California will be retroactively recognized as having passed the AMFTRB National Exam.

California LMFTs who have already passed the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam do not need to take the AMFTRB National Exam. If you want to take the AMFTRB National Exam, you can apply through another state’s licensing board. Other state jurisdictions may recognize a California LMFT license as satisfying their licensure requirements. Licensees seeking licensure in another state should verify whether the AMFTRB examination is required and comply with that jurisdiction’s application and eligibility requirements.

CAMFT has developed the License Portability Chart to provide information for LMFTs who are interested in learning more about license portability and the California Clinical Exam Equivalency Chart to provide information for LMFTs who are interested in knowing how the BBS’s Clinical Examination would be viewed for license portability purposes.

Each state has their own licensing requirements that could be subject to change, but the transition to the AMFTRB National Exam is expected to make license portability in other state jurisdictions easier and reduce the need for exceptions unique to California.

Transitioning to the AMFTRB National Exam does not, by itself, grant out-of-state therapists to freely practice in California or provide telehealth services to clients residing in California. Out-of-state therapists must still meet all California licensing requirements to provide services to clients in the state, including services delivered via telehealth.

Once the regulations are finalized and the official implementation date of the AMFTRB National Exam is reached, LMFT applicants would apply for and take the AMFTRB National Exam in lieu of the current BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam. As noted above, applicants who take the AMFTRB National Exam would find an easier path to licensure in many other states.

No. Currently, registered associate MFTs must attempt the California Law & Ethics exam every year as a condition of registration renewal, until the exam is passed. This requirement will not change. Individuals seeking California licensure who are already licensed in another state would still need to take and pass the California Law & Ethics exam as part of the California licensure process.

No. The BBS has not yet completed the regulatory process required to adopt the AMFTRB National Exam as the clinical exam required for MFT licensure in California. Until the regulations are finalized and the official implementation date of the AMFTRB National Exam is reached, MFT applicants must continue to take the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam for MFT licensure in California. In addition, while the projected date of transition is January 1, 2027; many regulations and processes need to be put into place so this exact date could likely change until further in 2027.

The transition to the AMFTRB National Exam requires statutory and regulatory amendments that specify a single required clinical exam for MFT licensure in California.

When the BBS transitions to the AMFTRB National Exam, the same license requirements in California will continue to apply and the 3,000 hours of experience will count towards your eligibility to take the AMFTRB national clinical exam.

It depends on the timing of your reexamination eligibility. After failing the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam, you must wait 90 days before you are eligible to retake the exam. You also have one year from the date you failed the exam to pass the clinical exam. Two scenarios may apply:

• If your 90-day waiting period ends after the transition to the AMFTRB National Exam:
  You will be required to take the AMFTRB National Exam. You must attempt the exam within one year of the date which you failed the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam.
• If your 90-day waiting period ends before the transition to the AMFTRB National Exam:
  You may choose to either retake the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam before the transition or wait and take the AMFTRB National Exam after the transition. In either case, you must attempt the exam within one year of the date which you failed the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam.

The AMFTRB National Exam offers Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) disability-related accommodations and certain English Language Learner (ELL) arrangements. The structure for testing accommodations will be similar to the BBS-administered LMFT Clinical Exam and consistent with California’s disability laws. For more information on available testing accommodations, please visit AMFTRB’s FAQ page.

The AMFTRB National Exam consists of 180 questions across six domains. A more detailed overview of the AMFTRB National Exam can be found here.