Alabama CE Requirements by License

Alabama

• Ethics — 3 h
• Clinical content — 6 hFor LICSW: 3 hours in clinical social work education plus 3 hours on the most recent DSM (DSM component effective 2023)
• Supervision education — 3 honly if the licensee provides supervision to another licensee

Home study: Up to 20 of 30 hours may be home study; at least 10 hours must be live classroom/interactive event (live interactive Zoom counts, pre-recorded does not).

Board notes: Renewals are biennial (30 hours over 2 years) through the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners. 3 hours must be ethics. LICSWs carry an added 6-hour clinical requirement (3 clinical social work education + 3 on the most recent DSM). Those who supervise need an additional 3 hours in supervision education.

Alabama

• Ethics — 6 h

Home study: Asynchronous self-study capped at 25% (max 10 of 40 hours). At least 75% (30 hours) must be real-time interactive participation (live in-person or synchronous interactive technology).

Board notes: Governing rule is 255-X-7-.02 (LPC renewal); the 75%-real-time-interactive requirement applies to any licensure renewal period. 6 of the 40 hours must be ethics. First renewals of an initial license shorter than 24 months are prorated at 1.67 clock hours per month (rounded up), still including at least 6 ethics hours. A separate ABEC 'Acceptable Continuing Education for Licensure Renewal' policy effective November 17, 2024 governs approved providers and certificate format (must state synchronous vs. asynchronous) but does not change the hour totals.

Alabama

No specific subject mandates — general CE hours only.

Home study: No cap. APA-approved home, independent, distance, book-based, or online study fully qualifies (Admin Code 750-X-3A-.05).

Board notes: 20 hours per year with no mandated subject areas. Accrual year runs October 1 - September 30 with renewal by October 15. Up to 6 surplus hours may carry over to the subsequent year only (no carryover beyond one year). Psychological technicians instead need 10 hours/year (max 3 carryover). DHR child-abuse reporter training does NOT count toward CE.

Alabama

• Professional issues and ethics — 6 h
• Diagnosis and treatment — 6 h
• Clinical MFT workshops — 10 h
• Supervision — 5 honly for LMFT supervisors, to maintain supervisor status

Home study: Alabama MFT does NOT permit asynchronous/recorded self-study; distance learning must be synchronous (live) and pre-approved (AAMFT/subsidiary or NBCC). Separately, no more than 10 hours may be 'independent study' - a professional-activity category (teaching graduate MFT courses, first-time presenting MFT material, service on professional MFT boards/committees, editing or writing professional books/articles). At least 30 hours must therefore be attended live/synchronous CE.

Board notes: Rule 536-X-6-.01: 40 contact hours per 24 months, including 6 ethics, 6 diagnosis and treatment, and 10 clinical MFT workshops. Distance learning must be synchronous and does not replace face-to-face clinical supervision. Clinical supervisors must complete an additional 5 CE hours in supervision every 2 years to maintain supervisor status.

Alabama

• Ethics — 4 h
• Supervision — 3 honly for those who supervise; increases to 4 CEUs for recertification dates on/after January 1, 2027

Home study: No state cap. Recorded/self-paced BACB ACE learning CEUs are broadly allowed. Alabama LBA renewal requires only proof of active BACB certification, so no state format restriction applies.

Board notes: Alabama licenses behavior analysts (LBA) through the Alabama Behavior Analyst Licensure Board (Alabama Department of Mental Health, Admin Code Chapter 580-5-30B), but renewal requires only continued BACB certification with no separate state CE, so CE equals the BACB standard: 32 CEUs per 2-year cycle, including a minimum of 4 ethics CEUs and 3 supervision CEUs for those who supervise. There is NO DEI/cultural-responsiveness CEU requirement - the BACB withdrew the planned requirement in March 2025. Upcoming BACB changes: supervision CEUs rise from 3 to 4 for recertification dates on/after January 1, 2027, and (effective July 1, 2026) asynchronous CE events must include knowledge-check questions to grant CEUs.