Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in New Mexico — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedNew Mexico
LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker; New Mexico's independent clinical tier — NM does not use an 'LCSW' designation)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Cultural awareness/competency — 6 h
Home study: Of the 30 hrs, at least 20 must be board-approved (approved by NASW, ASWB, NBCC, the NM Counseling & Therapy Practice Board, or the NM Psychology Board); up to 10 may be non-board-approved but must still be within the profession of social work. No live/in-person minimum and no separate self-study cap stated by the board.
Board notes: Biennial renewal cycle (July 1-June 30). Governing rule NMAC 16.63.12. Requirement (30 hrs, 20 board-approved/10 non-board-approved, 6 hrs cultural awareness) applies across the three practice levels (LBSW, LMSW, LISW). No board-mandated ethics-hour requirement at any tier; the only mandated topic is 6 hrs cultural awareness/competency. Some provider sites reframe the 20/10 board-approved split as a live-vs-self-study split, but the official board describes it as board-approved vs non-board-approved, not a live/interactive mandate.
View full LISW requirements → VerifiedNew Mexico
LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor)
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 12 h
- Supervision — 3 honly for licensees who are supervisors
Home study: No cap; the former internet/home-study limit was repealed. CE may be completed via live, online, or distance-learning formats.
Board notes: NMAC 16.27.16.8: 40 contact hrs per 2-yr cycle (Oct 1-Sep 30 of the expiration year); 12 hrs ethics for all licensees; 3 hrs supervision for licensees who supervise. No cultural-competency hour mandate and no live/in-person minimum. Separately, the board's Approved Clinical Supervisor designation requires 9 hrs (3 supervision + 6 ethics-in-supervision) — a credential qualification, not the per-cycle renewal CE. Up to 20 CEUs of pro bono clinical work may count toward the 40.
View full LPCC requirements → VerifiedNew Mexico
Licensed Psychologist
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
15 live / interactive hours required
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 4 h
- Cultural diversity or health disparities — 2 h
- Equity and inclusion (race, ethnicity, systemic racism, structural inequality, poverty) — 4 h
Home study: At least 15 of the 40 hrs must be Category I (formally organized/approved programs, e.g., live workshops and courses); the remaining hours may be Category II (independent/self-study). The ethics, cultural-diversity, and equity hours may come from either category.
Board notes: NMAC 16.22.9. Standard licensed psychologists and psychologist associates: 40 hrs CPE per 2 yrs. Prescribing psychologists (conditional and unrestricted): 60 hrs per 2 yrs, of which 40 must be in psychopharmacology/psychopharmacotherapy. Category I minimum of 15 hrs is the closest thing to a live/formal requirement (Category I = approved organized programs which include live offerings; Category II = independent/self-study). Ethics 4 hrs, cultural diversity/health disparities 2 hrs, and equity/inclusion 4 hrs may each be satisfied from either category.
View full Licensed Psychologist requirements → VerifiedNew Mexico
LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 12 h
- Supervision — 3 honly for licensees who are supervisors
Home study: No cap; CE may be completed via live, online, or distance-learning formats.
Board notes: LMFTs are regulated by the NM Counseling & Therapy Practice Board under the SAME CE rule as LPCCs — NMAC 16.27.16.8: 40 contact hrs per 2-yr cycle (Oct 1-Sep 30), 12 hrs ethics for all licensees, 3 hrs supervision for licensees who supervise. No cultural-competency hour mandate and no live/in-person minimum. The 9-hour figure sometimes cited (3 supervision + 6 ethics-in-supervision) is the board's Approved Clinical Supervisor designation requirement, not the per-cycle renewal CE.
View full LMFT requirements → VerifiedNew Mexico
BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) — no New Mexico state license
32hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 4 h
- Supervision — 3 honly for certificants who supervise trainees/others
Home study: BACB ACE recorded/online CEUs (BACB Learning CEUs) broadly allowed; no state cap because NM has no rule.
Board notes: New Mexico has NOT enacted behavior-analyst licensure: NM is absent from the BACB U.S. licensure list, and the NM Counseling & Therapy Practice Board does not license behavior analysts. CE is therefore governed solely by the national BACB recertification standard: 32 CEUs per 2-yr certification cycle, including 4 ethics CEUs and 3 supervision CEUs for certificants who supervise.
View full BCBA requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in New Mexico?
In New Mexico, hour-based licenses require 30 to 40 continuing-education hours per renewal cycle depending on the license type; some credentials follow a CPD model instead. See the table above for each credential.
Do CE requirements differ by license type in New Mexico?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in New Mexico. This page lists each one separately.
Does New Mexico require ethics CE?
New Mexico requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: BCBA, LMFT, LPCC, Licensed Psychologist. Exact hour counts are on each license's page.
Updated July 2026 from official licensing-board, regulatory-college, and government sources. CE / CPD requirements change often — always confirm current rules directly with your licensing board or regulator before you renew. Informational only, not legal advice.