Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in North Dakota — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedNorth Dakota
LCSW (Licensed Certified Social Worker)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
20 live / interactive hours required
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 2 hAt least 2 contact hours must concern social work ethics
Home study: No more than 10 of 30 contact hours may be independent learning (e.g., online study without live interaction). Live, real-time webinars count as regular face-to-face hours and do NOT count against the 10-hour independent-learning cap, so at least 20 hours must be face-to-face/live.
Board notes: 30 hours per fixed biennial cycle (Jan 1 of even year through Dec 31 of odd year). Newly licensed: 15 hours if licensed Jan 1-Jun 30 of an odd year; none if licensed Jul 1 or later of an odd year. No carryover of excess hours. Self-attest on renewal; retain records 4 years. ND uses LBSW/LMSW/LCSW titles (LCSW is the clinical tier); the 30-hour/2-hour-ethics rule applies to all licensed social workers.
View full LCSW requirements → Confirm with boardNorth Dakota
LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor)
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 3 h3 hours included within the total
- Clinical professional development — 10 hLPCC requires 10 clinical hours in addition to the 30 general LPC hours; must be clinical in content and related to intended practice
Home study: The board's published CE page does not state an explicit cap on online/self-study or home-study hours, nor an in-person/live minimum. Provider summaries suggest online/self-paced study is broadly accepted (live webinars treated as regular hours), but this is not confirmed in the official board CE text.
Board notes: LPCC is the advanced clinical tier: 40 hours biennially = 30 general LPC hours (3 of which are ethics) plus 10 clinical hours. One CE hour = a 50-minute hour. LPCC renews on the expiration date of the underlying LPC license (2-year cycle). CE should be from board-recognized providers; board may audit. Base LPC (non-clinical) requires 30 hours with 3 ethics.
View full LPCC requirements → VerifiedNorth Dakota
Licensed Psychologist
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Professional ethics, law, or jurisprudence — 3 hMinimum 3 credits per reporting cycle
- Supervision — 3 hMinimum 3 credits per cycle, ONLY for licensees supervising psychology residents or registered applied behavior analysts
Home study: Correspondence/online courses, recordings, or independent readings (with exam) are capped at 20 credits per cycle. Writing/speaking is separately capped at 20 credits per cycle. Because those two self-study/production categories can each supply up to 20, a licensee could in theory reach 40 without any real-time formal programs, so no fixed live minimum applies.
Board notes: 40 credits per 2-year cycle (min 3 in ethics/law/jurisprudence). Supervisors of residents or registered applied behavior analysts must add 3 credits in supervision. The 2-year CE cycle commences November 1 of the year the license was obtained. Formal programs must include real-time instructor/attendee interaction (in person or via interactive video). Board randomly audits ~10% of licensees annually; retain documentation 2 years after submission. Rule: NDAC 66-03-01.
View full Licensed Psychologist requirements → VerifiedNorth Dakota
LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 6 h
- Supervision — 3 hBoard-approved or AAMFT-approved supervisors must dedicate 10% (3 CE units) of CE to courses on supervision
Home study: No more than one-half (15 of the 30 hours) may be earned by home study. The remaining hours come from structured educational programs (conventions, workshops, seminars, lectures, interactive media, and graduate/postgraduate courses); the rule does not mandate a specific number of strictly live/in-person hours.
Board notes: 30 hours biennially with 6 in ethics; home study capped at 15. Board-approved/AAMFT-approved supervisors must devote 3 CE units to supervision courses. Associate licensees (LAMFT) instead need 15 hours per year, 3 of which are ethics. A payment receipt is not proof of completion; keep attendance certificates at least 5 years. Rule: NDAC 111-02-01-06.
View full LMFT requirements → VerifiedNorth Dakota
Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) / BCBA
32hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 4 hND rule requires 4 of the 32 credits in ethics
- Supervision — 3 hNot required by ND rule; reflects the national BACB standard of 3 supervision CEUs for those who supervise while maintaining BCBA certification
Home study: ND rule requires that hours be earned at board-accepted CE programs; no explicit online/home-study cap. One credit hour = 50 minutes of actual class time. BACB-accepted ACE providers (including recorded/online) are broadly accepted.
Board notes: North Dakota separately licenses behavior analysts (LBA) under NDCC ch. 43-64, administered by the Board of Integrative Health Care. NDAC 112-05-01-10 requires 32 approved CE hours biennially including 4 ethics; licenses renew November 15 of odd-numbered years. Extensions/waivers for illness, military service, or extenuating circumstances. The ND rule does NOT impose a separate supervision-CE requirement; the 3 supervision CEUs are the national BACB standard for supervisors maintaining BCBA certification. A one-time jurisprudence requirement applies at initial licensure (not recurring CE).
View full Licensed Behavior Analyst requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in North Dakota?
In North Dakota, 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 North Dakota?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in North Dakota. This page lists each one separately.
Does North Dakota require ethics CE?
North Dakota requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, Licensed Behavior Analyst, 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.