Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in Ohio — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedOhio
LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 3 h
- Supervision — 3 hOnly required for holders of the LISW-S / LSW-S supervisory designation (per OAC 4757-9-01); does not add to the 30-hour total for non-supervisors.
Home study: No cap. All 30 hours may be completed by distance/online/home study (OAC 4757-9-05 permits lecture, video, computer/electronic means, written materials, or interactive teleconferencing). Caveat: in-person programs taken in Ohio that are not board-preapproved or offered by an approved provider cannot be submitted.
Board notes: Regulated by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board. 30 clock hours per two-year renewal cycle, including 3 ethics hours; the LISW-S supervisory designation requires an additional 3 supervision hours per biennium. No live/in-person minimum. Social work assistants have a reduced 15-hour requirement.
View full LISW requirements → VerifiedOhio
LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 3 h
- Supervision — 3 hOnly required for holders of the LPCC-S / LPC-S supervision endorsement (per OAC 4757-9-01).
Home study: No cap. All 30 hours may be completed by distance/online/home study (OAC 4757-9-05 accepts lecture, video, computer/electronic means, written materials, or interactive teleconferencing). Caveat: in-person programs taken in Ohio that are not board-preapproved or offered by an approved provider cannot be submitted.
Board notes: Regulated by the Ohio CSWMFT Board. 30 clock hours per two-year renewal cycle including 3 ethics hours; the LPCC-S supervision endorsement requires an additional 3 supervision hours. No live/in-person minimum.
View full LPCC requirements → VerifiedOhio
Licensed Psychologist
23hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Professional conduct, ethics, and/or the role of culture or ethnic identity — 4 hAt least 4 of the 23 hours; any combination of the listed subjects satisfies it (ORC 4732.141; OAC 4732-2-01).
Home study: No explicit total home-study cap in OAC 4732-2-01. Separate limit: volunteer clinical service may count for up to one-third of the biennial CE but no more than 7 hours, and volunteer hours cannot satisfy the 4-hour ethics/conduct requirement.
Board notes: Regulated by the Ohio Board of Psychology. Statute (ORC 4732.141) sets 23 hours per two-year renewal, including at least 4 hours in professional conduct, ethics, and/or the role of culture/ethnic identity. CE verification is due by August 31 of each even-numbered year. No live/in-person minimum. Records must be retained 3 years.
View full Licensed Psychologist requirements → VerifiedOhio
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 — 3 h
- Supervision — 3 hOnly for IMFT/MFT holders with the supervision (-S) designation; must be AAMFT supervision refresher or equivalent (OAC 4757-9-01).
Home study: No cap. All 30 hours may be completed by distance/online/home study (OAC 4757-9-05). Caveat: in-person programs taken in Ohio that are not board-preapproved or offered by an approved provider cannot be submitted.
Board notes: Regulated by the Ohio CSWMFT Board. 30 clock hours per two-year renewal cycle including 3 ethics hours; the supervision (-S) designation requires an additional 3 supervision hours (AAMFT refresher or equivalent). No live/in-person minimum.
View full LMFT requirements → VerifiedOhio
Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) / BCBA
23hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics and professional conduct, and/or the role of culture/ethnic identity in ABA services — 4 hOhio COBA state requirement (OAC 4783-2-01).
- Supervision — 3 hNot required by Ohio's COBA rule. This reflects the national BACB standard (3 supervision CEUs for those who supervise); OAC 4783-2-01 specifies no separate supervision CE.
Home study: No state cap. Recorded/online BACB ACE CEUs are broadly accepted; OAC 4783-2-01 does not impose a live/in-person minimum.
Board notes: Ohio separately licenses behavior analysts as Certified Ohio Behavior Analysts (COBA) under the Ohio Board of Psychology (OAC Chapter 4783). The state CE rule (OAC 4783-2-01) requires 23 hours per two-year renewal including at least 4 hours ethics/professional-conduct/culture. Holders with an active BACB (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) credential automatically satisfy Ohio's CE requirement. Note the national BACB standard is higher at 32 CEUs per 2-year cycle (4 ethics; +3 supervision for those who supervise), which a practicing BCBA must maintain regardless of the state minimum. Reduced first-cycle requirement: 13 hours (incl. 4 ethics) for first-year certificate holders.
View full Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in Ohio?
In Ohio, hour-based licenses require 23 to 30 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 Ohio?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in Ohio. This page lists each one separately.
Does Ohio require ethics CE?
Ohio requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst, LISW, 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.