Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in Pennsylvania — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedPennsylvania
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 3 h
- Child Abuse Recognition & Reporting (Act 31) — 2 h3 hours required before initial licensure; 2 hours each renewal thereafter
- Suicide Prevention/Assessment — 1 h
Home study: No cap - the Board eliminated its live-CE requirement on 11/19/2019, so all 30 hours may be completed online/home study.
Board notes: Regulated by the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (49 Pa. Code Ch. 47). Biennial renewal Feb 28 (even years). New licensees are exempt from the full 30-hour requirement for their first renewal but must still complete the 2-hour Act 31 child abuse training. Board randomly audits; retain CE documentation at least 4 years. Same 30/3/2/1 standard applies to LSW.
View full LCSW requirements → VerifiedPennsylvania
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 3 h
- Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting (Act 31) — 2 h3 hours required before initial licensure; 2 hours each renewal thereafter
- Suicide Prevention/Assessment (Act 74) — 1 hMay not be counted toward the 3 ethics hours
Home study: No cap - the Board eliminated its live-CE requirement on 11/19/2019, so all 30 hours may be completed online/home study.
Board notes: Regulated by the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (49 Pa. Code Ch. 49). Biennial renewal Feb 28 (even years). First-time licensees are exempt from the full 30-hour requirement for their first renewal period (must still complete Act 31 child abuse training); no carryover of excess hours.
View full LPC requirements → VerifiedPennsylvania
Licensed Psychologist
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
15 live / interactive hours required
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 3 h
- Suicide Prevention — 1 hMay not be used to satisfy the 3 ethics hours
- Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting (Act 31) — 2 hRecurring every renewal; electronic verification from an approved provider
Home study: A maximum of 15 of the required 30 hours may be accrued via home study; the remaining 15 must be earned through non-home-study (live/interactive/in-person or equivalent) formats.
Board notes: Regulated by the State Board of Psychology (49 Pa. Code 41.59). Biennial renewal 11/30 of odd-numbered years. Because home study is capped at 15 hours, at least 15 hours must be non-home-study; the live_interactive figure reflects that cap. Excess hours (up to ~10) may carry over per Board regulation, but carryover may not satisfy the ethics, suicide-prevention, or child-abuse mandates.
View full Licensed Psychologist requirements → VerifiedPennsylvania
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
- Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting (Act 31) — 2 h3 hours required before initial licensure; 2 hours each renewal thereafter
- Suicide Prevention/Assessment (Act 74) — 1 hRecurring each renewal
Home study: No cap - the Board eliminated its live-CE requirement on 11/19/2019, so all 30 hours may be completed online/home study.
Board notes: Regulated by the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (49 Pa. Code Ch. 48). Biennial renewal Feb 28 (even years). Same 30-hour standard as social workers and counselors; first-renewal exemption applies to new licensees (Act 31 child abuse still required).
View full LMFT requirements → VerifiedPennsylvania
BCBA (national) / Pennsylvania Behavior Specialist (Board of Medicine)
32hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 4 hBACB national certification standard
- Supervision — 3 hBACB standard, only if serving as a supervisor
- Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting (Act 31) — 2 hThe only CE mandated by the PA Behavior Specialist License (3 hours before initial licensure, 2 hours each renewal)
Home study: No state cap. BACB allows recorded/online ACE CEUs broadly; PA Behavior Specialist License imposes no format restriction on its 2-hour child-abuse CE.
Board notes: Pennsylvania does not license behavior analysts as such; its nearest state credential is the Behavior Specialist License under the State Board of Medicine, whose ONLY biennial CE requirement is 2 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting (Act 31) - there is no state ethics-hours or total-hours mandate. The figures shown (32 CEUs/2yr, 4 ethics, 3 supervision) reflect the separate BACB national certification standard that most practicing behavior analysts must meet to keep the BCBA credential. Confirmed via the official PA Behavior Specialist licensure snapshot.
View full BCBA requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, hour-based licenses require 30 to 32 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 Pennsylvania?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in Pennsylvania. This page lists each one separately.
Does Pennsylvania require ethics CE?
Pennsylvania requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: BCBA, LCSW, LMFT, LPC, 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.