Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in Tennessee — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedTennessee
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
30hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Social work ethics — 6 h
- Tennessee statutes/rules (TCA & Board rules) — 1 h
- Suicide prevention — 2 hBoard-approved program; at least once every 4 years (effective Jan 1, 2020)
Home study: A maximum of two-thirds (2/3) of the required hours may be earned via multimedia/distance-learning courses per 2-year period (i.e., up to 20 of 30 hours for LCSW); at least one-third must be non-distance format.
Board notes: Tiered by license: LBSW 18 hrs, LMSW 24 hrs, LAPSW/LCSW 30 hrs per 2 calendar years (rule 1365-01-.09). All tiers require 6 hrs ethics + 1 hr TN statute/rules; suicide-prevention 2 hrs every 4 yrs. Hours are not filed at renewal; licensees self-attest and retain records for board audit. No explicit live-attendance mandate, but self-study/multimedia is capped at 2/3.
View full LCSW requirements → VerifiedTennessee
LPC/LPC-MHSP (Licensed Professional Counselor)
20hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Professional ethics / TN law (TCA Title 63 Ch. 22 & Board rules) — 3 h
- Suicide prevention — 2 hBoard-approved program; at least once every 5 years
Home study: A maximum of 10 clock hours may be earned via multimedia formats (internet, videoconferencing, distance learning, etc.) during the 2-year cycle.
Board notes: 20 clock hours required every 2 calendar years (rule 0450-01-.12), including 3 hrs professional ethics/jurisprudence. Suicide-prevention 2 hrs at least once every 5 yrs. Holders of multiple credentials owe more (30 hrs for two, 40 for three) with per-profession minimums and higher multimedia caps. No explicit live-attendance mandate, but multimedia is capped at 10 hrs/cycle; board does not pre-approve programs.
View full LPC / LPC-MHSP requirements → VerifiedTennessee
Licensed Psychologist
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
20 live / interactive hours required
Mandated topics
- Professional ethics + TN law (TCA Title 63 Ch. 11 & rules) — 3 h
- Cultural diversity — 3 h
Home study: Home study is not acceptable unless provided by an APA-approved sponsor or other board-approved sponsor; at least 9 of the 40 hours must come from an APA-approved sponsor.
Board notes: 40 hrs every 2 calendar years (rule 1180-01-.08). Minimum 20 of the 40 hours must involve real-time interaction during the event, and at least 9 hrs must be from an APA-approved sponsor. A 3-hr block combines TN law (TCA Title 63 Ch. 11) with professional ethics; 3 hrs must be cultural diversity. Initial (short) first terms require at least 30 hrs while keeping the 20 real-time and 9 APA minimums.
View full Licensed Psychologist requirements → VerifiedTennessee
LMFT (Licensed Marital and Family Therapist)
20hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Professional ethics / TN law (TCA Title 63 Ch. 22 & Board rules) — 3 hMeasured across each 2-year period
- Suicide prevention — 2 hBoard-approved program; at least once every 5 years
Home study: A maximum of 5 multimedia/distance-learning clock hours may be earned per calendar year (10 per 2-year cycle).
Board notes: 10 clock hours required each calendar year (20 per 2-year cycle) under rule 0450-02-.12; 3 of those hours must, every 2 years, cover professional ethics/TN law. Suicide-prevention 2 hrs at least once every 5 yrs. No explicit live-attendance mandate, but multimedia is capped at 5 hrs/calendar year; board does not pre-approve programs.
View full LMFT requirements → VerifiedTennessee
BCBA (national) / Tennessee Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA)
35hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 4 hBACB requirement (subset of the 32 CEUs)
- Supervision — 3 hBACB requirement only for those who supervise/provide supervision (subset of the 32 CEUs)
- Cultural diversity — 3 hTN addition on top of BACB CEUs (rule 1180-05-.12)
Home study: No state cap; BACB ACE recorded/online CEUs are broadly accepted.
Board notes: TN licenses behavior analysts (LBA) under the Behavior Analyst Committee of the Board of Examiners in Psychology. Rule 1180-05-.12 requires licensees to maintain national BACB certification and meet ALL BACB CE requirements (32 CEUs/2 yrs, including 4 ethics and, for supervisors, 3 supervision) AND to complete an additional 3 hrs of cultural diversity CE at each renewal/reinstatement, totaling 35. Non-BACB-certified licensees must accrue CE commensurate with their level per BACB standards. No live/interactive hour mandate.
View full BCBA requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, hour-based licenses require 20 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 Tennessee?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in Tennessee. This page lists each one separately.
Does Tennessee require ethics CE?
Tennessee requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: BCBA, LCSW, LMFT, LPC / LPC-MHSP, 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.