Marriage and Family Therapist states
51
Above median
Occupational licensing · Mental Health · 51 state boards
Marriage and Family Therapist Licensing Requirements by State
Marriage and Family Therapist licensing rules differ by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) compilation and responsible state boards (current as of May 15, 2026), this registry compares education hours, initial and renewal fees, exams, background checks and reciprocity notes across 51 boards. Use the table to compare differences, then verify the current rule with the responsible board before applying.
Marriage and Family Therapist across 51 state boards. Nearest coverage peers (51-state band): Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor, Psychologist.
- States regulated
- 51
- Avg initial fee
- $178
- Require an exam
- 100%
- Avg education hours
- 2,959
Board Pathway Strip
Marriage and Family Therapist: 51 boards · ~2,959 avg pre-licensure hrs · exam on 100% · background check on 100% · avg first fee $178. Same-lane boards: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor, Psychologist.
Marriage and Family Therapist vs. every tracked profession
Average confirmed pre-licensure education hours, board-sourced state requirements
2,959 17th of 47 higher than 30 of 47 professions
professions with confirmed education-hour requirements, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more professions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCredential NCSL and state-board corpus · 2026
Specializes in treating relationship and family issues.
Marriage and Family Therapist initial fees swing $75 (NH) to $297 (CA), a $222 spread across 51 boards ; Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) often lands on a different fee band.
Board thresholds for Marriage and Family Therapist drift board-to-board; the same pattern shows up on Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Licensed Professional Counselor in mental health. Methodology notes live on our methods page.
Marriage and Family Therapist edu hrs
2,959 hrs
Above median
Marriage and Family Therapist first fee
$178
Above median
Marriage and Family Therapist renewal
$155
Above median
Board gates for Marriage and Family Therapist: exam on 51/51 (100%), background check on 51/51 (100%) , CE on 51/51 (avg 36 hrs/cycle) . Stack that against Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) / Licensed Professional Counselor before calling this license soft or hard.
Training-hour peers beyond mental health
Coverage band
- Security Alarm Installer · 51 states
- Amusement Ride Operator · 51 states
- Animal Breeder · 51 states
- Arborist / Tree Surgeon · 51 states
Hour load
- Athletic Trainer · 2,959 avg hrs
- Dental Hygienist · 2,959 avg hrs
- Private Investigator · 2,777 avg hrs
Cheapest vs priciest jurisdiction for Marriage and Family Therapist
A $222 fee spread for the same credential
Initial licensing fees in New Hampshire ($ 75) and California ($ 297) bracket the field, a 4.0× spread for identical practice rights.
NH
New Hampshire
$75 initial licensing fee
CA
California
$297 initial licensing fee
Marriage and Family Therapist boards vs Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) / Licensed Professional Counselor - state table
51 statesWhat to do with this
Marriage and Family Therapist is regulated in 51 states -- here's how to use that before you act.
- Marriage and Family Therapist ranks #17 of 47 professions by average pre-licensure education hours -- see how it compares to similar roles. Browse all professions
- #48 of 97 professions by number of states requiring a license -- see which states are strictest overall. State burden rankings
- Initial fees for Marriage and Family Therapist range from $75 (NH) to $297 (CA) -- check whether your license transfers before assuming you'd need to pay again. Reciprocity guide
Requirements are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research and verified against state board sites where possible; always confirm current rules with the licensing board before relying on any single row.
Every figure on PlainCredential is rendered directly from NCSL and state occupational- licensing board data, no number is typed in by an editor. Marriage and Family Therapist requirements from NCSL and state board schedules: 51 rows, no hand-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.