Pennsylvania Marriage and Family Therapist License Requirements
State-board requirements, fees, and renewal cycle drawn from official regulator records.
Specializes in treating relationship and family issues.
What the Pennsylvania data shows for Marriage and Family Therapists
Pennsylvania's path to marriage and family therapist licensure runs through 3,068 hours of approved instruction, 2 years of supervised work experience, and a passing score on MFT National Examination, plus a criminal history screening before applicants younger than 18 can be licensed. Pennsylvania folds the credential into its broader occupational licensing statute, which classifies the training track as "Masters or Doctoral Degree".
The initial price tag is $203, and renewal costs $174 every 2 years. Renewal isn't the end of the cost: 36 hours of continuing education are due every 2-year cycle, a recurring time commitment worth planning for.
Reciprocity for this profession works like this: MFT Licensure Compact: adoption underway.
Licensing Ease Score
A higher score means this specific license is LESS burdensome to obtain and maintain here than the national requirement corpus, based on education hours, fees, continuing education, and experience requirements, not an overall judgment of the profession or the state.
Licensing Requirements in Pennsylvania
Frequently Asked Questions
What license do I need for Marriage and Family Therapist in Pennsylvania? ▼
How do I get certified as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Pennsylvania? ▼
Can I transfer my Marriage and Family Therapist license to Pennsylvania from another state? ▼
Does Pennsylvania require a background check for Marriage and Family Therapist licensing? ▼
What are the continuing education requirements for Marriage and Family Therapist in Pennsylvania? ▼
Related Guides
What to do with this marriage and family therapist license
Marriage and Family Therapist in Pennsylvania, with a documented reciprocity path, is one requirement row in a marriage and family therapist-wide, 50-state comparison.
- See how Pennsylvania's marriage and family therapist requirements compare to every other state before relocating. Marriage and Family Therapist in every state
- Confirm whether your out-of-state marriage and family therapist license transfers under an interstate compact before starting a new application. Reciprocity guide
- See how Pennsylvania's overall licensing burden compares to other states, not just this one profession. Pennsylvania overview
Requirements shown are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research; verify current rules with the Pennsylvania licensing board before making career decisions.
Source: NCSL Occupational Licensing Database, Institute for Justice License to Work (3rd Ed.), state licensing board websites
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Institute for Justice, the PlainCredential comparison corpus (current as of May 15, 2026) maps 4,947 state licensing requirement records; see the methodology.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.