$69 for all four out-of-state courses: meets California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) out-of-state coursework requirements to transfer your LCSW, LPCC, or LMFT license to California
California BBS coursework requirements for out-of-state applicants looking to practice in California
What clinicians are saying
An LMFT gave Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Everyday Practice5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Aging and Older Adults5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave HIV/AIDS5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A clinician gave Law and Ethics5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“the ability to complete at my own pace”
An AMFT gave Law and Ethics5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An AMFT gave California Law and Ethics for Associates5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“It was easy and simple”
An ASW gave California Law and Ethics for Associates5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“I like that it was self paced and I was able to take notes and absorb the information.”
An AMFT gave California Law and Ethics for Associates5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A clinician gave California Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“the ability to work at my pace”
An LMFT gave Supervision5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“The content was easy to understand.”
An AMFT gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A clinician gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave CBT5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Cultural Competence with Christian Clients5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave DBT Skills5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Hospice and Grief5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An APCC on Law and Ethics“Definitely made the renewal process easy.”
An LMFT gave Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Everyday Practice5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Aging and Older Adults5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave HIV/AIDS5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A clinician gave Law and Ethics5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“the ability to complete at my own pace”
An AMFT gave Law and Ethics5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An AMFT gave California Law and Ethics for Associates5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“It was easy and simple”
An ASW gave California Law and Ethics for Associates5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“I like that it was self paced and I was able to take notes and absorb the information.”
An AMFT gave California Law and Ethics for Associates5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A clinician gave California Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“the ability to work at my pace”
An LMFT gave Supervision5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“The content was easy to understand.”
An AMFT gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A clinician gave Telehealth5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave CBT5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Cultural Competence with Christian Clients5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave DBT Skills5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An LMFT gave Hospice and Grief5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Meets California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) out-of-state coursework requirements. CAMFT-approved provider. For LCSW, LPCC, and LMFT applicants. No account, no login.
All four out-of-state courses in one checkout.
$69 for all four out-of-state courses. Need only some? Each course is also sold on its own.
Self-study coursework for out-of-state LCSW, LPCC, and LMFT applicants moving to California. CAMFT Provider #10072759. California Counselor CEUs (John Oliver Ycaro, LPCC) maintains responsibility for each program and its content.
How to transfer your LCSW, LPC, or LMFT license to California: California BBS checklist
Path A, Licensure by Credential: licensed in another U.S. state or territory for at least two years, at the highest level for independent clinical practice, current, active, and unrestricted, with a qualifying master’s or doctorate.
Also: apply to the California BBS, get fingerprinted, and pass the California Law and Ethics Exam.
Details and sources: California BBS rules below. Path B applicants follow school coursework rules. Rules can change, so check with the California BBS before you apply.
Licensed as an LPC in another state? California’s counseling license is the LPCC. See the questions
The 12-hour law and ethics course for the California BBS, and the other three
The four courses the California BBS lists for out-of-state applicants (Path A). Buy only the ones your California BBS evaluation or deficiency letter lists. $69 for all four out-of-state courses. The California Law and Ethics Exam is separate.
Meets California BBS out-of-state coursework requirements. CAMFT-approved provider. For out-of-state LCSW, LPCC, and LMFT applicants (BPC 4980.72, 4996.17.1, 4999.60). Covers advertising, scope of practice, minors, confidentiality, privilege, records, abuse reporting, dangerous clients, telehealth, family law, discipline, and the licensing process. Separate from the California Law and Ethics Exam.
Meets California BBS out-of-state coursework requirements. CAMFT-approved provider. California cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position (BPC 4980.72, 4996.17.1, 4999.60). Covers California communities, poverty, work, housing, schools, language access, assessment, and treatment, with California cases.
Meets California BBS out-of-state coursework requirements. CAMFT-approved provider. The child abuse course on the California BBS list for out-of-state LCSW, LPCC, and LMFT applicants. Covers signs of abuse, assessment, crisis counseling, treatment, and California's reporting law (CANRA).
Meets California BBS out-of-state coursework requirements. CAMFT-approved provider. The suicide risk course on the California BBS list for out-of-state applicants. Assessment, tools, safety planning, means counseling, crisis systems, and documentation.
After the California BBS evaluates your application, you get either a notice that you can take your exam or “a notice describing any deficiencies in your application.” The letter names what’s missing.
If it lists any of the four courses above, buy just that course, finish it online, and send the certificate the way the letter asks.
Watch the date. The application is closed if you don’t clear the deficiencies “within one (1) year from the date of the initial deficiency letter.”
The California BBS may ask what a course covered: “A course description or syllabus will be required if the course content is not easily identifiable by the course title.” Each course page lists its topics and learning objectives.
If the letter lists something we don’t sell, such as degree units, it has to come from a school.
Fees and refunds
Each course has one flat price, listed on its card above. The bundle is $69 for all four out-of-state courses.
Test access lasts 1 year from your purchase date. Study guide PDFs are yours to keep.
Refunds
You can get a full refund within 3 days of purchase as long as you haven’t started the post-test. After you start the post-test, or after 3 days, we’re not able to offer a refund. Refund terms apply to the bundle as a whole.
Questions
How do I transfer my LCSW, LPC, or LMFT license to California?
$69 for all four out-of-state courses, or $49 for the 12-hour California Law and Ethics course, $49 for the 15-hour California Cultures course, and $19 each for Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting and Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention. California doesn’t transfer licenses from other states. You apply to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for a California license. Under Path A, out-of-state applicants finish four California courses, get fingerprinted, and pass the California Law and Ethics Exam. The California BBS says it “does not have reciprocity with any other state licensing board.”
Path A or Path B: which one applies to me?
Path A, which the California BBS calls “Licensure by Credential,” is for applicants who meet all four of these: licensed in another U.S. state or territory for at least two years, at the highest level for independent clinical practice, current, active, and unrestricted for the two years before the California BBS gets your application, and a qualifying master’s or doctorate. If you don’t meet all four, you apply under Path B, “Licensure via Education and Experience,” where the California BBS reviews your degree and supervised experience and school coursework rules apply.
Which 40 hours of courses do I need?
For Path A, the California BBS lists 12 hours of California law and ethics, 15 hours on California cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position, 7 hours of child abuse assessment and reporting, and 6 hours of suicide risk assessment and intervention. That’s 40 hours, and the California BBS says you must complete it “before your Application for Licensure can be approved.” If you already finished one of these somewhere the California BBS accepts, you may not need it again, so buy only what your California BBS evaluation or deficiency letter lists. Path B applicants may need more, and some of it has to come from a school.
Does the California BBS accept this 12-hour law and ethics course?
The California BBS accepts the course from “an acceptable continuing education provider.” Under 16 CCR 1887.4.3(a)(2), that includes a provider approved by a board-recognized approval agency, and 16 CCR 1887.4.1(a)(3) lists the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). California Counselor CEUs is a CAMFT-approved CE provider (#10072759), and the 12-hour course is online self-study for $49.
Is the 12-hour law and ethics course the same as the California Law and Ethics Exam?
No. The California BBS guide says the course “is a SEPARATE requirement from the California Law and Ethics Exam.” You need both.
How do I schedule the California BBS law and ethics exam?
First the California BBS has to approve your Application for Licensure. Out-of-state applicants who don’t hold a California associate registration get exam eligibility that way. Then Pearson VUE emails you that you’re eligible, and you schedule at pearsonvue.com/cabbs with your CABBS ID. Keep your email address current with the California BBS so the notice reaches you (California BBS Law and Ethics Exam FAQs).
I got a California BBS deficiency email or letter. What do I do?
Read the list of what’s missing and buy only the courses it names. Clear everything within one year of the date of the first deficiency letter, or the California BBS closes the application. More on deficiency letters.
How long does the California BBS take to process an out-of-state application?
In its August 2026 board materials, the California BBS reported that complete licensure applications took an average of 75 calendar days for LCSW, 14 for LPCC, and 89 for LMFT in April to June 2026, counting in-state and out-of-state applicants together (California BBS licensing report). Applications with deficiencies take longer. Out-of-state applicants use fingerprint hard cards, which the California BBS says take about 6 to 8 weeks.
I’m an LPC in another state. Can I get a California LPCC?
California’s license for professional counselors is the LPCC. If you’ve held a professional clinical counselor license in another U.S. state or territory for at least two years, at the highest level for independent clinical practice, and it meets the rest of Path A, you apply for the LPCC under Path A with the same four courses (BPC 4999.60). If not, the California BBS LPCC guide explains Path B, which can include the NCMHCE exam (California BBS LPCC out-of-state guide).
Does the coursework have to be California-specific?
Yes. The California BBS says the law and ethics course “Must be California-specific,” the child abuse course must include “detailed knowledge of the California Child Abuse Neglect and Reporting Act (CANRA),” and the cultures course must cover “various California cultures.” A course built on another state’s law won’t meet it. The provider also has to be one the California BBS accepts, such as a CAMFT-approved CE provider.
Is California in the Counseling Compact?
No. California is not on the Counseling Compact member map (checked October 30, 2026). Counselors licensed in another state apply to the California BBS for an LPCC.
Can I see my current clients in California before I have a California license?
For a short time. If your out-of-state license is current, active, unrestricted, and at the highest level for independent clinical practice, you can treat a current client who is in California for up to 30 consecutive days in a calendar year. You have to send the California BBS the required information first and tell the client you aren’t licensed in California (BPC 4980.11, 4996.16.1, 4999.23).
Do these courses count for California license renewal CE?
Yes. California licensees need 36 hours of CE each renewal period, including at least 6 hours of law and ethics (16 CCR 1887.3). The 12-hour law and ethics course meets the 6 hours of law and ethics, and its other 6 hours count as electives. The other three courses count toward your 36 as well.
Already licensed in California? These courses also count as CE. See the last question above.
California Counselor CEUs (John Oliver Ycaro, LPCC #9132) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and LEPs. John Oliver Ycaro is the instructor and course developer for the courses listed here.
Clear questions, no tricks. Scout points out the key concepts for your post-test, and your certificate lands in your inbox, ready to send to the California BBS.
California doesn’t have reciprocity. In the California BBS’s words, it “does not have reciprocity with any other state licensing board.” Path A, which the California BBS calls “Licensure by Credential,” asks for the four California courses above before the California BBS can approve your application.
Path B, Licensure via Education and Experience: if you don’t meet Path A, the California BBS reviews your degree and supervised experience, and school coursework rules apply. CE can’t replace missing degree units, and if your degree’s law and ethics course was too short, the California BBS says “A CE course will not be accepted.” The California BBS evaluation will say which of the courses above you still need.
