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Massachusetts Marriage & Family Therapy — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

Each license and applicant pathway has its own requirements and exemptions. Choosing practice questions does not determine your eligibility.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Ordinary marriage and family therapist license, including initial, fellowship, reciprocal and statutory qualification pathways.

Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · Application information

Active military license continuation
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active Service
Existing licensee engaged in active service in the US armed forces.
Continuation
License remains valid through active duty and for at least 90 days after release. DPH guidance automatically renews without renewal fee or continuing education.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Statutory civil service pathway
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Apply online through the DPH Health Professions Licensing System; upload photograph, NPDB self-query and notarized CORI form; pay the application fee.
Character
Good moral character and no disqualifying conduct under M.G.L. c.112 §§165 and 169.
Civil Service
Passed a civil service examination for a position whose title is in the allied-professions definition and completed six months service with a Massachusetts agency or political subdivision; the civil service test is an applicant condition, not a registered MFT licensing examination.
Military Education
Under M.G.L. c.112 §1B(b), satisfactory military education, training or service is credited toward applicable qualifications.
Prior Licenses
Arrange official verification of every current or former professional license from the issuing jurisdiction.
Protected Care
262 CMR 3.05 protects lawful Massachusetts reproductive or gender-affirming care against adverse initial-licensure or renewal decisions on the grounds it specifies.
Qualifications
Meet Section 165 qualifications; Section 166 expressly directs issuance without examination for this category, read as the specific exception to the general examination clause. Submit Board forms and pay the license fee.
Violence Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying; prior approved training need not be repeated except where the Board requires it.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

AAMFT Clinical Fellow
AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination
Application
Apply online through the DPH Health Professions Licensing System; upload photograph, NPDB self-query and notarized CORI form; pay the application fee.
Character
Good moral character and no disqualifying conduct under M.G.L. c.112 §§165 and 169.
Exam Equivalent
Passing Licensure Examination or its equivalent under 262 CMR 3.03(1)(b); any unnamed Board-accepted equivalent is an applicant condition. The Board checklist requests an official AMFTRB score report.
Fellowship
Current AAMFT Clinical Fellow in good standing, not Pre-Clinical Fellow; arrange AAMFT official verification.
Military Education
Under M.G.L. c.112 §1B(b), satisfactory military education, training or service is credited toward applicable qualifications.
Prior Licenses
Arrange official verification of every current or former professional license from the issuing jurisdiction.
Protected Care
262 CMR 3.05 protects lawful Massachusetts reproductive or gender-affirming care against adverse initial-licensure or renewal decisions on the grounds it specifies.
Violence Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying; prior approved training need not be repeated except where the Board requires it.
Initial applicant
AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination
Application
Apply online through the DPH Health Professions Licensing System; upload photograph, NPDB self-query and notarized CORI form; pay the application fee.
Character
Good moral character and no disqualifying conduct under M.G.L. c.112 §§165 and 169.
Coursework
Three graduate courses each in marital/family studies, marital/family therapy and human development, including psychopathology; one each in professional studies and research. COAMFTE-accredited masters or doctoral programs are presumed to satisfy the educational/coursework requirements absent contrary evidence.
Education
Minimum 60 semester credits or 80 quarter credits in MFT or a relevant field in an integrated recognized graduate program. Eligible programs: a 60-credit masters; a 48-credit masters plus 12 qualifying credits; a masters plus CAGS; two masters; or a doctorate. Missing credits or courses may be supplemented. No supervised experience before completion of all required education counts.
Exam Timing
Board approval to sit requires education and pre-masters experience, with transcript; post-masters experience need not be complete when seeking examination approval. A currently offered AMFTRB exam remains involved whether passed before or after the application.
Experience
At least 3,360 post-masters hours at a clinical field experience site with an approved supervisor, including 200 supervision hours (100 individual), 1,000 face-to-face clinical hours (at least 500 with couples/families); no more than 35 experience hours per week for 48 weeks per year.
Military Education
Under M.G.L. c.112 §1B(b), satisfactory military education, training or service is credited toward applicable qualifications.
Practicum
Graduate internship/practicum: at least 300 direct face-to-face client contact hours and 100 supervision hours, including 50 individual hours, under an approved supervisor.
Prior Licenses
Arrange official verification of every current or former professional license from the issuing jurisdiction.
Protected Care
262 CMR 3.05 protects lawful Massachusetts reproductive or gender-affirming care against adverse initial-licensure or renewal decisions on the grounds it specifies.
Score Submission
Upload the AMFTRB score report after passing; AMFTRB must send the official report if the exam was not taken through Massachusetts.
Violence Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying; prior approved training need not be repeated except where the Board requires it.
Reinstatement after more than one renewal cycle: no practice
AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination
Continuing Education
Complete required CE and other Board requirements. Current checklist asks 30 previously uncounted CE hours for lapse over 20 months and under four years, 60 within four years for lapse over four and under six years, or 90 within six years for lapse over six years.
Lapse
More than one renewal cycle.
Practice
Did not practice while expired; pay current renewal fee and late fee, and submit nonpractice affidavit under penalties of perjury.
Reexamination
262 CMR 9.01(2) includes re-examination among Board requirements; the current checklist requires retaking the licensing exam when expired more than six years unless a good-standing license was maintained elsewhere throughout the lapse. Discretion, thresholds and exception are applicant conditions; the currently offered AMFTRB exam is retained.
Supporting Records
Submit notarized CORI, any other-jurisdiction license verifications and statement about practice during expiration; complete violence training unless already completed.
Reinstatement after lapse of one renewal cycle or less
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Current Instructions
Board reactivation checklist allows online renewal if expired less than 20 months; if expired more than 20 months, follow reactivation application, CE, CORI, license-verification and practice-statement instructions.
Lapse
License lapsed for one renewal cycle or less.
Requirements
Pay back license fee, late fee and current license fee; provide satisfactory evidence of required CE credits; complete other Board requirements. No identified examination appears in 262 CMR 9.01(1).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after more than one renewal cycle: practice in another jurisdiction
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board Checklist Demand
The Board checklist says: If your license has been expired for more than six years, you will be required to retake and pass the licensing examination for your license type unless you have maintained a license in good standing in another jurisdiction during the entire period your license was expired. This lower-ranked checklist demand is disclosed as a condition; 262 CMR 9.01(2)(c), unlike (a) and (b), closes this category without a re-examination requirement.
Lapse
More than one renewal cycle; practiced in another jurisdiction while Massachusetts license expired.
Requirements
Pay current renewal and late fees; provide official good-standing record from jurisdiction of current licensure; satisfactory required CE credits under 262 CMR 9.01(2)(c).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after more than one renewal cycle: practice in Massachusetts
AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination
Continuing Education
Complete required CE and other Board requirements. Current checklist asks 30 previously uncounted CE hours for lapse over 20 months and under four years, 60 within four years for lapse over four and under six years, or 90 within six years for lapse over six years.
Lapse
More than one renewal cycle.
Practice
Practiced in Massachusetts while expired; pay all back license fees, late fee and current fee; acknowledge the practice.
Reexamination
262 CMR 9.01(2) includes re-examination among Board requirements; the current checklist requires retaking the licensing exam when expired more than six years unless a good-standing license was maintained elsewhere throughout the lapse. Discretion, thresholds and exception are applicant conditions; the currently offered AMFTRB exam is retained.
Supporting Records
Submit notarized CORI, any other-jurisdiction license verifications and statement about practice during expiration; complete violence training unless already completed.
Expedited licensure for relocated military spouse
AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination
Application
Apply online through the DPH Health Professions Licensing System; upload photograph, NPDB self-query and notarized CORI form; pay the application fee.
Character
Good moral character and no disqualifying conduct under M.G.L. c.112 §§165 and 169.
Expedition
Within 30 days of application, issue a license, issue a temporary license while outstanding specific requirements are completed, or notify the applicant of unmet criteria or missing information. State initial application/license fees are waived.
Military Education
Under M.G.L. c.112 §1B(b), satisfactory military education, training or service is credited toward applicable qualifications.
Military Spouse
Licensed in another jurisdiction; spouse in the United States armed forces transferred to Massachusetts; applicant left employment to accompany the spouse.
Prior Licenses
Arrange official verification of every current or former professional license from the issuing jurisdiction.
Protected Care
262 CMR 3.05 protects lawful Massachusetts reproductive or gender-affirming care against adverse initial-licensure or renewal decisions on the grounds it specifies.
Reciprocal Requirements
Applicable ordinary reciprocal-licensure education, score and good-standing requirements remain; expedited processing itself does not impose a separate examination.
Violence Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying; prior approved training need not be repeated except where the Board requires it.
Reciprocal recognition
AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination
Application
Apply online through the DPH Health Professions Licensing System; upload photograph, NPDB self-query and notarized CORI form; pay the application fee.
Character
Good moral character and no disqualifying conduct under M.G.L. c.112 §§165 and 169.
Education
Final transcript demonstrating applicable degree/education requirements under 262 CMR 3.03.
License Held
MFT license, certification or registration, or Board-determined equivalent, issued by another jurisdiction and in good standing for the three years before application.
Military Education
Under M.G.L. c.112 §1B(b), satisfactory military education, training or service is credited toward applicable qualifications.
Prior Licenses
Arrange official verification of every current or former professional license from the issuing jurisdiction.
Protected Care
262 CMR 3.05 protects lawful Massachusetts reproductive or gender-affirming care against adverse initial-licensure or renewal decisions on the grounds it specifies.
Score
Evidence of a passing AMFTRB Licensure Examination score or equivalent; the checklist requires the official AMFTRB report. Past passage remains a leaf because this examination is currently offered.
Statutory Recognition
M.G.L. c.112 §166 directs issuance without examination when the Board finds the other jurisdiction requirements equivalent or higher. This excuses a new sitting; 262 CMR 3.04 and the checklist still request a passing score.
Violence Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying; prior approved training need not be repeated except where the Board requires it.
Biennial renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing Education
30 contact hours each two-year licensure/renewal period from Board-recognized entities; attest on renewal form.
Exam
The complete renewal procedure in Section 168 and CE renewal requirements in 262 CMR 7.03 and 7.04 impose no examination.
Existing License
Existing license renewed biennially; statute requires completed renewal form and fee.
Violence Training
Approved domestic/sexual violence training; prior completion suffices unless the Board requires repeat training.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Statutory equivalent professional credentials
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Apply online through the DPH Health Professions Licensing System; upload photograph, NPDB self-query and notarized CORI form; pay the application fee.
Character
Good moral character and no disqualifying conduct under M.G.L. c.112 §§165 and 169.
Equivalence
Applicant licensed as a professional in a comparable field in another jurisdiction; the Board determines that the other license requirements equal or exceed Massachusetts requirements. M.G.L. c.112 §166 mandates issuance without examination.
Implementation Demand
262 CMR 3.04 and the LMFT Reciprocity Applicants checklist additionally request applicable transcripts, three years good standing and a passing AMFTRB score. These lower-ranked demands are disclosed as applicant conditions for this distinct statutory equivalency pathway.
Military Education
Under M.G.L. c.112 §1B(b), satisfactory military education, training or service is credited toward applicable qualifications.
Prior Licenses
Arrange official verification of every current or former professional license from the issuing jurisdiction.
Protected Care
262 CMR 3.05 protects lawful Massachusetts reproductive or gender-affirming care against adverse initial-licensure or renewal decisions on the grounds it specifies.
Violence Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying; prior approved training need not be repeated except where the Board requires it.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Temporary Permit to Practice Marriage and Family Therapy

Discretionary temporary permit under Section 167, effective for up to one year.

Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · Application information

Temporary permit awaiting first examination
AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination
Application Filed
Application already filed; applicant awaits the first written examination offered by the Board after filing.
Discretion
Permit issuance is discretionary and effective for up to one year; the examination is not a prerequisite to temporary issuance but is explicitly involved after application.
Exam Identity
262 CMR 3.02 and the LMFT FAQ identify the profession examination as the AMFTRB National Examination.
Temporary permit while application is processed
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application Pending
An application for licensure is being processed by the Board.
Discretion
The Board may issue the permit at its discretion, effective for up to one year. Section 167 makes no examination a prerequisite for issuance of this processing permit.
Underlying License
Qualifications and any examinations of the underlying ordinary-license pathway still apply to eventual ordinary licensure.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

AMFTRB Marital and Family Therapy National Examination

Provider
Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB); administered for AMFTRB by Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) at Prometric computer-based testing centers
Format
Computer-based examination of objective multiple-choice questions, each with four alternative answers of which only one is correct; given during a one-week testing window every month; scores on the six domains and the total examination are reported after the window closes
Exam questions
180 multiple-choice items
Time limit
4 hours total testing time
Passing score
Criterion-referenced passing score set on an anchor examination by a modified Angoff method and adjusted across forms by equating; the reported score equals the total number of correct responses
Exam fee
US $370.00 examination fee (includes testing center fees)
Examination outline
  • Domain 01 — The Practice of Systemic Therapy — Tasks related to incorporating systemic theory and perspectives into practice activities, and establishing and maintaining ongoing therapeutic relationships with the client system inclusive of diverse cultural contexts. (16%; 29 items) (16%)
    • 01.01 Conceptualize therapy consistent with the philosophical perspectives of systemic theory.
    • 01.02 Maintain consistency between systemic theory and clinical practice.
    • 01.03 Integrate individual treatment approaches with systemic treatment approaches.
    • 01.04 Integrate multiple dimensions of diversity and social justice theories with systemic treatment approaches.
    • 01.05 Use a systemic perspective to co-create a safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental space.
    • 01.06 Use a systemic perspective to co-create a therapeutic relationship with the client system.
    • 01.07 Use a systemic perspective to understand the complexities inherent in therapeutic interactions (e.g., family homeostasis, self of the therapist).
  • Domain 02 — Assessing, Hypothesizing, and Diagnosing — Tasks related to assessing and conceptualizing the various dimensions of the client system inclusive of diverse cultural contexts, including forming and reformulating systemic hypotheses and diagnosing the client system to guide therapeutic activities and interventions, including use of artificial intelligence (AI) as appropriate. (16%; 29 items) (16%)
    • 02.01 Assess the client system’s verbal and non-verbal communication styles to develop hypotheses about relationship patterns, perceptions, and responses to the reciprocal influence of relational patterns and the presenting issues.
    • 02.02 Assess the mental status of clients.
    • 02.03 Assess historic and current self-injurious behavior, suicidal ideation and intent, and/or homicidal ideation and intent.
    • 02.04 Identify and assess behavioral dynamics, processes, and interactional patterns (e.g., boundaries, roles, rules, alliances, coalitions, and hierarchies) within the client system to determine systemic functioning.
    • 02.05 Formulate and continually assess hypotheses regarding the client system that consider and incorporate diverse contexts.
    • 02.06 Assess appropriateness of potential treatment and therapeutic delivery modalities for the client system.
    • 02.07 Assess environmental factors (e.g., discrimination, gang violence, migration) affecting the client system.
    • 02.08 Assess the client system’s levels of economic, social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and cognitive functioning.
    • 02.09 Assess historic and current effects of substance use disorders on the functioning of the client system.
    • 02.10 Assess historic and current effects of violence or trauma, including vicarious trauma, on the client system.
    • 02.11 Assess historic and current effects of childhood experiences and traumas on the client system.
    • 02.12 Assess historic and current effects of impact of process use disorders (e.g., gambling, internet use, technology use, shopping) on functioning of the client system.
    • 02.13 Assess historic and current effects of sexual functioning on the client system.
    • 02.14 Assess how the developmental and family life cycle stages of the client system impact problem formation, maintenance, and resolution.
    • 02.15 Assess strengths, resources, coping skills, and resilience within and available to the client system.
    • 02.16 Select, administer, review, and/or interpret results of standardized instruments within the therapist’s training, competence, and scope of practice.
    • 02.17 Assess and diagnose clients in accordance with current DSM and ICD diagnostic criteria while maintaining a systems perspective.
    • 02.18 Formulate treatment hypotheses that integrate systemic perspectives, assessment inventories, and diagnostic impressions.
    • 02.19 Assess effects of occupational issues on the client system (e.g., military personnel, workers in geographically dispersed locations, first responders).
    • 02.20 Collaborate with the client system to determine need for evaluation by other professional and community systems.
    • 02.21 Collaborate with professional and community systems as appropriate in making diagnoses and establishing treatment priorities.
    • 02.22 Collaborate with the client system to refer as appropriate based on diagnoses and treatment priorities.
  • Domain 03 — Designing and Conducting Treatment — Tasks related to developing and implementing a course of culturally responsive treatment with the client system, including identifying possible therapeutic models, implementing associated interventions, and treatment planning, including use of artificial intelligence (AI) as appropriate. (17%; 30 items) (17%)
    • 03.01 Evaluate and maintain a quality therapeutic alliance with the client system.
    • 03.02 Establish therapeutic contracts.
    • 03.03 Utilize assessment information to develop a treatment plan that reflects a contextual understanding of the presenting issue.
    • 03.04 Determine relevant short-term goals, long-term goals and objectives for treatment, as well as criteria for successful completion of treatment.
    • 03.05 Identify the client system’s previous and current attempts to resolve the presenting issues.
    • 03.06 Identify members of client and collateral systems involved in resolving issues.
    • 03.07 Develop and monitor ongoing safety plan to address identified safety risks for the client in all therapeutic delivery contexts.
    • 03.08 Engage in therapeutic interventions based on theory and current research and a shared contextual understanding of the client system and presenting issues.
    • 03.09 Clarify with the client system the rationale for selecting therapeutic interventions as appropriate.
    • 03.10 Collaborate with the client system to determine sequence of treatment and identify which members will be involved.
    • 03.11 Develop and monitor recovery-oriented systemic care for treatment of substance use disorders.
    • 03.12 Use genograms and/or family mapping as therapeutic interventions as indicated.
    • 03.13 Facilitate client system change through restructuring and reorganization.
    • 03.14 Collaborate with the client system to identify and explore competing priorities of client issues to be addressed in treatment.
    • 03.15 Assist the client system in developing decision-making, coping, and effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills in their relational contexts.
    • 03.16 Attend to the homeostatic process and its impact on the client system’s ability to attain therapeutic goals.
    • 03.17 Assist the client system in developing alternative perspectives of the presenting issues to facilitate solutions.
    • 03.18 Influence client behavior and perceptions through use of metaphor, rewriting narratives, mindfulness, etc.
    • 03.19 Integrate cultural, spiritual, social, intellectual, and biological characteristics and strengths of the client system when devising effective treatment strategies.
    • 03.20 Recognize and support client autonomy when devising effective treatment strategies.
    • 03.21 Maintain awareness of common side effects of medications, monitor client system for these within the boundaries of professional competence, and coordinate care with any relevant prescribers.
    • 03.22 Adapt therapeutic stance and interventions to accommodate the process and structure of all therapeutic delivery modalities.
  • Domain 04 — Evaluating Ongoing Process and Terminating Treatment — Tasks related to continuously evaluating the therapeutic process, incorporating feedback into the course of treatment, and planning for termination, inclusive of different cultural contexts and use of artificial intelligence (AI) as appropriate. (16%; 29 items) (16%)
    • 04.01 Use theory and current research in the ongoing evaluation of process, outcomes, and termination.
    • 04.02 Evaluate the progress of therapy in collaboration with client and collateral systems as indicated.
    • 04.03 Modify treatment plan in collaboration with client and collateral systems as indicated.
    • 04.04 Continually evaluate client system appropriateness for all therapeutic delivery modalities.
    • 04.05 Develop a termination plan in collaboration with the client and collateral systems to maintain therapeutic gains after treatment has ended.
    • 04.06 Terminate therapeutic relationship in a professional and culturally responsive manner.
  • Domain 05 — Managing Crisis Situations — Tasks related to assessing and managing emergency situations, inclusive of different cultural contexts, and intervening when clinically indicated and/or legally mandated. (16%; 29 items) (16%)
    • 05.01 Assess impairment in the client system during crisis situations to determine if and what immediate interventions may be needed.
    • 05.02 Assess for presence of suicidal ideation and determine the level of intervention.
    • 05.03 Assess for risk of violence toward the client from others to determine the need for intervention.
    • 05.04 Assess the client’s potential for self-injurious behavior to determine level of intervention.
    • 05.05 Assess the client’s potential for violence or harm toward others, including the therapist, to determine level of intervention.
    • 05.06 Assess risk of violence toward therapist from sources outside of the client system and develop a safety plan.
    • 05.07 Assess impact of community-level crisis on client system and develop interventions as they pertain to that crisis.
    • 05.08 Assess the impact of client system’s trauma history and other relevant contextual factors on current crisis.
    • 05.09 Collaborate with other relevant stakeholders in managing client system’s crisis.
    • 05.10 Respond to emerging crisis as appropriate to the therapeutic delivery modality and use relevant crisis resources.
  • Domain 06 — Maintaining Ethical, Legal, and Professional Standards — Tasks related to ongoing adherence to legal and ethical codes and treatment agreements, maintaining culturally responsive competency, upholding professional standards, and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice. (19%; 34 items) (19%)
    • 06.01 Demonstrate professional responsibility and competence regarding legal issues and regulations across therapeutic delivery modalities, including use of artificial intelligence (AI).
    • 06.02 Compare agency and employment policies with relevant ethics code, statutes, case law, and regulations and privilege the higher standard.
    • 06.03 Integrate current ethical codes of licensing boards, relevant professional organizations, and associations into appropriate professional practice.
    • 06.04 Adhere to relevant business laws related to clinical practice (e.g., Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act, etc.)
    • 06.05 Practice within therapist’s scope of competence.
    • 06.06 Maintain awareness of and effectively manage how the therapist’s personal issues, life experiences, values and morals, and previous trauma impact the therapeutic process.
    • 06.07 Maintain awareness of and effectively manage how the supervisors’ personal issues, life experiences, values and morals, and previous trauma influence the supervisory process
    • 06.08 Adhere to treatment agreements with client systems and respect the rights of clients.
    • 06.09 Provide the client system with written professional disclosures regarding fees, credentials, reporting complaints, confidentiality, privileged communication, and providing technologically assisted services, including use of artificial intelligence (AI), etc.
    • 06.10 Confirm the client system’s identities, locations, and safety levels at the beginning of each teletherapy session.
    • 06.11 Monitor and mitigate risk for potential exploitation of the client system by the therapist.
    • 06.12 Consult with colleagues and other professionals as necessary regarding ethical and legal issues, and document these consultations.
    • 06.13 Respect the roles and responsibilities of other professionals involved in the client system’s treatment process as they relate to ethical and legal issues.
    • 06.14 Maintain accurate and timely records including long-term safe and confidential storage and plan record transfer and/or disposal within timeframes specified by current statutes.
    • 06.15 Adhere to ethical and regulatory guidelines for engaging in the supervisor-supervisee relationship across modalities.
Examination sources