Utah Continuing Education Requirements for Mental Health Professionals

Utah recently consolidated its counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy CE rules into a single unified regulation (R156-60e), effective January 1, 2026 — worth knowing since older sources describe a now-outdated structure. This is genuinely fresh: the rule was then amended again, effective May 26, 2026, meaning even some early post-consolidation guidance may already be slightly out of date. Psychology remains under its own separate rule (R156-61) and wasn’t touched by this consolidation at all.

One detail confirmed directly by the University of Utah’s own current CEU guidance, not fully reflected in older sources: all four professions share a renewal deadline of September 30 of even-numbered years, and a 2-hour suicide prevention requirement now applies consistently across license types under the new rule. Renewal fees also differ by profession: $103 for CMHC (confirmed directly from DOPL’s own renewal form), and $128 for psychologists.

This guide explains the current Utah continuing education requirements for CMHCs, LCSWs, MFTs, and psychologists, including required CE hours, ethics requirements, renewal deadlines, approved providers, and other Utah-specific rules to help you stay compliant.

Utah Continuing Education Requirements

Utah recently consolidated its counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy CE rules into a single unified regulation (R156-60e), effective January 1, 2026 — worth knowing since older sources describe a now-outdated structure. Psychology remains under its own separate rule (Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, n.d.).

License Type	CE Requirements	Renewal / Special Requirements	Official Licensing Board
Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CMHC)	40 CE hours every 2 years	Minimum 6 hours in professional ethics, law, or ethics of technology. Maximum 10 hours self-study for master’s-level licensees. Renewal cycle runs October 1 of even years through September 30 of the next even year.	Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)	40 CE hours every 2 years	Same unified structure as CMHC under R156-60e: 6 hours ethics/law/technology ethics, max 10 hours self-study.	Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT)	40 CE hours every 2 years	Same unified structure as CMHC and LCSW above.	Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Licensed Psychologist (PhD / PsyD)	48 CE hours every 2 years	Minimum 6 hours ethics and law. Maximum 18 hours via internet/distance learning, maximum 10 hours for teaching or supervising, maximum 6 hours for peer consultation. Not covered under the new R156-60e rule — governed separately under R156-61.	Utah Psychologist Licensing Board

Clinical Note: Utah’s January 2026 rule consolidation is genuinely new, and several older secondary sources online still cite outdated figures (some describing an 80-hour CMHC requirement) left over from the prior rule structure. We’ve presented the current, post-consolidation figures directly from the rule text above, but given how recent this change is, this is a state worth double-checking against DOPL’s own site rather than an older CE-provider page. Update: R156-60e was itself amended again effective May 26, 2026 — confirm you’re looking at guidance reflecting that most recent version.

Utah License Renewal Requirements

All four Utah licenses share the same September 30 (even-numbered years) deadline, though fees and specific procedures differ — confirmed directly from DOPL’s own renewal forms and pages.

CMHC License Renewal

Administered by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. Licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years, and DOPL mails a renewal notice to the email on file 90 days before expiration. Per DOPL’s own current renewal form, the fee is $103. Practicing after a license has expired is unlawful conduct under Utah Code 58-1-501(1)(a) and 58-1-502, and DOPL may pursue disciplinary action for any period worked without a valid license — even after later reinstatement.

LCSW License Renewal

Administered by the same Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, now sharing the identical September 30 (even-numbered years) deadline and unified CE structure as CMHC and MFT under R156-60e. This is a genuinely significant recent change: social work’s CE total increased from a prior lower figure to match CMHC and MFT’s 40 hours, and the self-study cap was standardized at 10 hours regardless of license type (previously, LCSWs could count up to 15 self-study hours). Confirm your current specific renewal fee directly with DOPL, since fee figures weren’t as clearly published for this specific license as for CMHC.

MFT License Renewal

Also administered by DOPL under the same unified R156-60e rule, sharing the identical September 30 (even-numbered years) deadline, 40-hour requirement, and 10-hour self-study cap as CMHC and LCSW.

Psychologist License Renewal

Administered by DOPL under the separate R156-61 rule, unaffected by the R156-60e consolidation. Renewal is biennial, running October 1 of even years through September 30 of the next even year — the same deadline month as the other three professions, despite being governed by an entirely separate rule. DOPL mails a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiration. The renewal fee is $128.

Utah Approved CE Providers

Whether you’re looking for Utah online continuing education or in-person Utah continuing education courses, Utah recognizes CE from national accreditors alongside a genuinely collaborative network of state associations:

Accreditor / Association	Who It’s For	Recognized For
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)	CMHCs	Widely accepted for CMHC renewal
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) / NASW-UT	LCSWs	Accepted for LCSW renewal; university-sponsored CEUs (such as from the University of Utah) also qualify without additional provider approval
American Psychological Association (APA)	Licensed Psychologists	The standard for psychologist CE; DOPL also accepts university-sponsored CEUs for psychologists even though this isn’t explicitly stated in R156-61
Utah Mental Health Counselors Association (UMHCA)	CMHCs	Utah’s ACA chapter for mental health counselors, part of the collaborative Utah Coalition of Mental Health Professions
Utah Psychological Association (UPA)	Licensed Psychologists	State-level advocacy and CE for Utah psychologists
NASW Utah Chapter	LCSWs	Part of the Utah Coalition of Mental Health Professions alongside UMHCA and UAMFT
Utah Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (UAMFT)	MFTs	Also part of the Utah Coalition of Mental Health Professions; offers CE alongside NASW-UT and UMHCA

Utah’s counseling, social work, and MFT associations formed the Utah Coalition of Mental Health Professions (UCMHP) to advocate jointly rather than compete for influence — a genuinely collaborative model worth knowing about if you’re looking for cross-discipline CE or professional community. For a broader look at how CE approval works across all license types and states, see our full guide to continuing education for mental health professionals.

Utah-Specific Considerations

A few details worth knowing beyond the base CE requirements:

This Rule Change Is Genuinely Recent — Verify Against Current Sources

R156-60e took effect January 1, 2026, replacing separate rules for counseling, social work, and MFT with one unified structure — and was then amended again effective May 26, 2026. Given how recently and repeatedly this has changed, treat any source (including this one) with appropriate caution and confirm current specifics directly with DOPL before finalizing your CE plan, especially if you find guidance describing an 80-hour CMHC requirement or other figures from the prior rule structure.

Social Work’s Hour Total and Self-Study Cap Both Increased Under the New Rule

This is a real, substantive change worth understanding if you’re an LCSW: your CE total is now 40 hours (up from a lower prior figure) to match CMHC and MFT, while your self-study cap dropped to 10 hours (down from a prior 15-hour allowance). Don’t plan your renewal around the older, more generous self-study cap.

Psychology Shares the Same Deadline Month Despite a Separate Rule

Even though psychology sits outside the new R156-60e consolidation entirely, it happens to share the same September 30 (even-numbered years) deadline as CMHC, LCSW, and MFT. Don’t assume this means psychology’s content requirements or hour total match the other three — the 48-hour total, 6-hour distance learning cap difference, and separate rule citation (R156-61) are genuinely distinct.

New Licensee vs. Renewing Licensee

A few distinctions worth knowing depending on where you are in your Utah licensure timeline:

• New psychology licensees receive a prorated CE requirement for their first renewal cycle rather than owing the full 48 hours regardless of how recently they were licensed.
• Clinical supervisors under the new R156-60e rule now face a formal Division-approval process — a genuine departure from the lighter prior requirements, requiring an active license in good standing as an LCSW, CMHC, MFT, psychologist, MAC, or qualifying APRN/psychiatrist.
• License reinstatement after more than 5 years expired for CMHC requires meeting with the Board to evaluate your ability to safely and competently practice, potentially including a new supervision plan, retaking national exams, or completing up to 40 hours of Board-determined CE.
• Supervisors more broadly take on real responsibility in Utah’s system, and having a clear clinical supervision agreement in place from the outset helps define expectations for both parties.

CE Tracker Templates for Mental Health Professionals

Given how recently — and repeatedly — Utah has changed its mental health CE rules, a personal tracking system genuinely helps you confirm you’re working from the current requirements rather than an outdated cap or hour total that changed with R156-60e. Recording exactly which version of the rule applied when you completed each course also protects you if questions come up at renewal or audit.

Get started with the free CE Tracker Template to organize your current renewal cycle, or manage your complete CE renewal process from planning through submission with this comprehensive CE Tracker Template.

Final Thoughts on Utah CE Requirements

Utah’s continuing education landscape has genuinely shifted twice in the past several months — first with R156-60e’s January 2026 consolidation, then with its May 2026 amendment — making this one of the more time-sensitive states in this guide to double-check against DOPL directly rather than any single secondary source, including this one.

The safest approach for CMHC, LCSW, and MFT licensees is confirming your current 40-hour total and 10-hour self-study cap match what’s reflected here, since older guidance describing higher self-study allowances or different hour totals is now outdated. Psychologists should remember their separate R156-61 rule wasn’t touched by any of this, even though the September 30 deadline happens to line up with the other three professions.

References

• Utah Office of Administrative Rules. (n.d.). R156-60e — Mental Health Professional Practice Act Rule. Resource
• University of Utah College of Social Work. (2026). CEU information: Plain-language summary of R156-60e. Resource
• Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. (n.d.). Renew a clinical mental health counseling license. Resource
• Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. (n.d.). Renew a psychology license. Resource
• Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. (n.d.). Clinical mental health counselor renewal form. Resource
• Utah Mental Health Counselors Association. (n.d.). Home. Resource
• Utah Psychological Association. (n.d.). Home. Resource
• Utah Coalition of Mental Health Professions. (n.d.). Home. Resource