The District of Columbia layers a distinctive “public health priority” content requirement — set annually by DC Health — on top of standard ethics and cultural competency mandates. A genuinely major structural change also took effect in June 2024: DC Health moved every board’s renewal cycle from fixed statewide dates to an individualized birth-month system. If you’re relying on older guidance describing a fixed deadline (like July 31 for social work), that structure has since changed.
Renewal fees, confirmed directly from DC Health’s own official renewal notices, run $145 for LPC, $177 for LMFT, and $203 for psychologists ($115 for psychology associates). A one-time transition provision also applies: licensees who received less than two years on their license term during the shift to birth-month renewal get 50% CE credit, though the LGBTQ cultural competency and public health priority hours are still fully required regardless.
This guide explains the current DC continuing education requirements for LPCs, LICSWs, LMFTs, and psychologists, including required CE hours, ethics requirements, renewal deadlines, approved providers, and other DC-specific rules to help you stay compliant.
Washington, DC Continuing Education Requirements
The District of Columbia layers a distinctive “public health priority” content requirement — set annually by DC Health — on top of standard ethics and cultural competency mandates across its counseling, social work, and MFT licenses (DC Board of Professional Counseling, n.d.; DC Board of Social Work, n.d.; DC Board of Psychology, n.d.).
| License Type | CE Requirements | Renewal / Special Requirements | Official Licensing Board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) | 40 CE hours every 2 years | Minimum 6 hours ethics, 4 hours trauma counseling, 2 hours cultural competency/LGBTQ topics. At least 10% of total hours (4 hours) must address DC Health’s designated public health priority topics for that cycle. First renewal after initial licensure is exempt. | DC Board of Professional Counseling |
| Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) | 40 CE hours every 2 years | Minimum 6 hours ethics (must be face-to-face; no online option for this portion), 2 hours LGBTQ cultural competency, 4 hours public health priority topics. Maximum 12 hours may be pre-recorded/remote. | DC Board of Social Work |
| Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) | 30 CE hours every 2 years | Minimum 6 hours ethics specific to marriage and family therapy, 4 hours trauma-informed care. | DC Board of Professional Counseling |
| Licensed Psychologist (PhD / PsyD) | 30 CE hours every 2 years | Minimum 15 hours must be live/in-person programs. 3 hours ethics and cultural competency, 2 hours LGBTQ-focused content. Individual CE activities must be pre-approved by the Board via an application submitted before the event. | DC Board of Psychology |
Clinical Note: DC’s public health priority requirement is genuinely unusual — the specific topics (e.g., opioid prescribing, nutrition/obesity prevention) are set by DC Health and can change year to year, so a course that satisfied this requirement at your last renewal isn’t guaranteed to satisfy it at your next one. Confirm the current list of designated priority topics directly with your board before assuming a prior course still counts. Update: DC Health moved all boards to an individualized birth-month renewal cycle effective June 2024 — confirm you’re working from current renewal-date guidance rather than an older fixed statewide deadline.
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Washington, DC License Renewal Requirements
All four DC boards now use an individualized birth-month renewal cycle following the June 2024 transition, confirmed directly from DC Health’s own current board pages and official renewal notices.
LPC License Renewal
Administered by the DC Board of Professional Counseling. Per DC Health’s official renewal notice, licenses expire on the last day of the licensee’s birthday month, following the system-wide June 2024 transition to individualized renewal dates. The renewal fee is $145 (the same fee applies to Professional Art Therapists). Practicing with an expired license is illegal in the District and could lead to disciplinary action by the Board.
LICSW License Renewal
Administered by the separate DC Board of Social Work. Per DC Health’s current page for this Board, social work licenses have also transitioned to the individualized birth-month renewal cycle as part of the June 2024 system-wide change — older sources citing a fixed July 31 (odd-year) deadline reflect the prior structure. Reported renewal fees have been cited around $145 across license tiers; confirm your current specific fee directly with the Board. A one-time 50% CE credit applies to licensees who received less than 2 years on their license term during this transition, though the 2-hour LGBTQ cultural competency and 4-hour public health priority requirements remain fully in effect regardless.
LMFT License Renewal
Administered by the same DC Board of Professional Counseling as LPC, sharing the identical individualized birth-month deadline following the June 2024 transition. The renewal fee is $177, confirmed directly from DC Health’s official renewal notice — notably higher than LPC’s $145 despite sharing the same Board.
Psychologist License Renewal
Administered by the separate DC Board of Psychology. Per DC Health’s official 2023 renewal notice, the renewal fee is $203 for psychologists and $115 for psychology associates. Licenses now follow the same individualized birth-month cycle as the other three boards. First-time renewal applicants are not required to complete CE. The same one-time 50% CE credit transition provision applies here as well, with the LGBTQ cultural competency and public health priority requirements still fully required.
Washington, DC Approved CE Providers
Whether you’re looking for DC online continuing education or in-person DC continuing education courses, DC recognizes CE from national accreditors alongside local associations:
| Accreditor / Association | Who It’s For | Recognized For |
|---|---|---|
| National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) | LPCs | Widely accepted for LPC renewal |
| Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) | LICSWs | Accepted for LICSW renewal, subject to the Board’s own approval process under § 7009 |
| American Psychological Association (APA) | Licensed Psychologists | All 30 required hours must be APA-approved; individual activities also require Board pre-approval submitted before the event |
| District of Columbia Counseling Association (DCCA) | LPCs | DC’s branch of ACA, serving counselors across the District |
| DC Mental Health Counselors Association (DCMHCA) | LPCs | Founded in 1984/1985 as DC’s chartered AMHCA state branch, the only organization solely dedicated to DC mental health counselors |
| DC Psychological Association | Licensed Psychologists | Provides continuing education for DC psychologists, though it maintains only a Facebook presence rather than a confirmed standalone website — confirm current offerings through the DC Board of Psychology directly |
| NASW Metro DC Chapter | LICSWs | State-level CE and advocacy, and the source that first reported DC Health’s 2024 birth-month renewal transition |
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.
Washington, DC-Specific Considerations
A few details worth knowing beyond the base CE requirements:
The June 2024 Birth-Month Transition Touches Every Board
This is genuinely important and applies system-wide: DC Health moved all licenses, certificates, and registrations issued on or after June 16, 2024 to expire on the last day of the licensee’s birth month, replacing whatever fixed statewide deadline previously applied. If your last renewal predates this change, your next renewal date will likely look different than you’re used to — confirm your specific new deadline directly with your board rather than assuming the old fixed date still applies.
Public Health Priority Topics Change Over Time, Not Just Once
DC Health is explicit that these designated topics are reviewed “every 5 years or less frequently as deemed appropriate” — meaning the specific list (currently including topics like responsible opioid prescribing) isn’t fixed indefinitely. DC Health publishes an annual public notice identifying current public health issues for CE purposes; check the current version before assuming a course that qualified previously still does.
LICSW’s Ethics Hours Must Be Face-to-Face — No Exceptions
Unlike most other CE categories in DC, which allow a meaningful remote/pre-recorded portion, the Board of Social Work is explicit that the 6 required ethics hours must be completed face-to-face, with no online option accepted for this specific portion. Don’t assume a live virtual webinar satisfies this requirement without confirming it meets the Board’s specific face-to-face definition.
New Licensee vs. Renewing Licensee
A few distinctions worth knowing depending on where you are in your DC licensure timeline:
- First-time renewal applicants across LPC and psychology are exempt from the CE requirement entirely for that first renewal cycle.
- Licensees affected by the 2024 birth-month transition who received less than 2 years on their license term during the changeover qualify for 50% CE credit — but the LGBTQ cultural competency and public health priority hours remain fully required regardless of this adjustment.
- DC has not joined the Social Work Licensure Compact as of 2025–2026, even though approximately 30-31 states have — social workers relying on multistate portability should confirm current status directly with the Board, since the District currently remains outside this agreement.
- Supervisors more broadly take on real responsibility in DC’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
DC’s recent shift to individualized birth-month renewal, combined with public health priority topics that can change over time, makes a personal tracking system genuinely useful for confirming your specific current deadline and content requirements rather than relying on what applied at a previous renewal. Keeping a running record of exactly which courses satisfied which category also helps if the Board’s designated priority topics shift between your renewals.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions: Washington, DC Continuing Education Requirements
Below are the practical questions clinicians ask when completing, documenting, and reporting continuing education units (CEUs) to satisfy board regulations and maintain active licensure in Washington, DC.
How many CE hours does an LPC need in Washington, DC?
40 hours every two years, including a minimum of 6 hours ethics, 4 hours trauma counseling, 2 hours cultural competency/LGBTQ topics, and at least 4 hours (10%) in DC Health’s designated public health priority topics for that cycle.
Does DC require ethics hours for every license type?
Yes — LPCs and LICSWs each need a minimum of 6 hours, LMFTs need a minimum of 6 hours specific to marriage and family therapy, and psychologists need a minimum of 3 hours combined with cultural competency.
Can DC clinicians complete all their CE online?
Not entirely. LICSWs may complete a maximum of 12 hours remotely, with the required 6 ethics hours specifically needing to be face-to-face. Psychologists must complete at least 15 of their 30 hours through live/in-person programs. Current published guidance doesn’t specify a distance-learning cap for LPC or LMFT.
Where can I find DC continuing education courses?
Start with NBCC, ASWB, or APA depending on your license type, or DC-specific organizations like the DC Mental Health Counselors Association, DC Counseling Association, or NASW Metro DC Chapter. Psychologists should confirm current offerings directly with the DC Board of Psychology, since the DC Psychological Association doesn’t maintain a standalone website.
What happens if I miss my DC license renewal deadline?
Practicing with an expired license is illegal in the District and can result in disciplinary action. Confirm current late-renewal fees and reinstatement policies directly with your specific board.
Is DC part of any licensure compacts?
As of 2025-2026, DC has not enacted legislation to join the Social Work Licensure Compact, even though approximately 30-31 states have. Confirm current status directly with the Counseling Compact and PSYPACT before assuming privileges apply to other license types.
Final Thoughts on Washington, DC CE Requirements
The single most important update for anyone practicing in DC is the June 2024 shift to individualized birth-month renewal across every board — a genuine structural change, not a minor scheduling tweak, and one that makes older guidance describing fixed statewide deadlines outdated. Confirming your specific current renewal date directly with your board is worth doing before assuming any prior deadline still applies.
Beyond that, DC’s public health priority requirement is worth checking fresh at each renewal rather than assuming a course that worked last cycle still qualifies, since DC Health reviews and can update these designated topics over time. As always, confirm current fees, deadlines, and content requirements directly with your specific board before finalizing your renewal plan.
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References
- DC Health. (n.d.). Professional counseling licensing. Resource
- DC Health. (2024). Board of Professional Counseling renewal notice. Resource
- DC Health. (n.d.). Social work licensing. Resource
- DC Health. (n.d.). Psychology licensing. Resource
- DC Health. (2023). Board of Psychology renewal notice. Resource
- NASW Metro DC Chapter. (n.d.). DC Health announces new license renewal schedule. Resource
- DC Mental Health Counselors Association. (n.d.). Home. Resource