What the official sources support
Applicability and exclusions are shown with each finding. “Qualified” or “conflicting” findings are not simplified into an operational answer.
Authority, credentials, and scope
Regulator, governing authority, credential names, regulated titles, scope boundaries, exemptions, and prohibited activities.
Marriage and family therapy is a separate BBS profession
Published research · ConfirmedThe Board of Behavioral Sciences regulates Associate Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists under the MFT practice act.
- Applies to
- Use for AMFT, LMFT research in CA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Application and practice status
Application, education, examination, background check, fees, temporary authority, endorsement, and supervised versus independent practice.
AMFT registration and work setting control practice
Published research · ConfirmedAn AMFT must maintain registration and comply with the current supervisor, employer, work-setting, disclosure, advertising, and experience-documentation requirements.
- Applies to
- Use for AMFT, LMFT research in CA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Supervision and workforce evidence
Supervisor qualifications, written agreements, settings, hours, reporting, license verification, and hiring or credentialing evidence.
Trainee and associate permissions differ
Published research · ConfirmedA marriage and family therapist trainee does not have the same private-practice and professional-corporation permissions as a registered AMFT.
- Applies to
- Use for AMFT, LMFT research in CA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Cross-border and practice structure
Telehealth location rules, registration, compact privileges, ownership, entity naming, fee sharing, and multidisciplinary practice.
California location triggers California practice rules
Published research · ConfirmedTelehealth to a client located in California generally requires California LMFT authority or California associate practice under qualifying supervision and setting rules.
- Applies to
- Use for AMFT, LMFT research in CA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Client-facing operations and records
Disclosure, consent, telehealth, emergencies, advertising, confidentiality, access, retention, minors, subpoenas, closure, fees, billing, and termination.
Temporary practice is not general reciprocity
Published research · ConfirmedA qualifying out-of-state LMFT may seek the narrow 30-consecutive-day annual allowance for an existing client, but approval does not create an ongoing California license.
- Applies to
- Use for AMFT, LMFT research in CA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Maintenance, complaints, and monitoring
Renewal, continuing education, audits, inactive status, reinstatement, complaints, discipline, effective dates, exclusions, and unresolved interpretations.
MFT corporations have a dedicated statutory article
Published research · ConfirmedA marriage and family therapy corporation must comply with the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act and profession-specific ownership, officer, director, employee, and naming requirements.
- Applies to
- Use for AMFT, LMFT research in CA.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11