Listed below are special instructions for renewal periods 2024 and beyond:

The Online Renewal Window opens March 1st for April Renewals and August 1st for September Renewals. If you try to renew your license before these dates, the system will give you a message that 'No license are available to be renewed'. Please try back after the open date. 

ALL LICENSEES ARE ABLE TO RENEW ONLINE, INCLUDING FIRST TIME RENEWALS.

Changes to the definition for face-to-face continuing education now include live webinars, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.  Please note that pre-recorded sessions have been specified as part of online/distance learning. To clarify, online hours are different from live, real-time, interactive online webinars/conferences using Zoom, Teams, or other live platforms and can be applied towards face-to-face hours. 

IF YOU WERE LICENSED BEFORE 2012, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED A BACKGROUND CHECK. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RENEW YOUR LICENSE UNTIL THIS IS COMPLETED. YOUR FAILURE TO RENEW ON TIME WILL RESULT IN A LAPSED LICENSE IN WHICH YOU WILL HAVE TO REINSTATE.

The online renewal portal is now available!  When you click on the LICENSEE PORTAL, please see HELP for instructions for LARS.

We will no longer mail out certificates, seals, and cards. All licensees will have access to the LARS portal where your card and certificate will be stored. You will be able to access a copy at any time. We would like to encourage all licensees to utilize the new renewal portal because staff no longer maintains unused hours.  

FOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS: No more than twelve (12) hours can be obtained from online/distant learning. The remaining twelve (12) hours must be obtained through face-to-face learning. 24 Continuing Education hours must include 4 Ethics hours. Supervisors must include 2 hours of supervision.

FOR SOCIAL WORKERS:  No more than twenty (20) hours can be obtained from online/distant learning.  The remaining twenty (20) hours must be obtained through face-to-face learning. 40 Continuing Education hours must include 4 Ethics hours, 2 Cultural Diversity hours, and 1 Mandated Reporting hour. Supervisors must include 2 hours of clinical supervision.

HOW UNUSED HOURS WORK (for Social Work): If you renew April 2024, your renewal window is May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2024; HOWEVER, you will be allowed to used any unused hours from May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2024. This window is called UNUSED HOURS. If you renew September 2024, your renewal window is October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024; HOWEVER, you will be allowed to used any unused hours from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024.

• 40 Continuing Education hours must include 4 Ethics hours, 2 Cultural Diversity hours, and 1 Mandated Reporting hour. Supervisors must include 2 hours of clinical supervision. We do not keep up with unused hours; therefore, if you mail your renewal in, your detailed CE hour report will not be added. Make sure you renew through the licensee portal. The system will maintain all of your hours, including unused.
• Unused hours (FORMERLY KNOWN AS CARRYOVER HOURS): Continuing Education (CE) hours that were completed within the 3 years prior to the current expiration date of your license that have not been submitted for previous license renewal may be carried over from one renewal to the next. Ethics, cultural diversity, and mandated reporting hours may not be carried over.  All unused CE hours must be maintained by the licensee and not by the Board.
• Please read the PowerPoint under the Rules and Regulations pertaining to unused hours. 

Mailed Renewals
LARS is a wonderful system, and we would like to encourage as many licensees as possible to utilize it. The mail system has been slow at times and unreliable. Although the online renewal system has been simplified for our licensees, it is not so simple for office staff. Please understand that if you mail your renewal in, it can potentially take office staff 2 to 4 weeks to update it; therefore, it is important that you try to submit your renewal as early as possible during the month prior to your expiration date (March or August) to allow staff adequate time to process your renewal if you choose to mail it in. We humbly ask that you DO NOT call to inquire about it. You can check your status online using the License Verification system. If you mail it, be sure to send it Priority Mail as it comes with a tracking number. Technology is on the move every day at exponential rates and we understand. If you are over the age of 72, please feel free to contact us with any issues and/or mail your renewal in. One of our goals is to make sure the renewal process is smooth for everyone. If a mailed in renewal is received after the renewal deadline (September 30 or April 30), it will be returned back to the licensee. All late renewals have to be processed in LARS by the licensee. Exceptions, none.  ALL RENEWALS MUST BE PROCESSED IN THE OFFICE BEFORE APRIL 30TH OR SEPTEMBER 30TH. IF IT IS RECEIVED AFTER THOSE DATES BUT BEFORE MAY 30TH OR OCTOBER 30TH, YOU MUST RENEW ONLINE.