Arkansas LAMFT Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

In Arkansas, the Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) credential is a transitional license designed to let you practice marriage and family therapy under supervision while you accumulate the hours needed to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). It is explicitly "not intended to be a permanent license." (17 CAR § 75-304)

The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling and Marriage & Family Therapy governs these requirements through statute (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-27-305) and its rules (17 CAR Part 75, revised July 2026).

Below is a step-by-step guide organized around what you need to qualify, apply, and then complete your supervised practice.

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1. Understand what the LAMFT license allows

The Board defines a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT) as a person who:

• Has met the LAMFT qualifications in 17 CAR § 75-304,
• Offers "marriage and family therapy services to individuals, couples, and families, singularly or in groups, for monetary remuneration," and
• "Holds a current, valid license to practice marriage and family therapy services under the supervision of a licensed marriage and family therapist." (17 CAR § 75-103)

By statute, an LAMFT:

• "May practice only under direct supervision of a licensed marriage and family therapist," and
• Must have a supervision plan "approved by the board before any actual performance of marriage and family therapy." (codes.findlaw.com)

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2. Educational requirements

To be eligible for LAMFT, you must meet all of the following:

1. Graduate degree

   • You must have "received a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy or related field from a regionally accredited institution." (17 CAR § 75-304)

2. Minimum 60 graduate semester hours

   • You must document completion of "a minimum of sixty (60) graduate semester hours in coursework, counseling/therapy in content, that meets the academic and training standards established by the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling." (17 CAR § 75-306)

3. Program and curriculum standards

   • For LAMFT/LMFT, the Board adopts "the current Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) standards" as its academic standard. (17 CAR § 75-306(c))
   • Core curriculum for LAMFT/LMFT must include specific graduate coursework (for example, Foundations of Relational/Systemic Practice, Clinical Treatment with Individuals, Couples and Families, Research and Evaluation, Professional Identity, Biopsychosocial Health, Technology-Assisted Counseling, etc., within the 60-hour total, including 9 hours of practicum/internship over at least 9 months). (17 CAR § 75-306(f))

4. Grades

   • "All graduate course hours used in the application for any license issued by the board must have a B- grade or above. Grades of C+ or below will not be accepted for licensure purposes." (17 CAR § 75-306(g))

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3. Examinations, background check, and legal eligibility

To qualify for LAMFT, the Board's rules require: (17 CAR § 75-304)

1. Professional competency examinations

   • You must "demonstrate professional competencies by passing written examinations and/or oral interviews prescribed by the board." (17 CAR § 75-304)
   • Arkansas LAMFT applicants must pass the AMFTRB national MFT exam and the Arkansas Jurisprudence Exam, and complete a Board oral interview if the Board requires one. (17 CAR §§ 75-602, 75-603)
   • If you have not passed the national exam yet, you can apply for a one-time provisional LAMFT (Act 231 of 2025): it is valid for 1 year, allows up to 3 attempts to pass the national exam, and cannot be renewed. (A.C.A. § 17-27-305(e); 17 CAR § 75-906)

2. Criminal background check

   • You must have "met the criminal background check mandated by Arkansas Code § 17-27-313." (17 CAR § 75-304)

3. Citizenship or work authorization

   • You must "be a citizen of the United States or have current documentation of legal alien work status issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services." (17 CAR § 75-304)

4. Good ethical standing and references

   • The Board reviews ethics and requires at least four references on Board-approved forms as part of the application: two from faculty in your degree program, one from a clinical supervisor and one from another mental health professional (faculty references are not required if you graduated five or more years ago). (17 CAR § 75-503; LAC/LAMFT applicant instructions, 10/2026)

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4. Supervision agreement and initial application

Before you can practice as an LAMFT, you must secure supervision and have it approved:

1. Board-approved LAMFT supervisor

   • "Supervision for the LAMFT must be provided by an LMFT in Arkansas who holds approved supervisor status from the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling and whose license is in good standing." Approved supervisors must have been fully licensed in Arkansas for 3 years and may hold no more than 12 supervision agreements at a time. (17 CAR §§ 75-401, 75-403)

2. Supervision agreement approved before practice

   • You must "arrange supervision with a board-approved LAMFT supervisor and have the agreement for supervision approved by the board prior to license issue." (17 CAR § 75-304)
   • "All LAC and LAMFT must have an Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling-approved supervision agreement prior to providing any therapy services... No client may be seen prior to that date." (17 CAR § 75-402)

3. Application packet (typical contents)
   Based on Board rules and the Board's current applicant instructions: (17 CAR Part 75; LAC/LAMFT applicant instructions, 10/2026)

   • An Application for Examination (core curriculum summary, unofficial transcript, photo), then the LAMFT application and fees
   • Official graduate transcripts with degree conferred, meeting COAMFTE-equivalent curriculum
   • Proof of legal ability to work in the U.S.
   • Passing score report for the AMFTRB exam (or the provisional pathway)
   • Arkansas Jurisprudence certificate
   • Background check results
   • Supervision agreement signed by you and your LMFT supervisor (sent only after the Board approves your license)
   • Statement of Intent describing your scope of practice and population served
   • Four letters of recommendation
   • Participation in a Board oral interview, if required

Once the Board approves your application and supervision agreement, your LAMFT license is issued, and you may begin counting supervised experience. You may not see clients until you receive your license number.

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5. The core hours requirement: 3,000 supervised Client Contact Hours

The hours system that matters most for an LAMFT in Arkansas is the Client Contact Hours (CCH) requirement for moving from associate to full licensure.

The Board's rules state:

• "Counselors or marriage and family therapists licensed at the associate level must complete three thousand (3,000) client contact hours (CCH) with one hundred seventy-five (175) supervision hours." (17 CAR § 75-401)

5.1 Total required hours and their breakdown

The Board is very specific about how these hours must be structured:

1. Total client contact hours: 3,000

   • You must obtain 3,000 Client Contact Hours (CCH) under supervision as an LAMFT. There is no minimum time period. (17 CAR § 75-401)

2. Direct vs. indirect client contact

   • "The LAC and LAMFT are required to have a minimum of three thousand (3,000) hours of client contact, two thousand (2,000) hours defined as direct client contact. No more than one thousand (1,000) hours of indirect client contact may be counted in Level 2." (17 CAR § 75-401(e))

   In plain terms:

   • At least 2,000 hours must be direct client contact.
   • Up to 1,000 hours can be indirect client contact (and only in Level 2; see below).

3. Definition of a direct client contact hour

   • The Board defines a direct client contact hour as "contact with a client or clients in a therapeutic interaction with individuals or groups." (17 CAR § 75-401(d)(3))

4. Definition of indirect client contact

   • "'Indirect client contact' means consultation, case management, paperwork, staffing, billing, and test administration when the clinician is not working directly with the individuals or groups, but the services are related to the direct care of the individual or groups." (17 CAR § 75-401(e)(2)(B))

   Typical examples: treatment planning, documentation, case consultation, coordination with other providers.

5. Family/relational hour requirement specific to LAMFT

   • "LAMFTs must have a minimum of one thousand (1,000) direct client contact hours in family/relational/group therapy." (17 CAR § 75-401(j))

   In practice, that means:

   • At least 1,000 of your direct hours must be relational/systemic sessions (couple, family, or group therapy). Group therapy sessions are counted in clock hours, not multiplied by the number of clients. (17 CAR § 75-401(k))

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6. Levels of supervised experience and supervision ratios

The supervised experience is divided into two levels, each with specific supervision ratios and rules.

Level 1: First 500 direct hours

• You must complete 500 direct Client Contact Hours (CCH) in Level 1. (17 CAR § 75-401)
• Supervision ratio:
  • "One (1) hour of supervision for every ten (10) hours of client contact for the first five hundred (500) direct CCH (Level 1)." (17 CAR § 75-401(d)(2))
• No indirect hours can be counted during Level 1:
  • "During the first five hundred (500) direct client hours (Level 1), no indirect hours can be counted." (17 CAR § 75-401(g))

Practically, for Level 1 you must obtain:

• 500 direct hours only, and
• 50 supervision hours (500 ÷ 10).

Level 2: Remaining 2,500 client contact hours

After Level 1, you move to Level 2:

• Remaining client contact hours: 2,500 CCH.
• Supervision ratio:
  • "One (1) hour of supervision for every twenty (20) CCH for the remaining two thousand five hundred (2,500) hours (Level 2)." (17 CAR § 75-401(d)(2))

So for Level 2 you must obtain:

• 2,500 additional CCH (direct + indirect combined), and
• 125 supervision hours (2,500 ÷ 20).

Total supervision over both levels is fixed:

• "The total hours of supervised practice are one hundred seventy-five (175) clock hours of supervision conducted face to face or through telemedicine." (17 CAR § 75-401(f))

Distribution of direct vs. indirect in Level 2

• You still must ensure that, across both levels:
  • Direct hours total at least 2,000.
  • Indirect hours are no more than 1,000, and only counted in Level 2. (17 CAR § 75-401)

In other words, an acceptable final profile might look like:

• Direct hours: 2,000 (or more)
• Indirect hours: up to 1,000 (all in Level 2)
• Total CCH: 3,000
• Supervision: 175 clock hours, with Level 1 and Level 2 ratios met
• Relational hours: at least 1,000 of the direct hours in family/relational/group therapy.

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7. How supervision itself must be structured

The Board prescribes not just how much supervision you need, but how it can be delivered: (17 CAR § 75-401)

• Dyadic supervision (one supervisor and two supervisees) "is recorded as individual supervision."
• Group supervision:
  • May not exceed half of the 175 hours (no more than 87.5 hours).
  • A group is defined as 3 to 6 supervisees with the contracted supervisor.
  • May be counted in both levels.
• Technology-assisted supervision:
  • May be counted in both Levels 1 and 2. The earlier 50% cap in Level 1 has been removed.

You and your supervisor must also:

• Maintain a current, Board-approved supervision agreement at all times, and get Board approval before any change of supervisor.
• Submit Client Contact Hours reports and supervision evaluations every six months (even if you have zero hours to report), with only a 30-day grace period; reports more than 30 days late are reviewed case by case. (17 CAR §§ 75-402, 75-404)

Failure to maintain an approved supervision agreement can lead to suspension or revocation of the LAMFT license. (17 CAR § 75-402)

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8. Options to reduce required Client Contact Hours

Arkansas allows limited substitutions that can reduce how many CCH you must personally accrue, but these are tightly controlled: (17 CAR § 75-401(m))

1. Graduate coursework beyond the master's degree

   • You may gain 100 CCH and 5 supervision hours for each 3 graduate semester hours (or 4 quarter credits) earned beyond the master's degree, if:
     • The hours are clearly related to counseling or marriage and family therapy, and
     • They are acceptable to the Board.
   • Post-master's coursework you needed to qualify for the license cannot be counted. (17 CAR § 75-401(l))

2. National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE)

   • After completing Level 1, an LAC/LAMFT may, with supervisor recommendation, petition the Board to take the NCMHCE.
   • "A passing score on the NCMHCE will reduce the number of CCH required by five hundred (500) and supervision hours by twenty-five (25)." (17 CAR § 75-401(m)(2))

In total, no more than 2,000 CCH and 100 supervision hours may be reduced, and only from Level 2; no substitutions may be made for Level 1. Even if you use these reductions, the Board still requires that the supervised experience be acceptable and consistent with your Statement of Intent, and you may not waive the entire supervised experience period. (17 CAR § 75-401(m); LAC/LAMFT Supervision Agreement, revised 7/2026)

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9. Transitioning from LAMFT to LMFT

Once you have:

• Completed the educational requirements (including any additional coursework the Board requires), (17 CAR § 75-306)
• Accrued the 3,000 supervised CCH with the required breakdown (at least 2,000 direct, no more than 1,000 indirect, at least 1,000 relational), (17 CAR § 75-401)
• Completed 175 supervision hours with proper ratios and structure, (17 CAR § 75-401)
• Met all reporting and ethical requirements,

you and your supervisor can petition to change your license to LMFT using the Board's License Change form.

By rule, an LMFT applicant must: (17 CAR § 75-305)

• Meet the requirements of 17 CAR § 75-304 (the LAMFT requirements) except the supervision-agreement requirement; and
• "Provide evidence of three thousand (3,000) client contact hours and one hundred seventy-five (175) supervision hours of experience in marriage and family therapy acceptable to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling."

Statutorily, any LAMFT "may petition the board for licensure review for licensed marriage and family therapist," once the supervised-experience requirements in § 17-27-304 are met. (law.justia.com)

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10. Condensed checklist of hour-related requirements for Arkansas LAMFTs

When you interpret the Arkansas Board's language into concrete numbers, the supervised-practice requirements for an LAMFT working toward LMFT licensure are:

• 3,000 Client Contact Hours (CCH) with supervision, of which: (17 CAR § 75-401)
  • At least 2,000 hours must be direct client contact (therapeutic interaction with clients).
  • Up to 1,000 hours may be indirect client contact (consultation, documentation, etc.), counted only in Level 2.
  • At least 1,000 direct hours must be family/relational/group therapy.
• Supervision requirements:
  • Level 1: First 500 direct hours with 1 hour of supervision per 10 hours of client contact (50 hours of supervision; no indirect hours counted).
  • Level 2: 2,500 additional hours with 1 hour of supervision per 20 hours of client contact (125 hours of supervision).
  • Total supervision: 175 clock hours.
  • Group supervision no more than 50% of supervision; technology-assisted supervision counts in both levels. (17 CAR § 75-401)

These numbers, along with the degree, examination, and legal-status requirements above, form the complete picture of what Arkansas expects for an LAMFT on the path to independent LMFT licensure.