Ohio MFT-TEMP Requirements & Hours Tracker

The MFT‑TEMP (Marriage and Family Therapist – Temporary) credential in Ohio is a short‑term license that lets you practice marriage and family therapy while you are waiting to complete the last step of full MFT licensure (the examination and formal board action).

Below is how Ohio law and the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board define and structure this license, with emphasis on required hours and exact categories of experience.

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1. What “MFT‑TEMP” Means in Ohio

Ohio rule 4757‑3‑02 defines:

• “MFT‑TEMP” as a “Marriage and Family Therapist with a temporary license.” (codes.ohio.gov)

This is a real license status, not just a pre‑license title. It is issued by the Board after you have essentially met all requirements to be a Marriage and Family Therapist under Ohio law, except that you are still waiting to take (or have results from) the required exam.

You may not use the title “Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)” in Ohio; the Board explicitly prohibits that title and the abbreviation “LMFT.” (codes.ohio.gov)

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2. Legal Basis for the Temporary MFT License

Two key authorities govern the temporary MFT license:

1. Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 4757.301 – Temporary licensure as marriage and family therapist

   • The Board may issue a temporary license “on receipt of an application for a license as a marriage and family therapist” to an individual who already qualifies under division (A) of section 4757.30, except that they are “awaiting the next opportunity to take an examination” required by the Board. (codes.ohio.gov)
   • The temporary license:
     • “allows the holder to engage in the practice of marriage and family therapy as appropriate,” and
     • is valid from issuance until the earlier of:
       • one year from that date,
       • the date the applicant withdraws from taking the examination,
       • the date the applicant is notified they failed the exam, or
       • the date the full MFT license is issued.
     • “A temporary license may not be renewed.” (codes.ohio.gov)

2. Ohio Admin. Code (OAC) 4757‑25‑05 – Temporary marriage and family therapist license

   • States that the temporary license “allows the holder to practice as a marriage and family therapist or an independent marriage and family therapist, while awaiting the next board meeting.” (codes.ohio.gov)
   • Re‑states the same validity conditions and adds:
     • A new temporary license may be issued only in the event of “documented substantial hardship” as determined by the Board. (codes.ohio.gov)

Key takeaway:
To qualify for MFT‑TEMP, you must already meet all the requirements of ORC 4757.30(A) for an MFT (including the practicum hours described below), but you are waiting to take the exam or for the Board’s formal action on your permanent license.

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3. Core Requirements You Must Meet Before the Board Can Issue MFT‑TEMP

3.1. Base MFT licensure criteria (ORC 4757.30(A))

Ohio law says the Board shall issue a license to practice as a marriage and family therapist to a person who has done all of the following: (codes.ohio.gov)

1. Properly completed an application for the license.
2. Paid the required fee.
3. Completed qualifying graduate education, by achieving one of:
   • A master’s degree or a doctorate in marriage and family therapy from a regionally accredited institution recognized by the Board; or
   • A graduate degree that includes “a minimum of ninety quarter hours of graduate level course work in marriage and family therapy training” acceptable to the committee.
4. Passed an examination administered by the Board (for full MFT licensure; for MFT‑TEMP you are awaiting this exam opportunity or result).
5. Completed a practicum that includes at least three hundred hours of client contact.

The only numerical experience requirement written directly into the statute for basic MFT licensure is that practicum of “at least three hundred hours of client contact.” (codes.ohio.gov)

There is no statutory requirement of “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience” for an Ohio MFT or MFT‑TEMP.

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4. Board Rules on Education and Practicum Hours (Where the Specific Hour Breakdowns Come From)

The Board elaborates on education and practicum expectations in OAC 4757‑25‑01 (Education requirements for admission to the examination for marriage and family therapist) and OAC 4757‑25‑03 (General requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist).

4.1. Graduate program credit‑hour requirements

The Board defines a “graduate degree in marriage and family therapy” as a program that: (codes.ohio.gov)

• Is clearly identified as marriage and family therapy (MFT),
• Includes a minimum of ninety quarter hours or sixty semester hours of graduate level course work in marriage and family therapy training, grounded in systemic theory and systemic approaches, and
• Meets other curriculum and faculty criteria in the rule.

Programs accredited by COAMFTE (the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education) at the time of your degree are automatically recognized as meeting these requirements. (codes.ohio.gov)

4.2. Practicum / internship: direct client contact and supervision hours

The Board’s rule specifies detailed practicum/internship requirements, which must be met to be admitted to the MFT exam (and therefore to qualify under 4757.30(A) for MFT and MFT‑TEMP). (law.cornell.edu)

The practicum is defined as a “supervised training experience consisting of the provision of marriage and family therapy to clients.” Within that experience, the Board sets the following hour requirements, which vary based on when you began your MFT program:

If you began your MFT program after January 2015

You must have at least:

• Two semesters or three quarters of qualified supervised clinical practicum and/or internship, with:
  • 500 hours of direct face‑to‑face client contact with individuals, couples and families; and
  • 100 hours of supervision. (law.cornell.edu)
• Of those 500 hours of direct contact:
  • At least 250 hours must be with couples and/or families present. (law.cornell.edu)

If you began your MFT program before January 2015

You must have at least:

• Two semesters or three quarters of supervised practicum/internship, with:
  • 300 hours of direct face‑to‑face client contact with individuals, couples and families; and
  • 60 hours of supervision. (law.cornell.edu)
• Of those 300 hours:
  • At least 150 hours must be with couples and/or families present. (law.cornell.edu)

Additional points from the rule:

• Practicum supervision must be by an independently licensed marriage and family therapist with supervision designation, an AAMFT approved supervisor, an AAMFT supervisor candidate, or another independently licensed mental health practitioner with demonstrated competence and training in legal and ethical issues relevant to MFT. (law.cornell.edu)
• Applicants from non‑COAMFTE programs must document practicum and internship on a specific Board form, showing client contact hours and supervision hours in all required areas, submitted at the time of exam request. (law.cornell.edu)

Important distinction:
These practicum hours (300–500+ direct client hours plus associated supervision, depending on program start date) are the experience requirements that feed into eligibility for the exam and the base MFT license. They are not post‑degree hours like some other states’ 3,000‑hour models.

If your question is, “Does Ohio require something like 1,500 hours of direct client contact plus 1,500 supervised hours for MFT‑TEMP?” the answer is no. For the MFT‑TEMP, Ohio’s hour‑based requirements are those practicum/internship requirements described above.

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5. General Licensure Requirements the Board Checks (Beyond Hours)

In OAC 4757‑25‑03, the Board lists general requirements for MFT licensure, all of which you must meet to qualify for MFT‑TEMP: (codes.ohio.gov)

1. Meet the educational requirements in rule 4757‑25‑01 (described above, including practicum).
2. Successfully complete the licensure examination prescribed by the MFT professional standards committee (or, for MFT‑TEMP, be awaiting an opportunity to take it).
3. Meet the Board’s requirements regarding criminal convictions (under ORC 9.79).
4. Complete all initial application requirements in rule 4757‑1‑04, which include:
   • A criminal records check,
   • Application with fee, and
   • Required transcripts. (codes.ohio.gov)

You must be at the point where, except for the exam timing, you would be fully licensable as an MFT.

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6. Applying Specifically for the MFT‑TEMP License

Once you’ve met the substantive requirements for full MFT licensure (degree, practicum/internship hours, background check, transcripts, etc.), the path to MFT‑TEMP looks like this under Ohio rules:

1. Submit your full MFT licensure application to the Board, including:

   • Completed online or prescribed application form,
   • Fee for the MFT license,
   • Official transcripts,
   • Documentation of required practicum/internship hours and supervision (if not COAMFTE accredited),
   • Criminal records check results. (codes.ohio.gov)

2. Apply to take the national MFT examination (the exam used by Ohio is the national “Examination in Marital and Family Therapy” administered through AMFTRB; this is referenced in Board rules regarding exams and scoring). (codes.ohio.gov)

3. Request a temporary license
   Under OAC 4757‑25‑05, “Applicants who wish to obtain a temporary license shall submit a properly completed application, as prescribed by the board.” (codes.ohio.gov)

   In practice, this means:

   • You have a completed MFT license application on file,
   • You are waiting for the next opportunity to sit for the exam, and
   • You submit the Board’s MFT‑TEMP request (via eLicense Ohio or other method the Board prescribes).

4. Pay the temporary license fee
   Ohio’s fee rule sets “marriage and family therapist temporary license” fee at $20. (regulations.justia.com)

5. Board review and issuance
   If the Board determines that:

   • You qualify under ORC 4757.30(A) (all MFT requirements met) except that you are awaiting the exam opportunity, and
   • Your application is properly completed, it may issue the MFT‑TEMP license. (codes.ohio.gov)

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7. Duration, Renewal Limits, and Status Changes

Once issued, your MFT‑TEMP license:

• Takes effect on the date of issuance, and remains valid until the earliest of: (codes.ohio.gov)

  1. The date your full MFT license is issued,
  2. One year after issuance,
  3. The date you withdraw from taking the examination, or
  4. The date you are notified you failed the exam.

• Cannot be renewed. ORC 4757.301 states: “A temporary license may not be renewed.” (codes.ohio.gov)

• Under the rule, a new temporary license may be issued only if you demonstrate “documented substantial hardship,” and the Board agrees. (codes.ohio.gov)

When you pass the exam and the Board completes its review, your status shifts from MFT‑TEMP to MFT, and at that point you use the title “MFT” (not LMFT) under Ohio’s title rule. (codes.ohio.gov)

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8. How These Requirements Compare to “Independent” Status and Large Hour Totals

Sometimes people hear about very large hour totals (e.g., 1,500–3,000 post‑degree hours) and wonder if they apply to MFT‑TEMP in Ohio.

In Ohio:

• The base MFT and MFT‑TEMP requirements revolve around:

  • Graduate coursework (90 quarter / 60 semester hours),
  • Practicum/internship hours (300–500+ direct face‑to‑face client contact hours, with 60–100 supervision hours and specified relational hours, depending on program start date), and
  • Passing the national exam. (law.cornell.edu)

• The much larger post‑degree hour requirements—for example:

  • “two calendar years of supervised training,”
  • “two hundred hours of face‑to‑face supervision,” and
  • “a minimum of one thousand hours of documented face‑to‑face client contact in marriage and family therapy”
    are for the Independent Marriage and Family Therapist (IMFT) license under OAC 4757‑25‑04 and ORC 4757.30(C), not for MFT‑TEMP. (codes.ohio.gov)

So in Ohio there is no requirement that you complete 1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience to obtain an MFT‑TEMP license. Instead, the hour‑based components you must satisfy are:

• Practicum / internship hours (pre‑ or intra‑degree):
  • 300–500 hours direct face‑to‑face client contact, plus
  • 60–100 hours supervision, with required portions of those hours specifically with couples and families present, depending on when you started your program. (law.cornell.edu)

Once those are complete and you are otherwise fully qualified under ORC 4757.30(A), the MFT‑TEMP license serves as a bridge license allowing you to practice while you finish the examination step and await the Board’s final action.