MFT licensure in Minnesota is a 4-step process: education, national exam, post-graduate experience, and state licensure exam.
(1) A graduate degree must be obtained that satisfies educational requirements set forth in Minnesota Statute 148B.33, subd. 1:
148B.33 REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE Subdivision 1. Documentary evidence of qualifications. An applicant for a license shall furnish evidence that the applicant:
(5)(i) has completed a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program in a regionally accredited educational institution or from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; or (ii) has completed a master's or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited educational institution in a related field for which the course work is considered by the board to be equivalent to that provided in clause (5)(i);
Students interested in MFT licensure in Minnesota should check with their school to determine if it is COAMFTE-accredited. If it is, your coursework satisfies MN licensure requirements. If it is not, equivalency requirements are set forth in Minnesota Rule 5300.0140. Coursework and graduate practicum requirements are clearly spelled out in this rule.
The Application for National Examination in MFT contains the required practicum affidavit on page 6 and a coursework equivalency grid on page 8. If an applicant has questions regarding whether coursework satisfies the MFT licensure requirements, it is recommended that s/he first discuss the matter with an advisor at the academic institution prior to contacting the Board.
(2) After obtaining the required degree, the initial application for seeking LMFT licensure, the Application for National Examination in MFT, is filed with the Board. This application MUST BE FILED within six (6) months of the applicant beginning to log/provide post-graduate, supervised clinical services. (See Minn.Rule 5300.0155, subp. 2.) Applicants are also required to complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check. Please review the Criminal Background Check page for more information. The Board's Application Committee reviews the application to verify that academic and practicum requirements are satisfied. Upon approval by the Board of this Application, the applicant will receive registration information allowing the applicant to register for the AMFTRB National Examination in MFT at a day and time selected by the applicant. An approved applicant may take the MFT National Exam at a time of the applicant's choosing; it is recommended the applicant take the exam within two years of initial application approval.
Upon passage of the MFT National Examination, the applicant is provided the Application for LAMFT Licensure by the Board. LAMFT licensure is NOT automatic. The applicant must complete and file the Application for LAMFT Licensure before the license will be granted by the Board. The applicant then maintains LAMFT licensure until independently licensed as a MN LMFT. (An applicant who, upon passage of the MFT National Examination, has completed all post-graduate requirements for LMFT licensure, may file the Application for LMFT Licensure instead of the Application for LAMFT Licensure. Questions regarding which application to file should be directed to Board staff.)
If you wish to request an ELL Special Arrangement seeking additional testing time when taking the national MFT exam, you must also file the ELL Special Arrangement Request form at the time you file your Application for National Examination in MFT.
(3) An applicant must complete a minimum of 4000 hours of post-graduate supervised experience in the practice of MFT under the supervision of a Board-approved LMFT supervisor. Post-graduate clinical client contact hours and supervision hours may begin to be logged after the applicant's qualifying MFT degree is awarded. Applicants may use this sample Supervision Log, or may record post-graduate hours in any similar format (spreadsheet, table, etc.) which would allow verification that the applicant has met requirements for LMFT licensure. The Board recommends regular review of an applicant’s log with the Board-approved LMFT supervisor, with the supervisor signing off on logged hours on a regular basis. For more information regarding the 4000 post-graduate hours, review the document Breakdown of Post-Graduate Supervised Experience.
(4) Last, after passing the AMFTRB National Examination in MFT and completing the required number of post-graduate supervised experience hours, an applicant can apply to the Board for LMFT licensure by completing the Application for Marriage and Family Therapist Licensure (LMFT) by State Examination. Upon approval of this application, the applicant will be scheduled for the written state licensure licensure exam, administered at the Board's St. Paul office.
Criminal Background Check page for more information. The Board's Application Committee reviews the application to verify that academic and practicum requirements are satisfied. Upon approval by the Board of this Application, the applicant will receive registration information allowing the applicant to register for the AMFTRB National Examination in MFT at a day and time selected by the applicant. An approved applicant must take the MFT National Exam within two years of initial application approval.
ELECTRONIC SUPERVISION: Individuals obtaining post-graduate supervised experience for the purposes of licensure may log up to 25% (50 hours) of the required supervision via secure, synchronous electronic means. All other required supervision must be face-to-face. UPDATE: On March 27, 2020, the MN Board of MFT waived the limitation on electronic supervision hours during the COVID-19 health crisis. On September 17, 2021, the Board affirmed this waiver would continue through December 31, 2022.
LMFT Licensure by reciprocity is also available to an individual holding an LMFT license from another jurisdiction. A reciprocity candidate must complete an Application for Licensure by Reciprocity. Reciprocity applicants are required to complete a criminal background check. Please review information on the Criminal Background Check page. Reciprocity licensure is governed by Minnesota Rule 5300.0250. Please review this rule prior to filing an application for licensure by reciprocity.
