FLORIDA CLINICAL LICENSURE
Get licensed with the steps in the right order.
Short answer
Florida has three main therapy licenses: LMHC (counseling), LCSW (social work) and LMFT (marriage and family therapy). For licensure by examination, graduate education, intern registration, supervised experience, a profession-specific exam and a license application are parts of the process. Choose your profession below to check its requirements.
Florida’s licensure rules are public, but they are spread across Board pages, laws, rules, forms, and exam instructions. This section puts the steps in order. Each step links back to the official source.
Degree to License is being built for Florida LMHCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs. The LMHC path is available first because it is the process I completed firsthand.
Verify before you act
This guide is educational and informational only. It is not legal, professional, or licensure advice. Requirements change. Verify every requirement directly with the Florida Board before relying on it.
Choose your next licensure step
Start with the step you need today. If you are still in school or have not registered, first check the requirements for your profession and Florida intern credentials. The exam, courses and other application requirements have their own timing.
Find and vet a supervisor
Search by ZIP code, compare supervisors and verify approval for your profession before starting counted supervision.
Keep a record of your hours
Organize client hours, supervision hours and supervised weeks in the free Florida Hours Tracker. Keep the records and forms your supervisor needs alongside it.
Estimate your experience finish date
Enter your weekly pace and actual progress in the LMHC calculator. It estimates experience completion, not when the Board will issue a license.
Prepare your license application
Use the LMHC checklist to organize experience verification, exam and course records, and the other application materials. For LCSW or LMFT, use the Board links below.
Florida therapy licenses at a glance
Each path requires face-to-face psychotherapy hours with clients. The Florida Board lists the experience and exam rules for counseling, clinical social work, and marriage and family therapy.
| License | Intern credential | Client hours | Supervision hours and weeks | Exam | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LMHC | RMHCI | 1,500 face-to-face hours | At least 100 hours in no fewer than 100 weeks | NCMHCE | LMHC requirements guide |
| LCSW | RCSWI | 1,500 face-to-face hours | At least 100 hours in no fewer than 100 weeks | ASWB Clinical exam | RCSWI credential guide |
| LMFT | RMFTI | 1,500 face-to-face hours | At least 100 hours in no fewer than 100 weeks | National MFT exam (AMFTRB) | RMFTI credential guide |
For the next decision, read what supervision costs, how long the LMHC path takes, Florida’s 2026 supervision rule changes, what RMHCI, RCSWI, and RMFTI mean, and which therapy platforms accept interns.
Florida therapist licensure by profession
Mental health counseling
Start with the full Florida LMHC roadmap, then use the focused guides below for each stage of registration, supervision, examination, and licensure.
Marriage and family therapy
Source-linked Florida LMFT guidance is planned. Until it is published, verify requirements directly with the Florida Board.
The free hours tracker already works for marriage and family therapy interns.
Clinical social work
Source-linked Florida LCSW guidance is planned. Until it is published, verify requirements directly with the Florida Board.
The free hours tracker already works for clinical social work interns.
MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Florida LMHC practical guides
Use the roadmap for the complete sequence. Choose a focused guide when you need the requirements, records, costs, or next actions for one specific stage.
Education, registration, and the exam
Just registered? What you can do on day one
Florida LMHC requirements and licensure roadmap
Supervisors, experience, and records
Find and vet a Qualified Supervisor
From completed hours to licensure
What happens after you finish your RMHCI hours
Costs and endorsement
SOURCE-LINKED BY DESIGN
How these guides are built
Every licensing guide shows when it was last reviewed, links to the controlling source, and separates Board requirements from practical experience.
NEXT STEP
Licensed or comparing your first work options?
Continue to Get Paid as a Therapist for Florida compensation data, W-2 versus 1099 guidance, a job-offer checklist, and platform economics. When you are ready to move from licensure into independent practice, follow the Florida therapy private-practice startup roadmap.
A free tool for the supervised-hours period
If you are accruing hours now, the Florida Hours Tracker counts them against the 1,500 face-to-face hours, the 100 supervision hours and the 100 weeks Florida requires, and projects the date you finish. Free, and the same for counseling, social work and marriage and family interns.
Official starting points
Professional and informational disclaimer: This guide is educational and informational only. It is not legal, professional, clinical, employment, or licensure advice. Florida statutes, Board rules, application procedures, fees, and examination requirements can change. Verify the requirements that apply to you directly with the Florida Board and the relevant examination administrator before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Which intern credential leads to an LMHC in Florida?
RMHCI leads toward the LMHC license. It means Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern. Check the Florida Board’s counseling intern page before applying.
Do Florida’s three therapy licenses require the same number of client hours?
Yes. The Board lists 1,500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy for LMHC, LCSW, and LMFT applicants. Each also lists at least 100 supervision hours in no fewer than 100 weeks.
Which national exam does a Florida LCSW applicant take?
The Board requires the ASWB Clinical exam for LCSW applicants. Check its clinical social work page for exam approval and application steps.
Where can I verify the current Florida license requirements?
Use the Florida Board’s profession page for your license. Read the current Florida statutes and administrative rules linked there before you apply.