CEU requirements by State › Iowa › LMHC
Iowa · Professional Counseling
Iowa LMHC continuing education requirements
An Iowa LMHC needs 40 hours of continuing education every 2 years to renew. This page is our summary of the continuing education rules for a licensed professional counselor (LMHC) in Iowa, as we read them from the published rules of the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science on September 25, 2026.
- Hours
- 40
- Renewal
- Every 2 years
- Last checked
- September 25, 2026
A reference, not legal or licensing advice. Confirm is not affiliated with the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science and does not speak for it. We summarize the published rules as a convenience and they can change or be read differently, so this page may be incomplete or out of date. Your board has the final say: always confirm your requirements with your board before you renew. Use this page at your own risk. See the Terms.
Total hours
- 40 hours (after the first renewal)
- 0 hours (first renewal)First-time licensees are not required to complete CE before the first renewal.
Compliance period September 1 of even years to September 30 of the next even year.
Hours that must be included
- Ethics: 3 hours
Limits
- Presenting, research, publication, teaching, authoring and board service: at most 20 hoursCombined limit of 20 hours; authoring 5 hours per page up to 20, board service up to 3.
If you hold two licenses from this board
The rules do not say whether a course can count toward more than one; Confirm counts it toward each and suggests you check with the board.
Paperwork and other items
- Board-approved supervisors: 3 hours in supervisionOnly if you hold supervisor status.
- Mandatory reporter training (HHS)Initial two-hour dependent adult abuse and child abuse courses, then one-hour recertification every three years.
Source
481—881.2 (Iowa HHS continuing education rules), read on September 25, 2026.
Board: Iowa Board of Behavioral Science.
This summary may be incomplete or out of date. The board’s own rules are the only authority; confirm your requirements with the board before you renew.