Title BPC — California Bus. & Prof. Code

A person engages in the practice of marriage and family therapy when he or she performs or offers to perform or holds himself or herself out as able to perform this service for remuneration in any form, including donations.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 4980, a person who holds a license in another jurisdiction of the United States as a marriage and family therapist may provide marriage and family therapy services in this state for a period not to exceed 30 consecutive days in any calendar year, if al…

Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, a person shall not practice, or advertise the performance of, marriage and family therapy services unless the person has applied to the board for a license, paid the license fee required by this chapter, and obtained a license from th…

A licensee shall display their license in a conspicuous place in the licensee’s primary place of practice when rendering professional clinical services in person.

(a) A licensee or registrant shall provide a client with a notice written in at least 12-point type prior to initiating psychotherapy services, or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, that reads as follows: NOTICE TO CLIENTS The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and re…

It is the intent of the Legislature that the board employ its resources for each and all of the following functions: (a) The licensing of marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, professional clinical counselors, and educational psychologists. (b) The development …

(a) The Legislature acknowledges that the basic obligation to provide a complete and accurate application for a marriage and family therapist license lies with the applicant. At the same time, the Legislature recognizes that an effort should be made by the board to ensure that pe…

(a) This section shall apply to the following: (1) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study before August 1, 2012, and do not complete that study on or before December 31, 2018. (2) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study before …

(a) This section shall apply to applicants for licensure or registration who began graduate study before August 1, 2012, and completed that study on or before December 31, 2018. Those applicants may alternatively qualify under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 4980.36. …

(a) Each educational institution preparing applicants to qualify for registration or licensure shall notify each of its students by means of its public documents or otherwise in writing that its degree program is designed to meet the requirements of Section 4980.36 or 4980.37, an…

(a) An applicant for licensure whose education qualifies him or her under Section 4980.37 shall complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 10 contact hours of coursework in aging and long-term care, which may include, but is not limited to, the biological, social, and ps…

(a) On or after July 1, 2023, an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist shall show, as part of the application, that they have completed a minimum of three hours of training or coursework in the provision of mental health services via telehealth, which shall i…

(a) On or after January 1, 2021, an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist shall show, as part of the application, that they have completed a minimum of six hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention…

(a) A registrant or an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist shall pass the following two examinations as prescribed by the board: (1) A California law and ethics examination. (2) A clinical examination administered by the board or by a public or private orga…

(a) Each applicant who had previously taken and passed the standard written examination but had not passed the clinical vignette examination shall also obtain a passing score on the clinical examination in order to be eligible for licensure. (b) An applicant who had previously fa…

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 4980.398, each applicant and registrant shall obtain a passing score on a board-administered California law and ethics examination in order to qualify for licensure. (b) A registrant shall participate in a board-administered Ca…

An applicant for licensure shall satisfy all of the following qualifications: (a) Meet the educational requirements of Section 4980.36 or both Sections 4980.37 and 4980.41, as applicable. (b) Be at least 18 years of age. (c) Have at least two years of supervised experience as spe…

(a) An applicant for licensure whose education qualifies them under Section 4980.37 shall complete the following coursework or training in order to be eligible to sit for the licensing examinations as specified in Section 4980.397: (1) A two semester or three quarter unit course …

(a) Trainees performing services in any work setting specified in Section 4980.43.3 may perform those activities and services as a trainee, provided that the activities and services constitute part of the trainee’s supervised course of study and that the person is designated by t…

The board may audit the records of any supervisor to verify the completion of the supervisor qualifications specified by this chapter and by regulation. A supervisor shall maintain records of completion of the required supervisor qualifications for seven years after termination o…

An associate marriage and family therapist employed under this chapter shall comply with the following requirements: (a) Inform each client or patient prior to performing any mental health and related services that the person is an unlicensed registered associate marriage and fam…

Any licensed marriage and family therapist who owns a business using a fictitious business name shall not use any name that is false, misleading, or deceptive, and shall inform the patient, prior to the commencement of treatment, of the name and license designation of the owner o…

(a) A trainee shall, prior to performing any professional services, inform each client or patient that the trainee is an unlicensed marriage and family therapist trainee, provide the name of the trainee’s employer, and indicate whether the trainee is under the supervision of a li…

(a) A marriage and family therapist shall retain a client’s or patient’s health service records for a minimum of seven years from the date therapy is terminated. If the client or patient is a minor, the client’s or patient’s health service records shall be retained for a minimum …

(a) Every applicant who meets the educational and experience requirements and applies for a license as a marriage and family therapist shall be examined by the board. The examinations shall be as set forth in Section 4980.397. The examinations shall be given at least twice a year…

(a) The Legislature recognizes that the education and experience requirements in this chapter constitute only minimal requirements to ensure that an applicant is prepared and qualified to take the licensure examinations as specified in Section 4980.397 and, if an applicant passes…

As a model for all therapeutic professions, and to acknowledge respect and regard for the consuming public, all licensed marriage and family therapists are encouraged to provide to each client, at an appropriate time and within the context of the psychotherapeutic relationship, a…

(a) The board shall require a licensee who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2004, to take a continuing education course during his or her first renewal period after the operative date of this section in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention stra…

(a) The board may adopt those rules and regulations as may be necessary to enable it to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. The adoption, amendment, or repeal of those rules and regulations shall be made in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340)…

Except as provided by Section 159.5, the board may employ whatever additional personnel is necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

The board may issue a license to a person who, at the time of submitting an application for a license pursuant to this chapter, holds a license in another jurisdiction of the United States as a marriage and family therapist at the highest level for independent clinical practice i…

(a) This section applies to persons with education gained from an out-of-state school or experience gained outside of California who apply for licensure or registration and who do not qualify for a license under Section 4980.72. (b) The board shall accept education gained from an…

An applicant for licensure or registration with a degree obtained from an educational institution outside the United States shall provide the board with a comprehensive evaluation of the degree performed by a foreign credential evaluation service that is a member of the National …

(a) This section applies to persons with education gained from an out-of-state school who apply for licensure or registration and who do not qualify for a license under Section 4980.72. (b) For purposes of Section 4980.74, education is substantially equivalent if all of the follo…

This section applies to persons subject to Section 4980.78 who apply for licensure or registration. (a) For purposes of Section 4980.78, an applicant shall meet all of the following educational requirements: (1) A minimum of two semester units of instruction in the diagnosis, ass…

The board may deny a license or registration or may suspend or revoke the license or registration of a licensee or registrant if the licensee or registrant has been guilty of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: (a) The co…

(a) The Board of Behavioral Sciences shall require an applicant for marriage and family therapist licensure or registration as an associate marriage and family therapist, as defined in Sections 4980, 4980.02, and 4980.03, to undergo a fingerprint-based state and national criminal…

The board may refuse to issue any registration or license whenever it appears that an applicant may be unable to practice his or her profession safely due to mental illness or chemical dependency. The procedures set forth in Article 12.5 (commencing with Section 820) of Chapter 1…

(a) The board may place a license or registration on probation under the following circumstances: (1) In lieu of, or in addition to, any order of the board suspending or revoking the license or registration of any licensee or associate. (2) Upon the issuance of a license to an in…

The board may deny an application, or may suspend or revoke a license or registration issued under this chapter, for any of the following: (a) Denial of licensure, revocation, suspension, restriction, or any other disciplinary action imposed by another state or territory or posse…

The board shall revoke any license issued under this chapter upon a decision made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, that contains any finding of fact that the license…

The proceedings conducted under this article shall be held in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by both.

In addition to other proceedings provided for in this chapter, whenever any person has engaged, or is about to engage, in any acts or practices which constitute, or will constitute, an offense against this chapter, the superior court in and for the county wherein the acts or prac…

(a) Licenses issued under this chapter shall expire no more than 24 months after the issue date. The expiration date of the original license shall be set by the board. (b) To renew an unexpired license, the licensee, on or before the expiration date of the license, shall do all o…

(a) The associate marriage and family therapist registration shall expire one year from the last day of the month in which it was issued. (b) To renew the registration, the registrant shall, on or before the expiration date of the registration, complete all of the following actio…

A licensee may renew a license at any time within three years after its expiration by completing all of the actions described in subdivision (b) of Section 4984 and paying any delinquency fees.

A suspended license is subject to expiration and shall be renewed as provided in this article, but such renewal does not entitle the licensee, while it remains suspended and until it is reinstated, to engage in the activity to which the license relates, or in any other activity o…

A revoked license is subject to expiration as provided in this article, but it may not be renewed. If it is reinstated after its expiration, the licensee shall, as a condition precedent to its reinstatement, pay a reinstatement fee in an amount equal to the renewal fee in effect …

A license that is not renewed within three years after its expiration shall not be renewed, restored, reinstated, or reissued; however, the former licensee may apply for and obtain a new license if the following criteria are satisfied: (a) No fact, circumstance, or condition exis…