Marriage and Family Therapy
Welcome!
Exam Information
In order to be licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Utah, applicants must pass the National Marital and Family Therapy (MFT) Exam administered by the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB). Applicants should submit an official score report of passing the MFT Exam with their license application.
Apply for a License
STEP 1: Please select the license type you are applying for:
REQUIREMENTS – Before proceeding, the following requirements must be met:
REQUIREMENTS – Before proceeding, the following requirements must be met:
- Primary Source verification verifying name, license title, license issue date, license expiration date and if license is in GOOD standing.
- Verifications must cover the time period used to qualify for endorsement.
- More than one place of employment to count hours you must have each employer complete a separate form, and the hours from all forms must total 4,000.
- If you are in private practice have a colleague or another professional complete the form
- Only include hours and dates from when you were licensed and able to practice independently. Do NOT include dates and hours used to accrue supervision.
REQUIREMENTS – Before proceeding, the following requirements must be met:
- Submit OFFICIAL transcripts that identify the degree earned and date conferred.
Master’s or Doctorate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy program or equivalent field that is accredited by CHEA.
- Submit OFFICIAL transcripts that identify the degree earned and date conferred.
- Submit Course descriptions or syllabus for EACH course
- Complete and submit the EDUCATIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS pages.
REQUIREMENTS – Before proceeding, the following requirements must be met:
- Produce Official transcripts documenting completion of a master’s or doctorate degree from a marriage and family program accredited by COAMFTE.
- Produce certified transcripts evidencing completion of a clinical master's degree in marriage and family therapy or equivalent from a program accredited by a professional accrediting body approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation of the American Council on Education at the time the applicant obtained the education.
- Completed a clinical practicum of not fewer than 600 hours which includes not fewer than 100 hours of face to face supervision and not fewer than 500 direct contact hours of face to face supervised clinical practice of which not less than 250 hours shall be with couples or families who are physically present in the therapy room
- Completed Education course requirement pages and providing a copy of the graduate catalog course description and/or syllabus of any identified course.
REQUIREMENTS – Before proceeding, the following requirements must be met:
- Produce certified transcripts evidencing completion of a clinical master's degree in marriage and family therapy or equivalent from a program accredited by a professional accrediting body approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation of the American Council on Education at the time the applicant obtained the education.
- Deficient no more than a combined total of six semester or eight quarter hours (refer to R156-60b-102 (2) for specific courses allowed)
- Completed a clinical practicum of not fewer than 600 hours which includes not fewer than 100 hours of face to face supervision and not fewer than 500 direct contact hours of face to face supervised clinical practice of which not less than 250 hours shall be with couples or families who are physically present in the therapy room
- Completed Education course requirement pages and providing a copy of the graduate catalog course description and/or syllabus of any identified course.
Renew a License
- Licenses expire on September 30 of even years.
- At least 60 days prior to the expiration date of a license, DOPL will mail a renewal notice to the licensee's address of record as provided to DOPL by the individual licensee. (Failure to notify DOPL of an address change could prevent a licensee from timely receiving renewal notification and other important correspondence from DOPL.)
- Renewal Fees — $93
REQUIREMENTS – Before proceeding with renewal, the following requirements must be met:
- 15 hours must be directly related to marriage and family therapy
- 6 hours shall be in ethics/law of which 3 specific to marriage and family ethics/law.
- 2 hours in suicide prevention
Additional Forms
Update Your License Record
Legal Name Change
If your legal name has changed, you must verify the change by submitting a copy of a marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, driver's license, or social security card to the Division. If you desire a reprint of your license reflecting the name change, you must also submit a $10 reprint fee with the request.
- EMAIL: doplweb@utah.gov
- FAX: 801-530-6511
- MAIL: PO Box 146741, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6741
Change of Address
You may update your address online in the eGov system.
Laws and Rules
- PROPOSED Mental Health Professional Practice Act Rule (Filed: 09/03/2019) (Closes: 10/15/2019)
Contact: Larry Marx | lmarx@utah.gov | 801-530-6254 - PROPOSED Marriage and Family Therapist Licensing Act Rule (Filed: 09/15/2020) (Closes: 11/02/2020)
Contact: Jennifer Falkenrath | jzaelit@utah.gov | 801-530-7632 - DOPL Licensing Act, 58-1 (05/08/2018)
- General Rule of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, R156-1. (01/09/2020)
- Mental Health Professional Practice Act, 58-60 (05/08/2018)
- Mental Health Professional Practice Act Rules, R156-60 (01/21/2020)
- Marriage and Family Therapist Licensing Act Rule, R156-60b (01/07/2016)
- Retired Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Act, 58-81 (05/10/2016)
- Utah Health Care Malpractice Act, Title 78B, Chapter 3, Part 4 (05/08/2018)
- Retired Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Act Rule R156-81 (06/22/2009)
Board Members event_seat=Chairperson
| Name | Appointed | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Christopher Munk, Ph.D., LMFT, SAP event_seat (MFT) | 12/05/2013 | 06/30/2021 |
| Kevin N. Barlow (MFT) | 07/01/2018 | 06/30/2022 |
| Anthony T. Alonzo (MFT) | 07/01/2018 | 06/30/2022 |
| Elizabeth Mower (Public Member) | 02/28/2018 | 06/30/2024 |
| Elizabeth Ann Brinton Fawcett, Ph.D. (MFT) | 07/01/2019 | 06/30/2024 |
Upcoming Public Meetings
Past Public Meetings
Contact Us
- For general licensing questions call:
- (801) 530-6628
(866) 275-3675 Toll-Free in Utah - Bureau Manager
- Jennifer Falkenrath — jzaelit@utah.gov
- Board Secretary
- Jennifer Johnson — jennyajohnson@utah.gov
Websites
Resources
Military Resources
Are you a veteran in crisis or concerned about one?
Contact the Veteran Crisis Line
Members of the armed forces and their families are often more affected than other groups by licensing restrictions because of frequent relocations to fulfill orders. To ease this burden, the Utah Legislature has authorized certain fee waivers and license exemptions for qualifying military personnel and military spouses.
License Fee Waivers
Initial License and License Renewal
DOPL requires a processing fee for initial license applications and license renewal. This
fee varies by profession. The Utah Legislature has authorized initial license and license renewal fee waivers for qualifying military service members. Full-time
active duty service members should submit the fee waiver request form with their initial and renewal license application.
Download the fee waiver request form here.
Inactive License
Qualifying licensees, who wish to maintain their license but who are not currently practicing in the profession, can apply for inactive status. In some cases,
changing a license to inactive status will remove certain CE requirements. The Utah Legislature has authorized fee waivers for qualifying military service
members who change their license to inactive status or who renew an inactive license. Please note that not all professions have inactive status as an option.
To check if your profession has inactive license status, refer to
Utah Administrative Rule R156-1-305.
Full-time active duty service members can download the fee waiver request form for inactive status here.
Licensing for Military Spouses
Spouses of military service members stationed in Utah are permitted to work in licensed professions without obtaining a Utah license as long as they possess an active license from another state or territory of the United States. Since this benefit for military spouses is relatively new, you may need to explain to employers or the public who ask that your out-of-state license is valid because you are a spouse of an active duty service member. To help you, the Division has created a verification letter which you can show your employer or the public that explains this exemption. Download the verification letter here.
Additional Resources
Are you struggling with PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts, or addiction?
The College of Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Utah provides free treatment for veterans, including: therapy sessions, workshops, and a two-week residential treatment program for veterans with PTSD in Park City.
Learn more here.
The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA) provides resources for veterans including education, employment, healthcare, and more. Learn more here.