The California Law and Ethics Exam: questions, time, cost and when to take it

Who takes it

It is one of the two exams for an LMFT license in California, with a clinical exam (B&P §4980.397(a)). Each associate takes the exam for their own registration:

• AMFTs take the LMFT Law and Ethics exam
• ASWs take the LCSW Law and Ethics exam
• APCCs take the LPCC Law and Ethics exam
• There is a separate exam, application and fee for each license type
• Applicants from outside California who aren't registering as associates are approved for it once the Board approves their Application for Licensure

How many questions are on the California Law and Ethics Exam?

75 questions in 90 minutes: 50 scored and 25 unscored pretest questions. The pretest questions are mixed in and not marked, so answer every question as if it counts. The length is the same for the LMFT, LCSW and LPCC versions (Pearson VUE's candidate handbook).

The time on your approved scheduling notice is your total seat time, so it is longer than the 90 minutes of the exam itself.

What it covers

The LMFT exam's outline, in effect since January 2024:

• Law, 44%: consent, confidentiality and privilege (16%); limits to confidentiality and mandated reporting (16%); legal standards for professional practice (12%)
• Ethics, 56%: professional competence and integrity (16%); responsibility to clients and counseling relationships (24%); practice policies and professional responsibilities (16%)
• The LCSW outline has the same split and the same six weights. So does the LPCC outline for exams on or after February 1, 2024; the LPCC outline for exams before then was 40% law and 60% ethics

What is the passing score?

Neither the Board nor Pearson VUE publishes a number or a percentage. Your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly, and because each version of the exam differs a little in difficulty, a statistical process called equating corrects for it. The Board sets passing scores in workshops with licensed subject matter experts. A percentage you see elsewhere doesn't come from either of them.

You get a pass or fail report at the test center. If you pass, you get no numeric score; if you don't, you get your score and diagnostic information. The Board receives results within 24 to 48 hours.

How much does it cost?

$75 from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030; the regular fee is $150. The same applies to the LCSW and LPCC versions (16 CCR 1816.2). You pay the Board with your application; fees aren't accepted at the test center, and the fee isn't refunded except under the handbook's rules for changing or canceling.

When you take it: through December 31, 2026

• You can take it with a current, delinquent or canceled associate registration, or with an approved Application for Licensure (16 CCR 1829.2)
• An AMFT takes it within the first year of registration (B&P §4980.397(b))
• A registration issued on or after January 1, 2016: take it before the registration's first expiration date, and at least once in each renewal cycle until you pass (16 CCR 1829.3(b))
• To renew, taking it once in the cycle is enough; you need a pass for a subsequent registration number or for the license (the Board's FAQ)

From January 1, 2027: what AB 1598 changes

• The Board grants eligibility when it approves your registration or licensure application and you submit the exam application and fee; the “within the first year” sentence is gone (B&P §4980.397(b) as amended)
• Renewing your registration no longer lists taking the exam: the form, the fee, the notice of any conviction or discipline, and your continuing education (§4984.01(b)); the same for ASWs and APCCs
• A passing result must be no more than seven years old when the Board receives your application for the license or a subsequent registration number, but that limit doesn't apply to applications the Board receives on or before January 1, 2030 (§4980.399)
• A subsequent registration number still needs a pass

California's 2027 LMFT law changes: AB 1598 and SB 1445

What isn't settled for 2027

The Board's exam page and FAQ still describe the 2026 rule (taken every renewal cycle until passed), which is right through December 31, 2026. The regulation behind the yearly attempt (16 CCR 1829.3) isn't changed by the new law, and we haven't found a rulemaking to align it. We haven't seen how the Board will apply it after January 1, 2027; ask the Board.

Applying and scheduling

• Apply to the Board: associates apply online in BreEZe, under “Manage Your License Information”; a paper application takes 4 to 6 weeks
• Pearson VUE emails an Authorization to Test with the candidate ID you need to book
• Book online at pearsonvue.com/cabbs or by phone at (888) 281-0402, at least 24 hours ahead; Pearson suggests 4 to 6 weeks ahead for the best choice of place and time
• With approved accommodations, book by phone at (800) 466-0450, option 3
• To cancel or reschedule without losing the fee, do it at least 48 hours before the exam

Where can I take it?

At Pearson VUE test centers throughout the United States and its territories, and at select centers on military bases. Walk-ins aren't available. Pearson's handbook lists no online-proctored option.

On the day

• Two forms of current signature identification, one of them a government photo ID
• The first and last names on your authorization must match your ID exactly, or you can't test and the fee is forfeited
• Arrive at least 30 minutes early

If you don't pass

• Wait 90 days between attempts (16 CCR 1805.05(a)); you can file the re-exam application at any time
• A no-show isn't counted as an attempt toward renewing your registration, and has no waiting period; you file the re-exam application and pay the fee again
• The Board's FAQ: you have at least three chances to pass in each renewal cycle

Is the 12-hour law and ethics course still required?

The Board's FAQ says no: “Effective January 1, 2023, a 12-hour law and ethics course is no longer required for a re-exam.” The regulation as printed in January 2026 (16 CCR 1829.2(a)(1)) still mentions it, but the statute it points to now asks for three hours of continuing education instead. Follow the FAQ, and ask the Board if your situation is unusual.

Three hours of law and ethics every renewal

Separately from the exam, an associate completes at least three hours of continuing education in California law and ethics in each renewal period to renew, whether or not they have passed (B&P §4980.399(e)).

Study materials

The Board doesn't provide study materials and can't recommend courses. Pearson VUE's candidate handbook and the exam outlines describe what is tested.