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.
Licensed Professional Clinical CounselorsPractice Requirements
Section § 4999.70
If you're licensed to provide clinical services, you need to hang your license somewhere obvious at the main place where you see clients in person.
license display primary place of practice clinical services
Section § 4999.71
This law requires therapists to give their clients a written notice before starting therapy, or as soon as they can after starting. The notice tells clients how to contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences if they have a complaint about the therapy services. Starting July 1, 2025, the notice also needs to include the therapist's full name, their license or registration number, the type of license they have, and when it expires. The therapist has to keep a record showing that they gave this notice to the client.
(a)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.71(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 responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of professional clinical counselors. You may contact the board online at www.bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.
(b)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.71(b) On and after July 1,
2025, upon initiation of psychotherapy services with a client, the notice described in subdivision (a) shall also include the licensee’s or registrant’s full name as filed with the board, the license or registration number, the type of license or registration, and the license or registration expiration date.
(c)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.71(c) Delivery of the notice required by this section to the client shall be documented.
psychotherapy services notice to clients Board of Behavioral Sciences
Section § 4999.72
If you're a professional counselor with a business under a fake name, you can't choose a name that's false or misleading. Also, before treatment starts, you need to tell your patients the real name and license type of who owns the practice.
Any licensed professional clinical counselor 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 or owners of the practice.
professional clinical counselor fictitious business name false name
Section § 4999.74
If you are receiving services from a licensed professional clinical counselor, they must clearly explain what you can expect from the counseling experience and the nature of their relationship with you.
Licensed professional clinical counselors shall provide to each client accurate information about the counseling relationship and the counseling process.
licensed professional clinical counselors client information counseling relationship
Section § 4999.75
Licensed professional clinical counselors must keep a patient's health records for at least seven years after therapy ends. If the patient is a minor, records should be kept for seven years after they turn 18. This applies to therapies ending on or after January 1, 2015, and the records can be kept in paper or electronic form.
(a)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.75(a) A licensed professional clinical counselor 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 of seven years from the date the client or patient reaches 18 years of age. Health service records may be retained in either a written or an electronic format.
(b)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.75(b) This section shall apply only to the records of a client or patient whose therapy is terminated on or after January 1, 2015.
licensed professional clinical counselor health service records therapy termination
Section § 4999.76
This section requires licensed professional clinical counselors in California to complete continuing education to renew their licenses. They must finish at least 36 hours of board-approved education every two years and include courses on California law and ethics. The board might consider specific mental health topics, like menopause and maternal mental health, in these requirements. The law also allows the board to audit applicants to ensure compliance, and it specifies that educational sources must be accredited or board-specified providers. The board has the authority to revoke a provider’s ability to offer courses if they don’t follow regulations. Continuing education should cover essential counseling topics, recent developments, and interdisciplinary subjects that benefit counseling practice. Exceptions to these requirements can be made for good cause as defined by the board.
(a)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(a)
(1)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(a)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (d), the board shall not renew any license pursuant to this chapter unless the applicant certifies to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that the applicant has completed not less than 36 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of professional clinical counseling in the preceding two years, as determined by the board.
(2)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(a)(2) The board shall not renew any registration pursuant to this chapter unless the registrant certifies under penalty of perjury to the board, and on a form
prescribed by the board, that they have completed not less than three hours of continuing education in the subject of California law and ethics during the preceding year.
(b)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(b)
(1)Copy CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(b)(1) In determining its continuing education requirements, the board shall consider including a course in menopausal mental health.
(2)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(b)(2) In determining its continuing education requirements, the board shall consider including a course in maternal mental health.
(c)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(c) The board shall have the right to audit the records of any applicant to verify the completion of the continuing education requirement. Applicants shall maintain records of completed continuing education coursework for a minimum of two years and shall make these records available to the board for auditing purposes upon request.
(d)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(d) The board may establish exceptions from the continuing education requirement of this section for good cause, as defined by the board.
(e)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(e) The continuing education shall be obtained from one of the following sources:
(1)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(e)(1) A school, college, or university that is accredited or approved, as defined in Section 4999.12. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring coursework to be offered as part of a regular degree program.
(2)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(e)(2) Other continuing education providers as specified by the board by regulation.
(f)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(f) The board shall establish, by regulation, a procedure for identifying acceptable providers of continuing education courses, and all providers of continuing education, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (e), shall adhere to procedures established by the board. The board may revoke or deny the right of a provider to offer continuing education coursework pursuant to this section for failure to comply with this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to this section.
(g)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(g) Training, education, and coursework by approved providers shall incorporate one or more of the following:
(1)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(g)(1) Aspects of the discipline that are fundamental to the understanding or the practice of professional clinical counseling.
(2)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(g)(2) Significant recent developments in the discipline of professional clinical counseling.
(3)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(g)(3) Aspects of other disciplines that enhance the understanding or the practice of professional clinical counseling.
(h)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(h) A system of continuing education for licensed professional clinical counselors shall include courses directly related to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of the client population being served.
(i)CA Business & Professions Code § 4999.76(i) The continuing education requirements of this section shall fully comply with the guidelines for mandatory continuing education established by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to Section 166.
continuing education professional clinical counseling license renewal
