Free Practice Questions for CA MFT Law & Ethics

The California Law & Ethics Exam is a state-specific examination required for LMFT licensure in California. It tests candidates' knowledge of California Business and Professions Code (BPC 4980 et seq.), Board of Behavioral Sciences regulations, CAMFT Code of Ethics, mandated reporting laws, Tarasoff duty, confidentiality and privilege statutes, and supervision requirements. The exam has 75 multiple-choice questions with a 90-minute time limit.

No. California does NOT require the AMFTRB national examination for MFT licensure. California has its own independent Law & Ethics Exam administered through Pearson VUE. This is one of the key differences between California and most other states.

Of the 75 total questions, only 50 are scored. The remaining 25 are unscored pretest items being evaluated for future exams. You cannot tell which questions are scored and which are pretest, so treat every question as if it counts.

The Tarasoff duty, established by the California Supreme Court, requires therapists to take reasonable steps to protect identifiable potential victims when a client communicates a serious threat of violence. In California, Civil Code 43.92 applies to psychotherapists as defined in Evidence Code 1010, including LMFTs, registered associates and trainees, when a patient communicates a serious threat of physical violence against a reasonably identifiable victim; the duty is discharged by reasonable efforts to communicate the threat to the victim(s) and to a law enforcement agency.

The LMFT California Law & Ethics Examination fee is $75 for the period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030 (16 CCR 1816.2(g)). This is a temporary 50% reduction from the standard $150 fee, adopted by the BBS under Business and Professions Code Section 128.5. The application and fee go to the BBS; re-exam applications and fees can be submitted online through BreEZe (www.breeze.ca.gov).

You become eligible as soon as you receive your Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) registration number from the BBS. You do not need to complete your 3,000 supervised experience hours first — those hours are required for the separate California Clinical Exam and the Application for Licensure. Associates must attempt the Law & Ethics Exam at least once during each annual registration renewal period until they pass it.