Colorado Bill Increases Marriage and Family Therapist Licensure Access

Detected March 6th, 2026

Summary

Colorado Bill HB26-1228 proposes changes to the licensure requirements for marriage and family therapists. The bill aims to increase access to licensure by allowing individuals whose master's or doctoral programs did not include an internship or practicum to still become licensed, with additional supervised clinical hours required.

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What changed

Colorado Bill HB26-1228, introduced for the 2026 Regular Session, seeks to amend the requirements for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Under current law, applicants must complete 1,500 supervised clinical hours. This bill would allow individuals whose degree programs did not include an internship or practicum to register as LMFT candidates, but they would be required to complete an additional 700 supervised clinical hours, totaling 2,200 hours.

This legislation, if passed, will impact aspiring marriage and family therapists in Colorado by providing an alternative pathway to licensure. Individuals whose programs lacked the required internship or practicum will need to complete more supervised hours. The bill is currently under consideration, with a House Third Reading scheduled for March 6, 2026. Compliance with the new requirements would be necessary upon the bill's enactment.

What to do next

Monitor the progress of Colorado Bill HB26-1228 through the legislative process.
Review the specific clinical hour requirements if the bill is enacted and impacts candidate licensing pathways.

Source document (simplified)

HB26-1228

Marriage & Family Therapy Clinical Requirements

| Type | Bill |
| --- | --- |
| Session | 2026 Regular Session |
| Subjects | Professions & Occupations |
Concerning measures to increase access to licensure as a marriage and family therapist.

Recent Bill (PDF) Recent Fiscal Note (PDF) Bill Summary:

Under current law, an individual who has completed a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, or its equivalent, from a degree program that included an internship or practicum in the principles and practice of marriage and family therapy may be registered as a candidate for licensure and must complete at least 1,500 supervised clinical hours to be licensed as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT).

The bill allows an applicant whose master's or doctoral degree program did not include an internship or practicum to also be registered as an LMFT candidate, but requires these candidates to complete an additional 700 supervised clinical hours to become an LMFT.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)