Clinical Supervision Requirements in New Jersey

Licensing Board Overview

New Jersey licenses these mental health professionals through two boards in the Division of Consumer Affairs. The State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners licenses LMFTs and associate MFTs (LAMFTs). Its Professional Counselor Examiners Committee licenses LPCs and associate counselors (LACs); the Committee recommends and the Board makes final decisions. Social workers are regulated by the State Board of Social Work Examiners.

New Jersey's statutes define supervision requirements in fairly broad terms, with the specific details (exact hours, supervision ratios, and supervisor qualifications) spelled out in the New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.). If you're looking for precise numbers, you'll need to reference the administrative rules for your specific license type.

LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor

New Jersey's LPC requires a period of post-graduate supervised experience in professional counseling. You start as a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC), and hours count only after LAC licensure and after the Committee approves a supervision plan.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total hours: 4,500 hours (three "calendar years" of 1,500 hours), or 3,000 hours with 30 graduate credits beyond the 60-credit master's (N.J.A.C. 13:34-11.3). Up to one calendar year may come from a graduate practicum or internship
• Time limits: No more than 30 hours in any one week and 125 hours in any one month. The hours must be finished within 6 years of the LAC license date
• Setting: Each supervisor and each worksite needs its own supervision plan approved by the Committee before counseling begins
• Supervision format: At least 50 hours of face-to-face supervision per calendar year, at one hour per week. No more than 10 of those hours may be group supervision
• Exam: National Counselor Examination (NCE). The NCMHCE is accepted only for licensure by endorsement
• Specifics: Exact hour counts and supervision rules are defined in N.J.A.C. Title 13, Chapter 34

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold a clinical license in professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, psychiatry or social work for at least 3 years in the state where services are provided
• Must have at least 4,500 hours of work experience after clinical licensure, over 3 to 6 years (N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.1)
• Must hold a supervision credential or graduate credits in supervision (see below)
• There is no supervisor registry. The Committee approves each supervision plan

LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker

New Jersey's LCSW requires post-master's supervised clinical experience. You start as an LSW and work toward LCSW.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total hours: 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience after the MSW, completed in no less than 2 and no more than 4 years (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1)
• Clinical focus: At least 1,920 hours of face-to-face client contact, at least 960 of them in psychotherapeutic counseling. The other 1,080 hours can include supervision or other social work services
• Recency: The experience must be completed no more than 5 years before the application, while licensed as an LSW (or in an exempt setting)
• Supervision: At least one hour of face-to-face individual or group clinical supervision per week with an LCSW supervisor
• Exam: ASWB Clinical examination required. All supervision hours must be completed before the exam
• Specifics: Exact hour counts are defined in N.J.A.C. Title 13, Chapter 44G

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold an active New Jersey LCSW license
• Licensed as an LCSW for at least 3 years, per N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1(b)(3)(i)
• Must complete 20 continuing education credits of board-approved coursework in clinical supervision
• No board approval of the supervisor is required. A proposed plan of supervision is optional

LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

New Jersey licenses marriage and family therapists through the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners. You start as a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT), a two-year license that can be renewed no more than twice.

Supervised Experience Requirements

• Total hours: 4,500 hours: two calendar years of supervised MFT experience plus one calendar year of counseling experience, which may be a master's internship (N.J.A.C. 13:34-2.4)
• Each MFT calendar year: 1,500 hours, with no more than 1,150 hours of client contact (with individuals, couples and families), no more than 300 hours of other work-related activities, and at least 50 hours of supervision
• Time limits: No more than 30 hours in any one week and 125 hours in any one month
• Supervision: At least 50 hours of face-to-face supervision per calendar year, at one hour per week. No more than half may be group supervision
• Exam: AMFTRB national examination

Supervisor Qualifications

• Must hold a New Jersey LMFT license, or a New Jersey license in another profession with a master's in marriage and family therapy, social work or an equivalent graduate degree
• Must have at least five full-time years of professional marriage and family therapy practice experience, or the equivalent
• Must complete 6 hours of telesupervision training before providing any telesupervision

New Jersey-Specific Details

Statute vs. Administrative Code

New Jersey's licensing statutes provide the framework, but the real operational details live in the Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.). This includes the specific number of hours, supervision ratios, acceptable settings, and supervisor training requirements. If you're setting up a supervision arrangement, pull up the relevant N.J.A.C. sections for your license type. The statutes alone won't give you enough detail to plan your supervision.

Two Boards, Three Professions

New Jersey has no single composite board. Counselors and marriage and family therapists share the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners, with counselors handled by its Professional Counselor Examiners Committee. Social workers have their own board. Each has its own forms and processes, so if you supervise across disciplines you'll deal with more than one.

More Than One Supervisor

Supervisees in all three tracks may have more than one supervisor at a time, and there is no primary or secondary role. LAC and LAMFT supervisees need a separate approved plan for each supervisor and each worksite. For the LCSW, every supervisor completes a separate verification form for each job title and location.

Pending Changes

Bill S3741 would reduce LMFT experience to two years of supervised MFT experience and count up to 300 practicum client contact hours. It was reported by the Senate Commerce Committee on October 5, 2026 and is not yet law. Bill S1883 would reduce LPC hours to 3,000 and is in committee.

Documentation Requirements

• LPC and LMFT: the supervision plan must be approved by the Committee or Board before counseling begins. Hours without an approved plan may not count. LCSW: a proposed plan is optional
• LAC supervisors keep weekly, documented supervision notes, available to the Committee on request
• LAMFT supervisors file a Client Contact and Supervision Hours report with the Board every 6 months
• LSW supervisors give written progress reports to the supervisee and the employer at least quarterly
• At the end of supervision, or on a change of supervisor, each LPC supervisor sends the Documentation of Supervised Counseling Experience directly to the Committee. Each LCSW supervisor completes a Documentation of Supervised Clinical Experience form
• LAC supervisors keep supervision documentation for at least 3 years per N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.1(f). No retention period was found for MFT or social work supervisors, so keep records longer for your own protection

Virtual Supervision in New Jersey

The rules differ by license type. LAC supervision must be face-to-face. The Committee denied a 2024 petition to allow virtual supervision for LACs but said it intends to propose rules. LAMFT telesupervision may cover up to half of supervision hours by live two-way video, not audio only. Before using it, the supervisor must complete 6 hours of telesupervision training and hold at least one in-person meeting (N.J.A.C. 13:34-3.5). LSW supervision may use synchronous video for individual supervision only, for no more than half of total supervision hours (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1).

Interstate Compacts

New Jersey has enacted the Counseling Compact (P.L.2023, c.324) and the Social Work Licensure Compact (P.L.2025, c.51). Neither is issuing privileges or multistate licenses in New Jersey yet. There is no MFT compact.

Key New Jersey Board Contact Information

• New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs: njconsumeraffairs.gov
• Professional Counselor Examiners Committee (LPC, LAC): njconsumeraffairs.gov/pc
• State Board of Social Work Examiners (LCSW, LSW): njconsumeraffairs.gov/sw
• State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners (LMFT, LAMFT): njconsumeraffairs.gov/mft

How to Become a Clinical Supervisor in New Jersey

New Jersey regulates mental health licenses through the Division of Consumer Affairs. Supervisor requirements vary by license type. Always verify current standards with the appropriate board or committee.

Becoming an LPC Supervisor in New Jersey

• Licensure: Must hold an active clinical license for a minimum of 3 years in the state where services are provided
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 4,500 hours of work experience after becoming fully clinically licensed, obtained over 3 to 6 calendar years, per N.J.A.C. 13:34-13.1
• Supervisor credential required: Must hold the NBCC Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential, an equivalent credential recognized by your own professional licensing board, or a minimum of 3 graduate credits in clinical supervision from a regionally accredited institution. Anyone deemed a qualified LAC supervisor as of April 5, 2021 is grandfathered
• Supervisee limits: Maximum 6 mental health counselors at one time (not counting independently licensed practitioners). Group supervision also capped at 6
• Supervision plan: The supervision plan must be Committee-approved before the associate counselor begins counseling
• Supervisee hour requirements: Supervisees need 50 hours of face-to-face supervision per calendar year, of which no more than 10 hours may be group supervision

Becoming an LCSW Supervisor in New Jersey

• Licensure: Must hold an active New Jersey LCSW license for a minimum of 3 years. Under the board's rule, only LCSWs may supervise clinical social work in New Jersey
• Supervision training: Must complete at least 20 continuing education credits of post-graduate coursework in clinical supervision, approved by the Board and taught in person by a qualified LCSW. The course must cover: developmental models of supervision, role of supervision in practice, legal and ethical issues, cultural competency, and transference/countertransference. A Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) course does not satisfy this requirement. Per N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1
• Supervisee limits: Maximum 6 social workers pursuing LCSW hours at one time. Group supervision capped at 4 social workers per group
• Supervision frequency: At least 1 hour face-to-face (individual or group) per week. Synchronous video may be used for individual supervision only, for no more than half of total supervision hours

Becoming an LMFT Supervisor in New Jersey

• Licensure: Must hold an active New Jersey LMFT license in good standing, or a New Jersey license in a related field plus a master's in MFT, social work or an equivalent graduate degree
• Clinical experience: A minimum of 5 full-time years of professional marriage and family therapy practice experience (or the equivalent), per N.J.A.C. 13:34-2.4(a)
• Supervision training: No general supervision course is required, but 6 hours of telesupervision training are required before any telesupervision (since September 18, 2023)
• Supervisee limits: The equivalent of 6 full-time mental health professionals at one time. Group supervision also capped at 6
• Supervision plan: A written supervision plan must be Board-approved before the LAMFT begins counseling. Documentation must be filed with the Board every 6 months
• Telesupervision: Allowed for up to half of total supervision hours
• Ending supervision: Give the LAMFT and the Board two weeks' written notice

New Jersey-Specific Considerations

• Separate rules by profession: LPC and LMFT fall under different sections of N.J.A.C. 13:34, while LCSW falls under N.J.A.C. 13:44G, and requirements differ significantly between them
• LCSW same-discipline only: Unlike LPC and LMFT supervision, the board's rule allows clinical social work supervision only by an LCSW
• Grandfathering: The April 5, 2021 grandfathering provision applies to LAC supervisors only

How Guidara Helps New Jersey Supervisors

With two boards, per-supervisor forms and key details buried in administrative code, New Jersey supervisors need clean, well-organized records. Guidara keeps hour logs, signed supervision notes and timesheets, with timestamps and audit trails. When it's time to complete the board's verification forms, you can export PDF records to work from instead of reconstructing years of records from memory or scattered files.