MFT Licensing in Sacramento and Northern California
Becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Sacramento or anywhere north of it follows the same statewide path as in the rest of California: a qualifying master's degree, registration as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), 3,000 hours of supervised experience over at least 104 weeks, and two state examinations. What changes by region is where you can study and where you can train. Seven MFT programs have campuses or regional sites in the Sacramento region and the counties to its north, from Sacramento and Rocklin to Chico, Redding and Arcata, and programs taught online are open to students anywhere in the state.
The Board of Behavioral Sciences, which registers associates and licenses LMFTs, has its office in Sacramento. AMFT registration applications can be submitted online in BreEZe or by mail, and LMFT licensure applications are mailed, so living nearby does not change how you apply.
Last updated: October 27, 2026
Which MFT Programs Have Campuses in Sacramento and Northern California?
The table covers programs with a campus in Northern California outside the nine Bay Area counties: the Sacramento region and everything north of it. Total cost comes from the Sentio directory's tuition page at 2026-27 rates, where "~" marks an approximate figure. The pass rate is the share of first-time takers who passed the LMFT Clinical Exam in 2025, as reported by the Board of Behavioral Sciences; graduates take that exam after completing their supervised hours, so the rates mostly describe earlier graduating classes.
| Program | Campus | Format | Total cost, 2026-27 | First-time Clinical Exam pass rate, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSU Sacramento | Sacramento | On campus | ~$33,000 | 89% (17 of 19) |
| Alliant International University | Sacramento, with campuses in San Diego, Los Angeles and Irvine | On campus or online | $68,100 to $87,780 | 86% (104 of 121), all campuses combined |
| University of San Francisco | Sacramento regional site, with its main campus in San Francisco and other sites in the Bay Area and Santa Rosa | On site; regional sites meet mainly on one weekday | $81,000 | 90% (90 of 100), all sites combined |
| William Jessup University | Rocklin | On campus, or live remote classes for California residents | $41,580 | 82% (14 of 17) |
| CSU Chico | Chico | On campus | ~$33,000 | 100% (13 of 13) |
| Simpson University | Redding | On campus, two evenings a week | $50,423 | 100% (10 of 10) |
| Cal Poly Humboldt | Arcata | On campus | ~$22,000 | 100% (6 of 6) |
Statewide, 83% of first-time takers passed the Clinical Exam in 2025 (2,667 of 3,216). Most programs in the region had fewer than 20 first-time takers that year, so one or two results move a program's rate by several points, and the rates are best read alongside each program's review. The three California State University campuses cost the least, while the private programs offer more scheduling options: Jessup teaches California residents in a live virtual classroom, Simpson meets two evenings a week, USF's regional sites meet mainly on one weekday, and Alliant offers its degree on campus or online. Each review covers admissions, practicum and cost in detail, and the statewide MFT program directory compares every program in California, including its Northern California picks.
Published by the Sentio MFT program. Our own program has no campus in this region and is not in the table. It is a 20-month online MA in Marriage and Family Therapy with weekly live classes, an in-person residency in Los Angeles at the start of each semester, and a guaranteed practicum at the Sentio Counseling Center, an online counseling center; the Sentio MFT program overview has the details.
How Does MFT Licensure Work for Sacramento-Area Graduates?
The licensing rules are the same in every California county. After graduating from a qualifying program, you apply to the Board for registration as an AMFT. Post-degree hours you earn before the registration is issued count only if the Board receives your application within 90 days of the degree award date and your employer required Live Scan fingerprinting before you earned them, so it pays to apply in the weeks right after graduation. Once registered, you gain 3,000 hours of supervised experience, at least 1,700 of them after the degree, over at least 104 supervised weeks. You take the California Law and Ethics Exam during your first year as an associate and the LMFT Clinical Exam after your hours are approved.
The Road to Licensure lays out every step and form in order, and the guide to the 3,000-hour requirement explains how the hours break down, with a calculator that estimates how long yours will take. Licensees who move to California from another state follow a separate route, covered on the page on MFT license requirements by state.
Where Do Associates in Sacramento and Northern California Gain Supervised Hours?
Associates in the region gain their hours in settings such as county mental health services and the agencies they fund, community clinics, schools and group practices. Sacramento County's Division of Behavioral Health Services provides mental health and substance use services and works with health care providers, schools, community organizations and child welfare agencies, and its provider directories list the agencies that deliver county-funded care. California's Medi-Cal plan names licensed and registered marriage and family therapists among the providers of its specialty mental health services, so associates can work in the county systems and the agencies that contract with them across the region.
Community health centers and rural health clinics are another route: since 2018, Medi-Cal has paid federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics for services by licensed marriage and family therapists. An associate who works in a private or group practice must be an employee or a volunteer rather than an independent contractor, and the rules on employment, private practice and advertising are set out in the guide to AMFT employment rules.
Can You Become an MFT in Northern California Without Moving?
Yes. Several programs teach coursework online, and the directory of online MFT programs in California lists them with their residency and practicum requirements. After graduation, supervision by real-time videoconference counts as face-to-face supervision under California law, and the Board places no limit on the number of supervised hours gained through telehealth.
The harder question for students far from a campus is practicum. Many programs ask students to find a placement near where they live, with help from the program, and the supply of sites varies from county to county. Asking each program how it handles placement for a student in your county is the most useful step before you apply, and the guide to how MFT practicum placement works explains what to ask.
Making Your Decision
For students in the Sacramento region and the north, the choice usually comes down to three practical questions: whether you can attend classes on a campus or need an online format, how the program arranges practicum where you live, and what the full cost will be once fees and travel are added. The table and the program reviews answer the first and third for each school. The second takes a conversation with each program, and its answer decides where you will see your first clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
What MFT programs are in Sacramento?
CSU Sacramento offers its MFT program on campus in Sacramento, Alliant International University has a Sacramento campus as well as an online format, and the University of San Francisco teaches its MFT concentration at a Sacramento regional site. William Jessup University teaches its program in nearby Rocklin, with live remote classes for California residents. Programs taught online are also open to Sacramento-area students, and every program has to meet the same state educational requirements for the LMFT.
Where is the California Board of Behavioral Sciences located?
The Board of Behavioral Sciences is at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S-200, Sacramento, CA 95834. AMFT registration applications can be submitted online in BreEZe or by mail, and LMFT licensure applications are paper forms mailed to the Board, so applicants do not need to visit the office.
Can I study to become an MFT in Northern California without moving?
Yes. CSU Chico, Simpson University in Redding and Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata offer on-campus programs in the north, William Jessup University offers live remote classes to California residents, and several programs teach coursework online. Practicum placement is the part to ask each program about, because many expect students to train at a site near where they live.
How long does it take to become an LMFT in Sacramento?
The rules are the same statewide. After a qualifying master's degree, you need 3,000 hours of supervised experience over at least 104 supervised weeks, then the LMFT Clinical Exam; the Law and Ethics Exam comes during your first year as an associate. Weeks of supervision from practicum count toward the 104, so the time after graduation depends on how much experience you bring and how many hours you gain each week.
Where do new associates work in the Sacramento area?
Associates gain their hours in county behavioral health services and the agencies that contract with them, in community health centers and clinics, in schools and in group practices that hire associates as employees. California's Medi-Cal plan lists registered marriage and family therapists among the providers of specialty mental health services, so associates can work in public mental health programs.
References
California Board of Behavioral Sciences. (n.d.). Contact us. https://www.bbs.ca.gov/about/contact_us.html
California Board of Behavioral Sciences. (n.d.). Exam results by school, 2025. https://www.bbs.ca.gov/pdf/exam_stats/exam_stats_2025.pdf
California Board of Behavioral Sciences. (2025). Important answers to frequently asked questions for associate marriage and family therapists and MFT trainees. https://www.bbs.ca.gov/pdf/publications/mft_faq.pdf
California Business and Professions Code, section 4980.43. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=4980.43
California Business and Professions Code, section 4980.43.2. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=4980.43.2
California Department of Health Care Services. (2023). State Plan Amendment 23-0026 approval. https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/Documents/SPA-23-0026-Approval.pdf
California Department of Health Care Services. (2019). State Plan Amendment 18-0003-A approval. https://dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/Documents/SPA18-0003A_Apv.pdf
Sacramento County Department of Health Services. (n.d.). Behavioral health. https://dhs.saccounty.gov/us/en/behavioral-health.html
