MFT Licensure in Michigan: What LLMFTs Need to Know About Supervision

Michigan's path to MFT licensure runs through the Limited Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LLMFT) credential. It also has one of the strictest supervision rules among the states I'm licensed in: the statute requires face-to-face supervision. This guide covers what Michigan requires and where the law may be heading.

The Michigan Board of Marriage and Family Therapy sits within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The figures below come from MCL 333.16909 and the board's rules, checked in October 2026. Confirm current requirements with the board before you plan your hours.

Pre-licensed title: Limited Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LLMFT), an educational limited license that lasts one year and can be renewed no more than five times (R 338.7203).

Client contact: at least 1,000 hours of direct client contact, at least half with couples, families, or family subsystems physically present in the therapy room (MCL 333.16909).

Supervision: 200 hours, at least 100 of them individual, at a ratio of at least one hour of supervision for every five hours of experience. Individual supervision allows no more than one other supervisee present. Group supervision allows up to six supervisees.

Exam: the national MFT exam, plus implicit bias and human trafficking training.

MCL 333.16909 says supervision "shall be given in face-to-face contact." The statute doesn't mention video, and I have not found licensing department guidance treating video as face-to-face. Until that changes, plan on in-person supervision for Michigan hours.

The couples and family half of your client contact also has to happen with clients physically present in the room.

HB 4905 (2025) would allow virtual supervision for Michigan MFT licensure. It passed the House 106 to 1 on June 25, 2026, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Housing and Human Services on July 1, 2026. If it becomes law, Michigan LLMFTs would be able to complete supervision by video. Follow its status on the Michigan Legislature site.

Michigan's statute allows supervision from an LMFT or certain other licensed mental health professionals with a master's degree, and it names AAMFT Approved Supervisors directly (MCL 333.16909).

• Plan in-person supervision unless and until virtual supervision is authorized
• Track couples and family sessions separately and note that clients were physically present
• Keep the one-to-five supervision ratio in view as your caseload grows
• Watch your limited license renewals, since there are only five

I hold an active Michigan LMFT license and supervise by telehealth. I'm accepting inquiries from Michigan LLMFTs now, and telehealth supervision for Michigan begins once virtual supervision is authorized. See the Michigan supervision page or request a session.

Mx. Love C. Dialogos is an LMFT and AAMFT Approved Supervisor offering queer-affirming clinical supervision via telehealth, licensed in thirteen states. Verify credential in the AAMFT directory.

• Michigan MFT supervision
• MFT Licensure Hours by State
• Does Telehealth Supervision Count for MFT Licensure Hours?
• How to Track Your MFT Supervision Hours
• How to Choose a Queer-Affirming MFT Supervisor