On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1598. The bill makes significant changes to the Law & Ethics Exam process for California BBS associates in 2027. Here's what AMFTs, APCCs, and ASWs need to know.
The Six-Year Rule becomes a Seven-Year Rule
The "Six-Year Rule" is actually two different, related rules. One is focused on the maximum amount of time you can hold an associate registration. The other is focused on how far back the BBS will look when counting hours of supervised experience toward licensure -- even if that experience was gained under two different registration numbers. As of January 1, 2027, each of these rules will change to a seven-year timeframe.
There also will be a new opportunity for those working in private practice settings at the end of their initial seven-year registration period to receive a one-time, two-year hardship extension that allows them to continue working in that private practice even under their subsequent registration. This is intended to address the concern that associates working in private practice settings who are close to completing their licensure requirements when their initial registration number ends have needed to drop those private practice clients until they become fully licensed.
The timing rules for the Law & Ethics Exam change
In 2026 and before, California BBS associates were required to at least attempt the Law & Ethics Exam in their first year of associate registration. Anyone who did not pass prior to renewing their registration would need to continue attempting the exam at least once per registration year until they passed.
As of January 1, 2027, this timing restriction is removed. Associates will no longer be required to attempt the exam in their first year of associate registration. They will, of course, still need to pass it as an associate prior to becoming eligible for the clinical exam. And it will remain the case that you cannot receive a subsequent registration number without having first passed the Law & Ethics Exam.
For what it's worth, even with this change, we will continue to recommend that associates take the Law & Ethics Exam as soon as possible once they receive their associate registration numbers. There is meaningful evidence that completing the exam closer to graduation improves the likelihood of passing.
An age limit for Law & Ethics Exam results, eventually
The bill also applies an age limit to Law & Ethics Exam results, making those results valid for up to 7 years. But this specific provision doesn't kick in until January 1, 2030. After that date, if someone has not become fully licensed within 7 years after passing the L&E exam, they would need to retake (and pass) the L&E exam again before being granted a license.
Additional changes possible in 2028
These are significant changes, and not the only changes planned for the licensing process. The BBS is also planning to introduce legislation in 2027 that, if signed into law, would allow associates to take their Clinical Exams earlier in the process. It would not change the supervised-experience requirement.
