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Social Work State Licensing Boards
State licensing boards are responsible for protecting the public by ensuring that certain types of social workers meet professional and educational standards through licensing and regulation. Licensing requirements are determined at the state level; therefore, the requirements for licensing are different for each state. Students who wish to pursue a career in social work should review the standards for their state of residence to ensure that the online program they choose meets the requirements needed for licensing. Each online MSW in our full list of programs is accredited, but some states may have additional rules.
With state licensing boards being responsible for setting the standards for licensure, every state has different types of licenses and some states even require multiple licenses in order to become a specific type of social worker. Here are some examples of state licenses:
- Florida: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW)
- Oregon: Registered Baccalaureate Social Worker (RBSW), Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- New York: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Texas: Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Master Social Worker-Advanced Practice (LMSW-AP), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
State licensing boards also provide the public a way to verify that a social worker is actively licensed to practice in the state. In addition, some states provide information about social workers who have been disciplined by the board. Finally, if a consumer has a complaint against a licensed social worker, they can file it with their state’s licensing board, who will investigate the claim(s) to determine if there was any misconduct by the social worker.
Social Work Licensing Boards by State
State | Licensing Board | Types of Licenses |
---|---|---|
Alabama | Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Clinical Social Worker Licensed Master Social Worker Licensed Bachelor Social Worker |
Alaska | Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners | Clinical Social Worker (CSW) Master Social Worker (MSW) Baccalaureate Social Work (BSW) |
Arizona | Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Baccalaureate Social Work (LBSW) |
Arkansas | Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Social Worker (LSW) |
California | California Board of Behavioral Sciences | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) |
Colorado | Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Social Worker (LSW) |
Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Public Health | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Master’s Level Social Worker |
Delaware | Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners | Bachelors Social Worker Masters Social Worker Clinical Social Worker" |
District of Columbia | Washington, D.C. Board of Social Work | Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) |
Florida | Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Certified Master Social Worker |
Georgia | Georgia Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists | Clinical Social Worker Master Social Worker |
Hawaii | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) |
Idaho | Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners | Master Social Worker Clinical Social Worker |
Illinois | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation | Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Social Worker, Licensed |
Indiana | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board | Licensed Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Bachelor Social Worker |
Iowa | Iowa Department of Public Health | Social Worker Bachelor’s Level Social Worker Master’s Level Social Worker Independent |
Kansas | Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW) |
Kentucky | Kentucky Board of Social Work | Certified Social Worker (CSW) Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) |
Louisiana | Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners | Registered Social Worker Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) / Certified Social Worker |
Maine | Maine State Board of Social Work Licensure | Licensed Social Worker Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) |
Maryland | Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical (LCSW-C) Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) |
Massachusetts | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers | Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) Licensed Social Worker (LSW) |
Michigan | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs | Master's Social Worker (MSW) Bachelor’s Social Worker (BSW) |
Minnesota | Minnesota Board of Social Work | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) |
Mississippi | Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) |
Missouri | Missouri Committee for Social Workers | Licensed Advanced Macro Social Worker (LAMSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) |
Montana | Montana Board of Behavioral Health | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) |
Nebraska | Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services | Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW) Certified Social Worker (CSW) |
Nevada | Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers | Clinical Social Worker (CSW) Independent Social Worker (ISW) Social Worker (SW) |
New Hampshire | New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice | Independent Clinical Social Worker |
New Jersey | New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Certified Social Worker (CSW) |
New Mexico | New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) |
New York | New York Office of the Professions | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) |
North Carolina | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW) Certified Social Work Manager (CSWM) Certified Social Worker (CSW) |
North Dakota | North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker Licensed Master Social Worker Licensed Clinical Social Worker |
Ohio | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) |
Oklahoma | Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Licensed Social Worker-Administration (LSW-Adm) |
Oregon | Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) Registered Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) |
Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors | Clinical Social Worker (CSW) Bachelor Social Worker (BSW) Social Worker (SW) |
Rhode Island | Rhode Island Department of Health | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) |
South Carolina | South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) |
South Dakota | South Dakota Social Work Examiners Board | Social Worker Certified Social Worker Certified Social Worker in Private or Independent Practice |
Tennessee | Tennessee Board of Social Workers | Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker (LAPSW) Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) |
Texas | Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) Licensed Master Social Worker - Advanced Practice (LMSW-AP) |
Utah | Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing | Certified Social Worker (CSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) |
Vermont | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation | Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Master's Social Worker |
Virginia | Virginia Board of Social Work | Registered Social Worker (RSW) Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master's Social Worker (LMSW) |
Washington | Washington Department of Health | Licensed Advanced Social Worker (LASW) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) Licensed Social Work Associate & Advanced (LSWAA) Licensed Social Work Associate & Independent Clinical (LSWAIC) |
West Virginia | West Virginia Board of Social Work | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) |
Wisconsin | Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board | Certified Advanced Practice Social Worker (CAPSW) Certified Independent Social Worker (CISW) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Certified Social Worker (CSW) |
Wyoming | Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board | Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Certified Social Worker (CSW) |
Information for state licensing boards of social work was retrieved as of March 2020. For the most up-to-date information, check with your state board.
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