How to get your social work license

Every state and DC licenses social workers, and almost all of them use the same exams from the Association of Social Work Boards. What differs is the name of the license, which exam level it needs, and whether the state adds its own law exam. Here are the steps that hold nearly everywhere, then three states worked through.

Check your own board. License names, fees and rules change, and your state board has the final word. Social Work Ticket is a study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) or any state social work board; ASWB is their mark, used here only to name the exam. Laws on confidentiality, reporting and licensing differ by state; follow your state's law, your agency and your supervisor.

The exam levels

ExamWho takes itTypical license
BachelorsBSW graduates, in states that license at that levelLBSW, LSW (varies)
MastersMSW graduates, right after the degreeLMSW, LSW, LGSW, LMSW-A
Advanced GeneralistMSW + about two years of supervised nonclinical (often macro) experience, in states that offer itLMSW-AP in Texas; varies by state
ClinicalMSW + about two years (usually around 3,000 hours) of supervised clinical experienceLCSW, LICSW, LISW-CP

Since August 3, 2026, every level has 122 questions (110 scored, 12 unscored) in 4 hours. Masters and Bachelors cost $230; Advanced Generalist and Clinical cost $260 (ASWB Examination Guidebook, 08/2026). A passing score counts in every state for the same exam category.

The steps

  1. Earn the degree

    A master's degree in social work (MSW) from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), or a BSW for the Bachelors exam. Many states let you apply in your last semester and test as soon as the degree is posted.

  2. Apply to your state board

    The board reviews your transcript (and often a background check, fingerprints and a fee) and approves you for a specific exam category. In most states the board tells ASWB which exam you are approved to take; in a few, you register with ASWB first. Your board's website says which.

  3. Register with ASWB and schedule

    Register on ASWB's site and pay the exam fee ($230 for Masters). ASWB emails an Authorization to Test within two business days; you then book a seat at a Pearson VUE test center. ASWB also sells an official online practice test ($85).

  4. Take the exam

    Arrive 30 minutes early with ID that matches your registration. Two 61-question sections, 2 hours each, with an optional 10-minute break; you see pass or fail on the screen. If you do not pass, wait at least 90 days (a waiver may be possible if you were within 10 points of passing and your state allows it) and use the content-area breakdown on your score report to aim your study.

  5. Finish your state's extra steps

    Some states add a law and ethics or jurisprudence exam (California and Texas, for example), a course on child abuse identification or other topics, or a supervision plan. Then the board issues your license. Renewal usually means continuing education every two or three years.

  6. Going clinical?

    The LCSW comes later: after the MSW and, usually, about two years of supervised clinical practice under a qualified supervisor, you take the Clinical exam. Many new graduates take the Masters exam first so they can work as an LMSW while they collect their supervised hours.

Three states, worked through

New York

  1. Licenses at two levels: LMSW (Masters exam) and LCSW (Clinical exam), through the State Education Department's Office of the Professions.
  2. LMSW: an MSW, the Masters exam, and New York's required child abuse identification and reporting coursework.
  3. LCSW: three years (at least 2,000 hours) of supervised postgraduate clinical experience, then the Clinical exam.

California

  1. No masters-level license for general practice. New MSW graduates register as an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) with the Board of Behavioral Sciences and pass the California Law and Ethics Exam.
  2. After 3,000 hours of supervised experience over at least two years, they take the ASWB Clinical exam for the LCSW.

Florida

  1. No general masters-level license; the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling licenses LCSWs.
  2. Graduates heading for clinical practice register as a Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern and complete supervised clinical experience (two years) and Florida's required courses (such as laws and rules), then take the ASWB Clinical exam.
  3. So a Florida MSW who wants to practice clinically studies for the Clinical exam later, while the Masters exam is the one most other states use right after school.

Your state

Every state and DC, each checked against that state's own board pages and rules:

Moving states? A passing score transfers for the same category, and the Social Work Licensure Compact (enacted in 2024 and still being set up) is meant to let a social worker licensed in one member state practice in the others. Check your board for the current status.

Practice for the Bachelors (BSW) exam, freeThe Bachelors level: more recall, generalist practice, benefits programs and task-centered work, on the 2026 Bachelors outline. Practice for the Masters exam, freeOpens the Social Work Ticket study guide: vignette questions on the 2026 outline, every answer sourced. Practice for the Advanced Generalist exam, freeThe advanced nonclinical level: leadership, personnel, program evaluation, grants and research ethics, on the 2026 Advanced Generalist outline. Practice for the Clinical (LCSW) exam, freeThe Clinical level: DSM-5-TR diagnosis, psychotherapy models, clinical ethics and supervision, on the 2026 Clinical outline.