Alabama licenses Licensed Bachelor Social Workers (LBSW), Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) through the Board of Social Work Examiners. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Check with your board. 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.
Alabama at a glance
License
ASWB exam
What it takes
LBSW (Licensed Bachelor Social Worker)
Bachelors
A CSWE-accredited BSW; then 24 months of supervision at 4 hours a month.
LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker)
Masters
A CSWE-accredited MSW.
LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)
Clinical
24 months of supervised clinical practice within 36 months, at least 4 hours of LICSW supervision a month (96 hours).
Alabama, step by step
Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners
Become license eligible: with a social work degree from a CSWE-approved school, apply online or by mail; once the board approves you, you take the ASWB exam for your level within one year. The exam processing fee is $75 (re-exam $75). The board receives scores about a week after you test and mails the license in 10 to 14 days.
LBSW supervision: every LBSW completes 24 months of supervision at a minimum of 4 hours a month; after that, no further supervision is needed in the same type of practice.
LICSW experience (850-X-3): as an LMSW, at least 4 hours of supervision a month for 24 months within a 36-month period (96 hours of clinical supervision) from a board-approved LICSW supervisor with two years post-licensure. Supervision credit is lost if the 24 months are not finished within 36. Up to six months of non-clinical supervision can count.
LICSW exam: the ASWB Clinical exam.
Renewal: every two years, $100, with 30 CE hours (10 live, 3 in ethics; LICSWs also 3 in clinical social work).
The steps that hold nearly everywhere: a CSWE-accredited degree, your board's approval (or ASWB's, in a few states), the ASWB exam at the level your license needs, then the license. Every ASWB level has 122 questions (110 scored) in 4 hours; Bachelors and Masters cost $230, Advanced Generalist and Clinical $260, and you wait at least 90 days to retake (ASWB Examination Guidebook, August 2026). A passing score counts in every state for the same exam level. The full walk-through: How to get your social work license.