Arkansas licenses Licensed Social Workers (LSW), Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) and Licensed Certified Social Workers (LCSW, Arkansas's clinical-level license) through the Social Work Licensing Board. 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.
Arkansas at a glance
License
ASWB exam
What it takes
LSW (Licensed Social Worker)
Bachelors
A CSWE-accredited BSW; provisional license while you test.
LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker)
Masters
A CSWE-accredited MSW; provisional license while you test.
LCSW (Licensed Certified Social Worker)
Clinical
Two years (24 months) and 4,000 hours in a clinical LMSW position, 100 hours of direct supervision.
Arkansas, step by step
Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board (Department of Health)
The exam: the ASWB exam for the level you seek (Bachelors for the LSW, Masters for the LMSW, Clinical for the LCSW); exceptions are reviewed case by case. An approved application is valid for one year or three exam attempts, whichever comes first.
Provisional license: LSW and LMSW applicants are issued a provisional license while they complete the exam.
LCSW supervision (17 CAR 100-106):24 months and 4,000 hours worked in a supervised, clinical LMSW position, with at least 100 hours of direct supervision (no more than two hours in any week; group supervision in groups of four or fewer and no more than half the total). The supervisor must have been a fully licensed LCSW for at least three years, and the supervision plan goes to the board on its form within 60 days of starting.
Renewal: 30 hours of social work continuing education.
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.