How to get a social work license in District of Columbia

DC licenses four levels: Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA), Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW), Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW). Since March 6, 2026, MSW graduates can get the LGSW without an exam. 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.

District of Columbia at a glance

LicenseASWB examWhat it takes
LSWA (Licensed Social Work Associate)ASWB Associate levelA CSWE-accredited BSW; practices under supervision.
LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker)None by education, or MastersA CSWE-accredited MSW. The education pathway (17 DCMR 7014) needs no exam; the exam pathway is still open on request.
LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker)Advanced Generalist3,000 hours of supervised post-master's experience, 100 of them immediate supervision.
LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)Clinical3,000 supervised post-master's hours (100 immediate supervision) and 12 credits of clinical coursework, 6 of them in the MSW.

District of Columbia, step by step

DC Board of Social Work (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration)

  1. LGSW by education (7014): apply online with a certified transcript from a CSWE-accredited program, two professional references and one personal reference. If you would rather test, the board takes exam-pathway requests at [email protected].
  2. Exams (7004): the ASWB Associate level for the LSWA, the Masters level on the LGSW exam route, Advanced Generalist for the LISW and Clinical for the LICSW. Students in their final term can ask to test before graduation (7005).
  3. Clinical coursework: to sit for the Clinical exam you need 12 academic credits of clinical coursework from a CSWE-accredited program, at least 6 of them earned in the MSW.
  4. Supervised experience: for the LISW or LICSW, 3,000 hours of post-master's experience under supervision, with at least 100 hours of face-to-face (immediate) supervision; at least one hour of every 32 must be immediate supervision (7012.8). Supervisors send the supervision verification forms directly to the board.
  5. Fees: $230 application and license fee on the exam route, plus a $50 criminal background check.

Sources: DC Health: Social Work Licensing, LGSW via education announcement (PDF), Examination checklist (PDF), 17 DCMR Chapter 70: Social Work. Checked October 18, 2026.

Practice for the Clinical exam, freeDSM-5-TR diagnosis, psychotherapy models, clinical ethics and supervision, on the 2026 Clinical outline. Practice for the Advanced Generalist exam, freeLeadership, personnel, program evaluation, grants and research ethics, on the 2026 Advanced Generalist outline. Practice for the Masters exam, freeVignette questions on the 2026 Masters outline, every answer sourced. Practice for the Bachelors exam, freeThe Bachelors level: generalist practice, benefits programs and task-centered work, on the 2026 Bachelors outline.

The national steps, briefly

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.

Official pages