Idaho licenses social workers at several levels, including the Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), through the State 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.
Idaho at a glance
License
ASWB exam
What it takes
LSW (Licensed Social Worker)
ASWB exam for the license type
A CSWE-accredited social work degree.
LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker)
Masters
A CSWE-accredited MSW.
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Clinical
3,000 supervised clinical hours over 2 to 5 years (1,750 direct client treatment), 100 hours of face-to-face supervision.
Idaho's rules also list independent-practice versions of the master and social worker licenses; check with the board for their requirements.
Idaho, step by step
Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)
The exam: the applicable ASWB licensing exam for the license type, passed within the previous seven years, with a degree from a CSWE-accredited program.
LCSW experience:3,000 hours of supervised clinical social work over no fewer than two and no more than five years: 1,750 hours of direct client contact in clinical treatment plus 1,250 hours of assessment, diagnosis and other clinical work (indirect hours allowed), and at least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision in person or by live video, no more than 50 of them in groups.
Supervisors: a clinical social worker licensed at least two years, with no client-care discipline in five years and 15 hours of clinical supervisor training.
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.