Indiana licenses Bachelor Social Workers (LBSW), Social Workers (LSW, the master's license) and Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) through the Behavioral Health and Human Services 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.
Indiana at a glance
License
ASWB exam
What it takes
LBSW (Licensed Bachelor Social Worker)
Bachelors
A bachelor's in social work. $50.
LSW (Licensed Social Worker)
Masters
A master of social work degree. $50.
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Clinical
Two years of paid clinical social work experience (at least 24 months) as an LSW, 4 hours of face-to-face LCSW supervision each month, clinical coursework. $50.
Indiana, step by step
Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Professional Licensing Agency)
Apply online: every application is $50 (non-refundable), with official transcripts uploaded from your school and a criminal background check for the LCSW. Once the board approves you, you must take the exam within one calendar year of that approval.
LBSW or LSW: the ASWB Bachelors exam for the LBSW, the ASWB Masters exam for the LSW. MSW students in their last semester can get exam approval with a letter of good standing from the university. Passing results reach the board about a week later and the license is issued.
LCSW experience: two years of experience in clinical social work, counseling clients in a clinical setting, that is paid, full-time and supervised (part-time is considered case by case) and takes no less than 24 months. Hours earned in Indiana must be under an active LSW license or temporary LSW permit. You need at least 4 hours of face-to-face supervision for each month of experience from an LCSW (Form I), and a clinical coursework form (Form III) if you started your MSW after July 1, 1997.
LCSW exam: the ASWB Clinical exam after the board approves your application.
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.