Louisiana credentials social workers as Registered Social Workers (RSW), Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW), Certified Social Workers (CSW, a holding credential for MSWs who have not yet passed the LMSW exam) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW). 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.
Louisiana at a glance
License
ASWB exam
What it takes
RSW (Registered Social Worker)
None
A social work degree; registration. $50 application.
LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker)
Masters (the exam the board recognizes)
An MSW. $75 application.
CSW (Certified Social Worker)
Not yet passed
Meets every LMSW requirement except the exam; good for up to three years.
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Clinical
3,000 hours of postgraduate practice under a board-approved clinical supervisor (BACS), 96 hours of face-to-face supervision. $100 application.
Louisiana, step by step
Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners
LMSW exam approval: MSW students can ask, on a form signed by the program dean or director, for approval to sit for the exam the board recognizes for the LMSW (the ASWB Masters exam) before graduating; everything but the final transcript must be complete.
CSW: if you meet all LMSW requirements except the exam, the board can certify you as a CSW for up to three years; the certification ends if you have not passed the LMSW exam by then.
LCSW supervision (LAC 46:XXV.503, amended October 2025): as an LMSW, at least 3,000 hours of postgraduate social work practice under a board-approved clinical supervisor (BACS), with 96 hours of face-to-face supervision in meetings of 30 minutes to 2 hours, and never more than 80 hours of practice between meetings.
LCSW exam: the ASWB Clinical exam.
Fees (LAC 46:XXV.313): applications are $100 (LCSW), $75 (LMSW) and $50 (RSW); fees are non-refundable. LCSWs list the LMSWs and CSWs they supervise on their renewal form.
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.